ENERGY SAVINGS ACHIEVED FROM HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS
The electrical usage for heating water and milk cooling were metered before and after the installation of a heat recovery system on 74 dairy farms in Wisconsin. Forty-eight percent of the energy used for heating water was saved and 7% of the energy used for cooling milk was saved. The total energy savings for heating water and cooling milk combined was 33%. Total energy use for hot water heating and milk cooling on the farms as related to herd size varied considerably, and was not correlated. Metering of hot water use and/or energy used for heating water on a dairy farm is required to accurately determine the total energy savings potential from the installation of a heat recovery system.