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NEWS
NEWS
Centre the best source of energy info
THE Farm Energy Centre is the UK’s
leading source of information on the
application of energy-based techniques in
farming and horticulture.
It works with farmers, utilities —
including National Grid — research
institutes and manufacturers providing
expertise on energy applications and
efficiency.
It covers activities from energy auditing
and brokering to energy efficiency planning
and product testing and evaluation.
The FEC also works with other
organisations in the energy business such
as the Energy Savings Trust, Action
Energy and agricultural/horticultural
organisations including the National
Farmers Union, the Milk Development
Council, Horticultural Development
Council and the Health and Safety
Executive.
Its database of techniques and
equipment allows farmers to track down
suppliers of specific equipment, and the
FEC Trade Membership scheme helps
bring manufacturers and clients together.
For more detailed information about the
FEC, visit www.farmenergy.com
For more information about any of the
issues highlighted on these pages, contact
the FEC at NAC, Stoneleigh, Kenilworth,
Warwickshire CV8 2LS. Tel: 024 7669
6512 or e-mail: [email protected]
Use the same numbers to obtain a list of
FEC publications, including technical
guides, and technical notes.
Farm
audits
pay off
NERGY auditing on farms is important
as a means of reducing costs and
demonstrating a commitment to the
environment and energy efficiency.
Many farmers use it to comply with
quality assurance schemes that demand
an appropriate policy as part of being
signed up to the scheme.
For everyone, time spent on the audit
will be quickly paid back in reduced fuel
bills.
The FEC can offer two levels of service
to farmers wishing to audit their energy
use — a self-audit system or on-farm
auditing.
There are five self-audit packs covering
different farm types — field vegetables,
horticulture, pig, dairy and poultry
farms.
These are step-by-step guides and
allow the user to put together an action
plan to address problem areas. When the
plan is returned to FEC, it is checked by
the experts and a certificate of audit is
issued.
The plan is backed up by regular
newsletters and an optional
comprehensive reference folder on energy
efficiency. The cost of the audit package
is £65 + VAT. The reference folder is £60
+ VAT.
If you prefer, you can ask an FEC
engineer to visit for on-farm auditing. They
have considerable experience of on-farm
auditing and can produce a plan for any
type of farm. You can also hire monitoring
equipment that can track electricity
consumption on a half-hourly basis.
Drive is on to lower tax
ID you know… inverter drives, the
control systems that save energy by
enabling electric motors to be run at
reduced speeds, attract tax-saving
Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs)?
ECAs were introduced among a
package of measures giving financial
encouragement to invest in energy
efficient equipment.
Cost of equipment has always been
a limiting factor, so ECAs are a useful
incentive — allowing companies to
write off 100 per cent of their
expenditure on approved equipment
against tax in the first year. Inverter
drives, or variable speed drives, are among
the list of technologies that currently
qualify.
Inverter drives have many applications,
including pumping and conveying and
ventilation. They also help in reducing high
starting currents, which can be a problem
D
Irrigation system
in operation
for farmers operating on weaker electricity
supplies.
The Farm Energy Centre assessed the
use of inverter drive equipment on an
irrigation pump installation. Results showed
energy reductions compared with
conventional mechanical pressure control.
WAREHOUSES and
storage areas use high
amounts of energy resulting
in large bills.
But reductions of more
than 50 per cent are easily
achievable if warehouse
management takes a look
at lighting design and use
and implements a control system.
Help is now at hand with the publication of a
new guide from Action Energy.
The Lighting of Warehouses and Storage
Areas (Ref: Lighting Gui H