“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.
Available in other languages:
Content available at:
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 poultry grower saved more than 90 percent off his annual electricity expense, Liang said. He paid only account charges — between $15 and $25 per month — in 11 out of 12 months of utility bills in 2021.
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.
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
Subscribe now to the poultry technical magazine
AUTHORS
Newcastle Disease: One Hundred Years On, Why Transmission Control Matters More Than Ever
Mustafa Seckin Sandikli
Egg Size Versatility in Nick Chick – Part I
H&N Technical Department
Interview with Khaled Abdel Nasser Awwad
Khaled Abdel Nasser Awwad
When the Supply Chain Breaks: Poultry Prices and the Economics of Maritime Disruption in the Middle East
Dima Chatila
Reovirus Infections in the Broiler Industry
Edgar O. Oviedo Rondón
Egg Condensation in Hatcheries: A Hidden Risk for Embryo Development, Hatchability and Chick Quality
Rasel Ahmed
From Chat to Farm Insight: Bridging the Social Data Gap in Indonesian Broiler Farming
Setiawan Guntarto
Labor Shortage in the Poultry Industry: Potential Solutions
Edgar O. Oviedo Rondón
A Comparison of Soybean Meal from Different Origins in Terms of Nutrient Composition, Amino Acid Profile, and Protein Quality
Güner GÖVENÇ
When Algorithms Start to Control Feed Composition
Henri E. Prasetyo DVM. M.Vsc
