Power saving trials near Kurow

Energy efficiency trials on a dairy farm at Otekaieke, near Kurow - owned by an electricity company - have proved the effectiveness of two devices in saving power, says the company.

Farm manager Jamie Asken and his wife Joanne say if all dairy sheds installed the equipment up to 17 per cent of power dairy farms took off the national grid could be saved.

A computer system, Varivac, controls the speed of vacuum pumps that operate milking suction cups, so they can be run on smaller motors.

Power savings are compounded with the use of a Mahana Blue heat exchanger hooked up to the vat and refrigeration unit, to recycle heat that is usually wasted.

After one month the power bill for the milking shed had decreased by 27 per cent.