HVAC and lighting:Reducing energy costsin poultry farming

Factsheet

E lectricity is at the core of a poultry farm and one of the most costly inputs. Energy use is

mainly associated with the maintenance of good environmental conditions to house chickens - optimising HVAC and lighting systems can make a big difference to help farmers save energy and reduce operating costs.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Ventilation is crucial in poultry farming and, on average, accounts for 14% of energy bills across the sector. There are numerous ways to optimise HVAC systems; following a few simple energy-saving measures can save up to 20% of energy consumption.

Keep houses tight

The best way to reduce heating costs is to make broiler houses as ‘tight’ as possible to stop cold air from entering or interior heat from escaping. Houses become less energy-efficient in winter when cold air enters through wall cracks and holes, which makes the work of heating systems that much harder.

In modern poultry houses, walls and roofs are built with insulated panels fitted with small windows that are automatically controlled to open or close when needed. Fan outlets are equipped with dampers that are closed when fans are off to prevent cold air – and rodents – from entering, and open when fans are switched on.

In the case of older houses that use curtains and natural ventilation and/or extraction fans:

• Prevent heat loss by caulking sill plates and sealing cracks with expanding polyurethane foam

• Repair holes in curtains to stop air leakages • Cover and seal all unused fan openings with plastic sheeting or curtain material • Keep shutters clean.

Optimising lights and ventilation in poultry farming saves energy

Improve insulation

• In older poultry houses that aren’t environmentally controlled, thermal levels can be improved through adequate ceiling insulation.

• Damaged insulation on the roof or walls should be repaired or replaced.

• The insulation efficiency or minimum thermal resistance (R-value) of most insulation materials decreases drastically when moistened – vapour barriers can be installed inside the brooding chamber to avoid humidity build-up.

Use mixing fans to maintain uniform temperature levels

Warm air tends to rise to the roof and cooler air tends to drop to the floor where it is not needed.

• By using mixing fans, farmers can ensure that air is properly circulated and a more uniform temperature is maintained at all levels.

This not only ensures the comfort of chickens but also helps to reduce the amount of energy needed to keep temperature at optimal levels.

Control ventilation fans properly

Ventilation fans are energy-intensive and subjected to more misuse and faulty application than any other type of equipment in broiler houses – controlling the way fans are operated can save energy.

Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) should be installed on circulation and exhaust fans where the fan motors are oversized or where variable air volumes are required. This will help to improve energy efficiency.

A VSD, also known as a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) or Adjustable Speed Drive, is a device that can adjust the frequency to regulate and adapt motor speed to match the actual demand required by the system or application it is driving, resulting in a reduction in energy consumption.

VSDs offer a high degree of motor control, accurately varying motor speed according to demand whilst adjusting torque accordingly – all within the specifications of a particular manufacturer.

Be aware of how “tight” your houses are so that corrections can be made before poultry production suffers and heating costs get excessive.

Variable Speed Drives can reduce motor energy consumption by between 20 and 50%.

Ensure ventilation systems are maintained

If regular maintenance is not carried out, the effectiveness of ventilation systems can drop by up to 60%.

• Dirty or faulty components directly affect system efficiency and will increase running costs and the risk of breakdown.

Small errors in ventilation rates have a huge impact on operating costs – use effective controls to optimise ventilation rates and save on energy.

Prevent moisture

Excess moisture in litter due to leaking pipes, fittings or faulty drinking nozzles, results in more heat being needed for moisture evaporation – litter is defined as excreted manure mixed with bedding material.

Both heating and ventilation systems must be continually monitored to ensure that the moisture content of the litter is controlled and the litter remains friable. If the moisture content becomes elevated and the litter is allowed to become “sealed,” chickens are being grown on a continually damp, slippery and sticky surface. This sealed litter is often referred to as being “caked.”

• If litter is not kept at an acceptable moisture level, very high bacterial loads and unsanitary growing conditions may result in the production of odours, including ammonia; insect problems, particularly flies; soiled feathers; footpad lesions and breast bruises or blisters.

• Fan components should be clean and lubricated, leaks corrected, dirty or blocked air filters replaced and belts and drive shafts aligned for optimal efficiency.

Check and maintain house controllers

Most broiler houses on poultry farms are controlled by electronic devices, which lose accuracy over time.

• To ensure that energy efficiency and desired conditions inside the house are maintained, timers, sensors and thermostats should be tested, cleaned and calibrated regularly.

