These tools were designed to help
farmers and ranchers identify ways to reduce their energy costs. The modules determine if energy conservation equipment is being
used and then estimates the current energy usage.
The tools will calculate the estimated energy and cost savings for the use of high
efficiency equipment and energy conserving practices. The results generated by these tools are estimates
based on models and help to determine which equipment or practices are worth pursuing to reduce energy
consumption.
An on-site energy audit may be beneficial to uncover other energy conservation measures not
covered by these tools. Please contact your local NRCS office for additional assistance.
Renewable energy can be used to displace electricity, water heating or space heating with fossil fuels. Using
renewable fuel also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and conserves the use of fossil fuels. These tools will help estimate the energy
production from solar photovoltaic panels, solar hot water panels, wind turbines, biogas from anaerobic digesters and biomass such as
wood, wood pellets, corn and prairie grass pellets. Before investing in renewable energy production, it is usually more
cost effective to invest in energy conserving equipment and processes to reduce your energy demands as much as possible. This
has the added benefit of reducing the size and investment cost of renewable energy technologies.
