Energy-efficient fans blow cool for dairy farming Standing in the middle of Century Oak Farm’s26,000-square-foot barn, with helicopter-sizeblades silently whirling overhead and the outside temperature above 30 C, Ontario dairyfarmer James Otto coolly points to cows comfortably resting in their stalls.

“You can immediately feel the difference with the fanson. High temperatures affect cows a lot more than itdoes us,” he says. “It puts stress on the animals andwith their comfort affected, they are not as productive.”

Since installing five 24-foot, high-efficiency ceilingfans in his barns last year, the lower temperatureshave made the 150-cow milking herd more comfort-able during hot weather, which has increased milkproduction, James says. Four fans operate in the largefree-stall barn and one in the milking barn.

“The more comfortable my cows, the healthier theyare, the more they milk, the better they perform.”

James, along with his wife, Mary and son Michael,own and operate Century Oak Farm in NewHamburg, Ontario. The Otto family has farmed formore than 130 years.

Because the ceiling fans are energy efficient andreduce electricity demand, Century Oak Farmreceived a $24,000 incentive under the Ontario Power Authority’s Electricity Retrofit Incentive

New Hamburg dairyfarmer James Otto (r.)with John ThomsonKitchener WilmotHydro.

Program (ERIP), says John Thomson, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro’s supervisor of key accounts.

“ERIP is designed to encourage businesses likeCentury Oak Farm to install high-efficiency electricityretrofits in existing structures,” he says.

The high-efficiency fans can provide up to a 40-percent reduction in energy costs, depending on individual farm operations. “If you can save a kilowatt,we can provide you with an incentive,” John says.

To increase awareness of ERIP, Kitchener-WilmotHydro hosted information sessions for energy-efficiency suppliers for all businesses, including theagricultural community.

In addition, the 80,000-customer local distributioncompany provides help to ERIP applicants in complet-ing the application forms, verifying the installationand providing the incentive payment directly to thesuccessful client. Ontario’s local distribution compa-nies administer ERIP across the province.

Energy efficiency is a constant at Century Oak Farm,James says. The Ottos moved to a more energy-efficientdairy operation when they replaced an older closedbarn in 2004 with an open-sided natural-ventilationstructure. The new structure relies on temperature-controlled side curtains to increase air and light andreduce the amount of electricity required.

When the naturally ventilated barn was beingplanned, James considered installing high-efficiencyfans to further reduce the summer temperatures forthe cows, but the cost was outside his budget.

Conventional basket-style exhaust fans were an option;but they are not as energy efficient nor as effective increating a more comfortable environment for the cows.The Ottos decided against installing any fans.

“Every summer when the heat returns, we discussedinstalling the high-efficiency fans. But the high costwas always the barrier,” he says. Anticipating theywould eventually install the large fans, the barns’ roofswere reinforced to support the fans’ weight.

Electricity conservation onOntario farms

Volume 4, Issue 2, Summer 2010

1Continued on page 4

How can whales swimming in the ocean helpgenerate more energy from natural, renewablesources such as wind?

Two Ontario-based companies believe whales canhelp and have proven it. Toronto-based WhalePowerCorp. has spent five years testing and gathering datato study whether a radically new type of turbine orfan blade modeled after the flippers of humpbackwhales – with rounded bumps known as tuberclesalong the leading edge – performs much more effi-ciently than conventional, flat, straight-edged blades.And Seaforth, Ont.-based Envira-North Systems Ltd.,Canada’s largest supplier of industrial ceiling fans, hasincorporated the new blades into a new line of fansthat began shipment to customers in May 2009.

“We were approached by WhalePowerwith their tubercle-technology bladedesign and, after reviewing the testresults, decided to take a chance,” saysEnvira-North chief executive officerMonica Bowden. “The result is ournew HVLS – for high-volume, low-speed – Altra-Air industrial fan, for use in large buildings such as factories,

warehouses, arenas, swimming pools and dairy barns,where heating, cooling and air circulation are especially important for the health of the animals.”Customer interest in the new fan’s design has beenstrong, Bowden says, and will likely grow exponen-tially as early customers report improvements in efficiency and reductions in energy costs. “We estimate that the HLVS Altra-Air will pay for itselfwithin six months – or sooner – from the reductionin electricity costs,” Bowden says.

