The Challenge

One of the major milk suppliers to Sainsbury’s, Church Farm tend to over 700 pedigree cows. Since Dairy Farms on average use 25% of their power on hot water, Church Farm required a green energy solution that could not only fulfil this need but also provide heating for the offices and the family home. Having already worked with Environmental Energies to install a 50kW solar PV system to power general farm functions, it made sense to work together to find a new green energy solution for the farm’s additional requirements.

The Solution

Environmental Energies recommended a 100kWh biomass boiler, large enough to supply all the agricultural heating and hot water required. The biomass boiler is connected to the existing heating system in both the house and the milking parlour, supplying heating and hot water on demand. As the biomass supply requires minimal space for storage and the biomass system itself is expandable, Church Farm will be able to adapt easily should their fuel requirements increase in the future.

The Result

The new biomass heating system is now delivering approximately £15,000 per annum in savings and income. It is also seeing a carbon dioxide reduction of 5 tonnes, which in combination with the solar PV system already installed means a considerable improvement in terms of their environmental impact. Church Farm are now looking ahead to plan for heating the milking parlours during the winter; an option that was never financially viable until now.