Illinois hog farm commissions 3-MW photo voltaic mission
One of many nation’s largest pork producers is offsetting its vitality prices with a 3.06-MW photo voltaic mission. Solential Energy started development on the array at The Maschhoffs’ Griggsville, Illinois feed mill in mid-Might.
The mission, encompassing 6,800 ground-mounted, fixed-tilt photo voltaic panels, shall be absolutely put in and producing energy by October 2022. The Maschhoffs anticipate first-year vitality financial savings of $320,000 and 25-year accrued financial savings of greater than $11.3 million.
“In 2022 alone, we’ve seen our vitality prices enhance considerably, severely impacting our working prices and threatening our competitiveness in addition to the state of Illinois’s $1.1 billion pork producing trade,” mentioned Chairman Ken Maschhoff. “Adopting renewable photo voltaic vitality to offset rising vitality prices is strategically essential. The Maschhoffs have at all times been innovators, and we embrace the chance to remodel our operation by means of extra sustainable practices, take management of our vitality manufacturing and prices, and do our half in decreasing the carbon footprint of our operations.”
The Griggsville Feed Mill is the primary feed facility for The Maschhoffs, which processes 350,000 tons of feed that accounts for roughly 25% of the 1.4 million market hogs and feeder pigs the corporate raises every year. It is without doubt one of the firm’s most energy-intensive operations, mentioned Gerry Daignault, VP of help operations.
“Our grain operations are vital to animal care, general well being and pork manufacturing. Power availability and resilience are vital,” he mentioned. “Any interruption in energy or lack of warmth can alter the chemistry of our feed, which in flip impacts the expansion of our animals and profitability of the enterprise. Including photo voltaic to our vitality equation permits us to proceed to optimize our grain processing and get the most effective feed to our animals with out the stress of upper vitality prices.”
The Maschhoffs chosen Indiana-based Solential Power to design, construct, and fee the photo voltaic mission. Solential has greater than a decade of expertise in business photo voltaic initiatives, microgrids and photo voltaic + storage techniques. Solential President Jim Shaw expects extra farmers to show to photo voltaic vitality to make sure the financial and social sustainability of their farms.
“Prior to now, there was skepticism. As photo voltaic has turn out to be mainstream and upfront financing by means of authorities packages and personal buyers has turn out to be extra out there, adoption continues to develop,” he mentioned. “Hopefully, the Griggsville Feed Mill is only one of many photo voltaic initiatives for The Maschhoffs.”
Information merchandise from The Maschhoffs
