Agriculture and greenhouse emissions

The EPA estimates that U.S. agriculture contributes nine percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. While much less than the emissions attributed to transportation, industry and electricity generation sectors of the economy, many producers are becoming worried about the widespread changes to the climate caused by these emissions, but don’t have an immediate solution. There are now ways for agricultural producers and rural businesses to address this concern and improve the bottom line through energy efficiency improvements and solar energy production. An Ohio State University Extension program called, “Energize Ohio” provides factsheets, videos, and tools for assessing the economic benefits and incentives available for Agricultural Solar systems in Ohio. It also provides a list of energy efficiency programs offered by Ohio Utilities. For example, AEP Ohio has a new program for agricultural producers offering incentives for LED lighting, variable speed pumps, high-efficiency fans and dryers and temperature controllers. Improving energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by agriculture.

Solar is the way to go for farmers too

Agricultural solar energy systems generate electricity from sunshine and can be installed on roofs or in open fields. They provide power to farms and other rural businesses at a fixed cost that in many cases is much lower than the cost for electricity provided by a local utility. However, the specific costs vary considerably based on location, utility provider, energy use profile, economic incentives and how the utility handles excess power generation. The U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has developed a tool called the Systems Analysis Model (SAM) that can be downloaded for free. This is used to estimate the costs and payback for solar systems at farms, residences, and businesses. It is a comprehensive model that predicts the costs, energy production, payback and many other metrics of solar energy systems based on system design, the mounting angle of the panels, shading, equipment selected, weather conditions, utility provider, the cost of money, incentives, net metering and other variables. It includes databases of all available solar panels and inverters sold in the U.S., links to utility rates and weather data, and tools for estimating financial data.

There has never been a better time to install a solar energy system!

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.