Assessment and Optimization of Energy Consumption in Dairy Farm: Energy Efficiency

Abstract

Abstract:Energy is considered as an important production factor in many systems and therefore should be managed in parallel with other main production resources including land, labor and capital. In this paper, the energy efficiency scores of some selected dairy farms, using the non-parametric data envelopment analysis approach was assessed. The results for efficient farmers based on two DEA models showed that with an energy conservation policy, farmers can perform better in stock farming. The total energy consumption was 72.8 GJ/cow and the top two energy consuming inputs as feed intake and electricity drew the fact that promoting input utilization efficiency seems critical. The mean technical efficiency score of 0.88 made this ample need more apparent. Machinery, electricity and feed were suggested as the main inputs for optimization due to their high contribution in energy saving (46 and 36%, respectively). The least amount of ESTR (Energy Saving Target Ratio) for human labor indicated that it is employed efficiently. By practicing efficiently, dairy farmers are potentially capable of reducing their energy consumption by 16.8%. In this study, adopting new methodologies, cutting the excess use of inputs such as feed stuffs through using standard feeding rations and providing consultancy and extension programs are recommended.

A Comprehensive Energy Analysis and Related Carbon Footprint of Dairy Farms, Part 2: Investigation and Modeling of Indirect Energy Requirements

“…The yearly requirements of embodied energy in machinery accounted for 3080 MJ per head, a value that underlines the high level of mechanization of the investigated farms. A study conducted by Sefeedpari (2012) [19] on Iranian dairy farms reported about 1641 MJ per cow as the total energy inputs related to machinery. The indirect energy incorporated in the farm machinery and equipment reported as MJ per cultivated land indicates a yearly request of 9270 MJ per hectare, which is in the range of other studies.…”

“…Energy represents an important production factor in agricultural systems and thus should be managed along with the other main production resources [19]. A study carried out by Roer et al (2013) [20], with the aim to assess the environmental impact of combined milk and meat production, shows that excluding the production of building, machinery and materials reduced the Global Warning Potential (GWP) impact approximately by 8% per kg of carcass and 9% per kg of milk.…”

Energy Efficiency Analysis of White Button Mushroom Producers in Alburz Province of Iran: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

“… The total optimum energy requirement for mushroom production was calculated to be 120. 15 As a result of this study, effectiveness of use of all inputs can be achieved in an informed and efficient production system. In this regard, extension programs to-ward the development of such systems should be taken into consideration.…”

“…In fact, the input-oriented is commonly utilized in DEA applications because efficiency profitability depends on the efficiency of operations. Besides that, a farmer is able to take the control of inputs use more easily than output level [15,34]. Let the DMU j to be evaluated on any trial be designated as DMU o (o =1, 2, •••, n).…”

“…One of the proposed and well-established ways to evaluate the relative technical efficiency (TE) of entities by some mathematical programming models is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) [15]. By applying this approach firstly the efficient and inefficient decision making units (DMUs) would be detected and then the optimized amount of inputs use can be decided [16].…”