• It is also important to check that temperature controls match requirements and that systems deliver the correct levels of ventilation as needs vary according to age of broilers, ammonia levels, time of day and outside temperatures.

Lighting

Lighting is often neglected as an energy-saving opportunity. Measurable savings can, however, be achieved by understanding the lighting requirements of a broiler house, analysing inefficiencies and replacing conventional lighting systems with energy-efficient technology solutions.

Install energy-saving lights

Replace all conventional incandescent bulbs with energy-saving alternatives.

• Lights that are switched on for longer periods of time can be replaced with CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) - they last up to eight times longer than conventional bulbs, which means less replacement.

• CFLs have a similar light output as incandescent lamps but use from 20 to 25% of the energy.

• Alternatively, install Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), which use up to 80% less energy but provide around 50,000 hours of use and similar light output as incandescent lamps.

Shannon Group installs energy-efficient lighting and achieves weekday energy consumption savings of 67.14MWh.

With some 2,398 energy-intensive incandescent lamps burning all day, all year round at the group’s poultry farms, switching to energy-saving lighting represented an opportunity to immediately reduce electricity costs – without impacting on production.

Following a successful pilot project to test Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) at Early Bird’s Lanseria farm, the Shannon Group commissioned an Energy Services Company (ESCo) to overhaul and retrofit lighting systems at three of its farms.

The project was completed in less than five months and comprised:

• Fitting 7W LEDs to replace all energy-intensive 60W incandescent lamps - 750 LEDs at Shannon Poultry Farm in Delmas - 668 LEDs at Idle Wild Farm in Olifantsfontein - 980 LEDs at Diepsloot Farm in Kayalami.

Case study

Maintain lighting systems

Lighting systems should be appropriately maintained to prevent them from becoming inefficient.

• Replace old dim lamps and keep controls in good working order by ensuring timers are set to match room or facility requirements.

• Without regular maintenance, light levels can fall by up to 30% in two to three years.

• Establish a basic lighting maintenance programme – it can reduce costs by up to 15% and improve light output and appearance.

Use effective lighting controls

• Automate lighting to match facility requirements – simple time switches can also help to control lighting.

• Occupancy sensors should be considered in areas that do not require constant lighting, such as offices and ablution areas. Lights will switch on when movement is detected, which will ensure that lighting systems run based on requirements and are never left on unnecessarily.

LEDs have a quick start-up time, producing their full light capacity as soon as they are switched on. They also turn off immediately so there is no fading as the bulb cools down once turned off.

Issued by Eskom Integrated Demand Management November 2015Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd Reg No 2002/015527/30

Thanks to the ease with which most LEDs can be fitted in incandescent lamp fittings, most of the retrofit was undertaken by the farms’ internal maintenance teams to control costs.

The savings results:

• The goal was to achieve average monthly demand savings of 114.36kW (kilowatts) and reduce annual electricity consumption by 475,726kWh (kilowatt hours), which would have translated into an annual cost saving of around R480,900 (based on Eskom’s Nightsave Rural kVA tariff at the time of the project in 2013)

• An independent Measurement and Verification assessment conducted between 1 September and 31 October 2014 – a two-month period to cover an entire production cycle – showed that the Shannon Group achieved weekday demand savings of 0.093MW (megawatts) and weekday energy consumption savings of 67.14MWh.

• Based on the measurement data during the assessment period, daily savings impact during the farms’ on-production and off-production periods were calculated to be 1.58MWh and 1.34MWh respectively.

Credits: www.carbontrust.com http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

Eskom’s Energy Advisors are on standby to assist you.

Eskom’s national Advisory Service offers information on manufacturers and suppliers of energy-efficient electro-technologies like LEDs. The team can also advise businesses on:

• Reducing energy usage

• Doing walk-through energy assessments to identify energy usage patterns, energy needs, areas of energy wastage and energy-saving opportunities

• Improving the energy efficiency of operations and electrical systems and processes

• Prioritising maintenance as an important contributor to reducing energy usage

• Finding SANAS approved energy savings Measurement & Verification Authorities.

Advisors can also provide information on funding opportunities for energy efficiency projects.

Call 08600 37566, leave your name and number and an Eskom Energy Advisor will contact you. Alternatively, ask for a specific advisor to contact you.

Visit www.eskom.co.za/idm for more information.