Poultry producers considering using renewable energy in their operations will have a free tool this fall to help them determine whether solar is right for them. Yi Liang, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering and a researcher in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, conducted solar energy research in 2021 on an Arkansas poultry production operation and found it offered significant savings.
The up-front investment in solar technology varies from operation to operation. Michael Popp, professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said it could be a pricy endeavor, but one that can help a grower's balance sheet in the long run.
The Agricultural Experiment Station is the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture. The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science includes the division's research and extension activities.
"We have analyzed poultry farm installations ranging in installation cost between $250,000 and $600,000," Popp said. Associated 30-year total profit in today's dollars ranged from $75,000 to $280,000 for those size installations.
"What you are doing is replacing part of your electricity bill with known up-front costs. You know how much electricity you will generate; you know your depreciation, insurance, interest, and property tax cost when you install," he said. "As such, solar panels reduce your exposure to electricity cost volatility."
>Their analysis included tax credits and, to a much lesser extent, grants from REAP, the Rural Energy for America Program.
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SOLAR OUTREACH
Liang and Walter Bottje, the poultry science physiologist, hosted an educational program in July to debut the Poultry Solar Assessment tool and share the benefits of utilizing solar energy in poultry production.
"Adding solar technology is
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