Looking to save on your electric bills? In this article Taylor Leach discusses how inefficient fans can drive your costs up:

“Have you noticed your electricity bill starting to climb up? Maybe it’s time to check the efficiency of your fans.

The energy used to operate ventilation systems on the farm typically accounts for 20-25% of your total energy bill, according to Dan McFarland, an agricultural engineer at Pennsylvania State University.  Regardless of the barn style, proper ventilation is an important part of cow comfort to ensure cows are in an environment that allows them to perform to their potential. Here are three areas to focus on when analyzing your ventilation system’s efficiency.

While the purpose of every fan is to get air moving, not every fan is created equal. Fan efficiency is affected by several factors including blade design, fan enclosure design, and motor efficiency, according to McFarland.

“There has been too much emphasis on ‘cheap’ fans in the ag industry and this is costing more in operating expense and maintenance. If you are looking to buy new fans, make sure you take a look at the efficiency rating of the fans as you compare,” McFarland says. “Typically, larger fan will have better efficiency than smaller fans.”

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