“In fact, one customer reduced energy costs by$100,000 in the first six months, which was morethan twice the cost of the fans installed.” The marketfor industrial fans in North America is in the $100-million range, she adds.

WhalePower says that the advantages of the HLVS fan design add up to a remarkable technologicalbreakthrough. The largest model, 24 feet in diameter,uses five blades versus the conventional 10, yet thefive blades are 25 percent more aerodynamically efficient than the traditional 10-blade configuration.And they not only circulate more air, but they also doit more quietly. Blade noise is reduced to less than 20percent of that made by stock fans, with less vibrationof the blades, which reduces blade failure from metal

fatigue and also less wear and tear on the fan motorand gearbox. And the lower number of blades reduces material and manufacturing costs, allowingEnvira-North to price the new fans competitivelywith traditional models. HVLS fan also consume 20percent less electricity than conventional types. HVLSfans for agricultural applications are eligible forincentives through the OPA’s Electricity RetrofitIncentive Program and the High Performance NewConstruction Program.

Stephen Dewar, vice-president of business affairs,director of research and development and a co-founder of WhalePower, says that the companydesigned precisely formed versions of the “bumps”along the leading edges of the whales’ flippers, whichcombine the sciences of both fluid dynamics and biomechanics. According to Dewar, “the bumps ortubercles along the leading edge of their flippers dramatically increase their aerodynamic efficiency.”

The OPA’s Technology Development Fund and theOntario Centres of Excellence contributed $70,000 to windpower research using tubercle blades at theWind Energy Institute of Canada. The results, Dewarsays, showed a 20-percent increase in power genera-tion and an 80-percent reduction in noise and vibra-tion, which should translate into lower maintenancecosts. These results, Dewar believes, will lead to dramatically increased efficiency of wind turbines andchange the economics of wind-powered electricitygeneration on both a large and small scale.

A number of technical, manufacturing, warranty andother issues will need to be resolved before tubercleblades for wind turbines, fans, compressors and otherapplications can achieve their maximum potential. Yetas they are adopted, the whale-inspired technologymay be one of those breakthroughs the world needs,just when we need it.

Note: The OPA does not endorse or guarantee any specific product or service.

Energy Efficient Fans take theircue from the Humpback Whale

The fan blades feature tubercles along their leading edge,which dramatically increase their aerodynamic efficiency.

Envira-North Systemshas developed theenergy-efficient Altra-Air industrialfan, which has blades modeled after the flippers ofhumpback whales.

2

Energy-efficient ventilation saves money,boosts production

based on their specific needs and calculates incentives based on how muchthey improve energy efficiency.

For the nearly 5,000 dairy farmers inOntario, keeping cows cool and comfort-able year-round is a big part of a successful dairy operation. By applying foran ERIP incentive to offset the cost of newventilation in his 18,000-square-foot, five-year-old barn, Strobosser was able toinstall three 24-inch energy efficient fansthat move more air than dozens of smaller,less efficient fans. In fact, just one of thesefans is equivalent to 56 24-inch high-velocity fans, or 30 36-inch ceiling fans.

In addition to saving an estimated 60 kilowatts (kW) of electricity per year andrecouping his initial investment in roughlytwo years, the cooler and more consistenttemperatures in his barn will help optimizehis herd’s milk production. And that’s thebottom line at Strodale Farms, whereHoward, his wife, Amanda, and childrenErin, age eleven, and Kyle, age nine, are athird-generation dairy farming family. “Wehave a lot of fun here,” says Amanda.

“My grandparents came from Holland tostart up this farm,” Howard adds. “My dadkept it going, and I’ve farmed all my life. I

When hot weather arrived in early

May, Howard Strobosser had 100 of

the coolest Holstein cows in town,

thanks to his decision to participate

in an incentive program that helped

him reduce electricity costs and

increase milk production on his

Jarvis, Ontario dairy farm.

The Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program(ERIP) is designed to encourage agricultur-al businesses to conserve energy with thehelp of financial incentives. ERIP is fundedby the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), deliv-ered through participating local distributioncompanies (LDCs) across Ontario and isdesigned to encourage the replacement ofold lighting, heating and cooling systemswith energy-efficient technologies.

