28 March 2025

Farm Energy Costs: Improving Energy Efficiency

Energy costs are a major expense for pig farms. Reducing energy use improves sustainability and saves money. A simple review of energy use can highlight ways to cut costs and boost efficiency, Emer McCrum tells us more.

Energy use (measured in kWh/ pig produced) is a key environmental indicator of sustainability in the pig industry. Energy audits carried out on 23 pig farms showed a significant variation in usage ranging from 18kWh up to 45kWh, with an average figure of 28kWh/pig produced. This considerable variation highlights the need for some farms to prioritise energy management and efficiency.

Energy costs (heat, power & light) on average account for the third largest non-feed input after labour and healthcare costs respectively. Based on the 91 herds recording on the Teagasc Profit Monitor in 2023, the average cost per pig produced was €7.14 or €199 per sow per year (based on 27.9 pigs produced/ sow/ year). Efforts to improve energy management and efficiency therefore will have a benefit on the environmental and economic sustainability of the business in the long term. Now is an ideal opportunity to review your individual situation and consider measures to improve your performance in this area.

Energy Audits

An energy audit is recommended for businesses spending over €10,000 on energy costs per year. The audit involves an onsite inspection by a Registered Energy Auditor who will provide a detailed report of your energy use in relation to your buildings, processes and systems. The full report includes:

A detailed analysis of your energy use (for example heating fuels, electricity and transport)
Where you use the most energy in your business (for example lighting, heating, etc.)
A list of opportunities for reducing your energy use, including no or low cost changes, investment in renewables and other technologies

SEAI’s Support Scheme for Energy Audits offers a €2,000 voucher towards the cost of a high quality energy audit for qualifying businesses with an annual energy spend of over €10,000. The application and approval process is quick and easy and in most cases, the financial support provided by SEAI will cover the entire cost of the Energy Audit.

Building Upgrades

Heating of farrowing and weaner houses is one of the most energy expensive activities on farm. While the efficiency of your heating source is hugely important, insulation levels and the overall condition of the building envelope is critical. The provision of heat in poorly insulated buildings is a costly and wasteful exercise. Good quality insulation can last for decades but exposure to moisture, pest and rodent infestation, and physical disturbance will deteriorate the insulation material over time. Upgrading the insulation in walls and ceilings has many benefits including:

Reduction in the heat load required to achieve the desired temperature thereby reducing heating costs.
Improved thermal comfort for animals in both winter and summertime, which in turn will improve performance.
Stabilisation of room temperatures through the elimination of draughts, cold spots and fluctuations in the pig environment will improve health and welfare of animals.
Coated insulation boards that can be power washed will improve room hygiene, many are white which reflects light around the building and depending on the design of the building, can be fitted below the purlins ensuring no disturbance to air flow.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades

The following upgrades are capital intensive but will reduce energy usage and improve the overall sustainability of the operation long term.

Lighting is a key consumer of energy on pig farms but an essential component of animal welfare and productivity. The installation of LED’s represents an 80-90% saving in energy usage compared to conventional lighting as well as potential health and productivity benefits. The lifespan of high-quality LED lamps is up to 50 times longer when compared to alternatives and most modern installations are very durable tolerating exposure to moisture, dust and ammonia.
Given that heating is the largest consumer of energy on farms, any improvements to the efficiency of the heating source will make an impact on overall energy costs. Newer technologies including heat recovery units, air source heat pumps and indirect heating systems are more energy efficient when compared to conventional electrical heating options but capital costs are higher. There are however interim solutions that can reduce heating costs. Creating a microclimate by installing insulated creep covers in farrowing and weaner housing allows you to reduce the overall room temperature while ensuring pigs have access to a warm and comfortable nest, thereby reducing the overall heating requirement. Upgrading the electrical and water heat pads in farrowing and weaner housing to more energy efficient models will help to reduce running costs and allow for more reliable temperature control particularly for newborn piglets.
Ventilation of pig houses is another key consumer of energy on farms. Inefficient ventilation is detrimental to pig performance particularly on hot days and costs more to run. Relatively simple steps such as replacing old fans with energy efficient models will pay back quickly and is likely to improve odour dispersal. Regular system maintenance and cleaning of fans will also improve the efficiency of ventilation systems. It is important to note that all ventilation systems will operate at optimum efficiency when airflow is properly controlled without influence from draughts or leaks, again highlighting the importance of building envelope.

Investing in Renewable Energy

Modern solar PV installations provide a reliable source of renewable energy to pig units helping to offset energy bills. Generally, solar PV will generate 20 to 50% of the annual requirement and once installed, the maintenance and operating costs are small. Pig farms will require robust panels so producers should enquire about product and performance warranties. Depending on the current unit rate for electricity and level of grant funding, payback on panels can be as low as three to five years. The TAMS Solar Capital Investment provides 60% grant funding to a ceiling of €90,000 which is a very attractive option. The removal of the requirement for planning permission for roof-mounted panels has been a welcome development. Please note planning is required for ground-mounted panels where the array exceeds 75m² and 2.5m in height.

Next Steps

Energy efficiency is a broad topic and every farm is different in terms of the individual opportunities to improve performance in this area. Start with a simple ‘back of the envelope’ calculation by gathering your energy bills for the last six months. Add up your total kWh usage, double this figure and divide it by the total number of pigs produced on farm in 2024. This will give you a rough indicator of your usage in kWh per pig produced, which you can use to benchmark against the results of Irish audits provided in the introduction. A professional Energy Audit however is recommended to help target your attention and investment in the right areas for maximum results. It’s important to note that many of the energy efficiency investments discussed in this article are grant funded under the TAMS Pig & Poultry Investment Scheme at a rate of 40% to a ceiling of €500,000. Contact your local advisor to find out more.