Want to save? Be a Farmer: Farmer saves $200K with Poo Power
Farmer Shawn Saylor uses anaerobic digestion to power his dairy farm. Anaerobic digestion? Sounds like something that happens after eating a 10 lb steak…
Determined to fight against rising energy costs, Saylor tapped into a local energy source: manure from his 600 cows.
With the help of a mechanical scraper in the barn, manure is turned into energy and the energy is turned into heat. Heat created by the generators keeps the digester hot, heats the buildings around the farm and helps provide hot water.
The electricity is used to power Saylor’s farm and a dozen neighboring homes. With 600 cows, there’s enough Poo Power left to sell back to the grid.
Overall, the Poo Power helps Saylor’s bottom line. There is a savings of $200,000 a year (a combination of extra income from sale of electricity and electricity cost offsets).
Saylor’s neighbors are happy too. Before Saylor installed the anaerobic digestion system, the strong, putrid smell of cow manure would linger for three to four days. Now the odor is reduced by about 98 percent.
Good job Saylor!
- Mama