In the agricultural sector, ERIP focuses onequipment such as lighting, heating, swinecreep heat and controls, livestock waterersand ventilation. The program offers a set list of technologies that have a corre-sponding per-unit or performance-basedsavings and are ideal for equipmentreplacements or upgrades. The programalso offers a custom-option track thatallows farmers to select technologies

knew the barn was too warm, and when Iheard about these new fans, I thought theywould be a better solution to buying morebox fans. We wired them in last November,and when we had hot weather early in May, I saw how effective they are. I’m reallyhappy with them.”

While farmers know that keeping electricitycosts down is integral to good farm man-agement, many are unsure about the afford-ability or timing of efficiency retrofits – especially in challenging economic times.For Strobosser, the ERIP incentives availablefor his installation were a critical factor inhis decision to install the high-volume, low-speed Altra-Air fan which utilizes someof the most innovative commercial ventila-tion technology on the market today.

Like most other types of energy-efficientfans, the Altra-Air fan produces dramaticallyless noise and consumes much less energythan traditional models. Altra-Air is just oneof the many kinds of energy-efficient fansthat qualify for ERIP incentives.

The Strobossers’ application was adminis-tered by Haldimand County Hydro, whichworks with farmers who are interested inparticipating in the ERIP program. JaneAlbert, Haldimand County Hydro consumerservices manager, visited their farm recentlyto deliver a cheque for $14,913.

“Haldimand County Hydro is proud to support our agricultural customers’ efforts to increase their energy efficiency with thehelp of the Ontario Power Authority’sElectricity Retrofit Incentive Program,” shesays. “Mr. Strobosser has made a significantinvestment in his dairy production withthese fans and by doing so has demonstrat-ed his commitment to energy conservation,as well as his desire to ensure his livestockare comfortable.”

For more information about the ERIP program and to download applicationforms, visitwww.business.everykilowattcounts.ca, orcontact your local distribution company.

Photo of the farmer, Howard Strobosser and Jane Albert, Haldimand County Hydro consumer services manager.

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Electricity conservation on Ontario farms is produced by the Ontario Power Authority to provide information about energy conservation and efficiency and innovative applications to help Ontario farmers better manage their electricity costs. This publication, available online at www.powerauthority.on.ca, examines a variety of technologiesand best practices that improve farming operations and reduce energy costs. Your comments and suggestions are welcome. To have your name added to the mailing list, send an e-mail note to info@powerauthority.on.ca.

Energy-efficient fans blow cool for dairy farming Continued from page 1

If you’re about to build a new livestock building, you owe it to

yourself to check out the High Performance New Construction

(HPNC) Program. It’s likely you could reap substantial benefits.

Visit hpnc.ca to find out how you can make your project qualify. Download the agribusiness worksheet to instantly see your potential incentive amount. Not only is it easier than you think—it can make your new livestock building healthier and more profitable for years to come.

If your building is in Ontario, contact us today.

For more information call 1-888-OPA-HPNC or visit www.hpnc.ca Applications available online.

Planning to build a new livestock building?

Build it green and reap the rewards.

James then learned of the ERIP incentives for the high-efficiency ceiling fans through a vendor who had attendedone of the Kitchener-Wilmot information sessions. Less than a week after making the application, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro pre-approved the installation, Mr. Thomson says.

“Without the incentive from ERIP, we would not have installed the fans,” James says. “The incentive was the solution to the problem.”

The ceiling fans move more air using less electricity than conventional exhaust fans and as a result cost less tooperate. Each of the fans has a two-horsepower motor and, working together, they move two million cubic feet of air per minute.

As energy costs rise, farm businesses will become more focused on installing more efficient equipment, James says.

“It’s getting more and more important as the price of energy goes up. If there is an incentive for choosing a moreefficient energy technology over a less costly and less efficient one, we will choose the more energy-efficientequipment.”

But the decision must be economically justifiable, James says, adding he normally expects a four- to five-year pay-back on equipment. “I am not going to pay twice as much to get the same thing because of a small energy savings.

“As much as I am green, I still have to run a business. The incentive makes investing in more energy-efficienttechnology a realistic business decision.”

For information about the Ontario Power Authority’s ERIP incentive program, seewww.business.everykilowattcounts.ca.