Agriculturalenergy Management Plan -Headquarterscriteria

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AgriculturalEnergy Management Plan -HeadquartersCriteria

Conservation ActivityPlan Practice Code (122) (No.)

1.Definition

An Agricultural EnergyManagement Plan-Headquarters (AgEMP)is adetailed documentation of energyconsuming components and practices ofthe current operation, thepreviousyear’s on- farm energyconsumption, and thestrategybywhich theproducerwill explore and address their on-farm energyconservation concerns, objectives, and opportunities.

2. AgEMPHeadquarters Criteria:

This section establishes theminimum criteriato be addressed in thedevelopment of an AgEMPforHeadquarters.

A. General Criteria: AnAgEMP -Headquartersshall bedeveloped byacertified Technical ServiceProvider (TSP). Inaccordancewith Section 1240 (A)ofthe2008 Farm Bill, theEnvironmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)provides fundingsupport throughcontracts with eligibleproducers to obtain services ofcertified TSPs fordevelopment of an AgEMP-Headquarters. TheTSP proficiencycriteriarequired to develop an AgEMP-Headquarters for anEQIPeligible produceris located on theTSPregistry(TechReg)web site at:

B. Criteria forSpecificElements ofanAgEMP:

1. TheAgEMP-Headquarters will meet theType2 on-farm energyaudit minimum criteriaestablished in theANSI/ASABE S612 July2009 Performing On-farm Energy Auditsstandard, hereafter referred to as theindustrystandard.

2. Backgroundand SiteInformation– TheAgEMPwill provideanarrativefor:

a. Nameofproducer

b. Facilitylocation(s)

c. Typeand sizeoftheoperation (e.g., description ofthepoultry, dairy, or swine, etc. as well as production levels, and anyunusual factors thataffect energyuse)

d. Producer concerns, objectives, opportunities, and overall management scheme forthe enterprise (i.e., description ofwhytheproducerwants an on-farm energyaudit and theirspecificobjectives)

3. DocumentationofBaselineCurrentEnergyUse: TheAgEMPwill provide comprehensivedocumentation ofthe current energyresources (e.g.,electricity, natural gas,etc.)usedforall ofaproducersfarmingenterprises, respectivetotal current energyusage, and total cost data. This will also bebroken downbymajor activitypermonthoverthepast annual cycle. The evaluation of current energyuseshall address major activities listed in (but not limited to)theindustrystandard associated withtheprocessing and storageofagricultural commodities, feeding,housing, processingof farm animals, and animal products. Current energyusefor enginedriven equipment used in the cultivation, protection, and harvestingofagricultural commodities will also be evaluated as applicable. Acomprehensivesummaryof all ofthe aboveitems will bepresentedby energyresource. Inaddition to the abovecomprehensivefarm energybaseline, theAgEMPwill document themajor activities associated with each oftheindividual farm enterprises:

a. Components/details ofthemajor activities, as appropriate,and primary equipment:

•Manufacturerofequipment,

•Equipment component factoryratings (hp, efficiency,BTU input andBTU output)

•Management useefficiencies (eg. manual/automaticsystems)

b. Annual energyuse

NOTE: Ifamajor activityis not applicableto thefarm enterpriseorthemajor activityhas no opportunities forimproved energyuse, thereportneeds to statethis.

4. RecommendedMeasures/ConservationPractices: TheAgEMPwill provide appropriateenergysavings for each majoractivity(includingacomparisonto thebaseline energyuse)that reducesenergyuse andaddresses the energymanagement needs fortheagricultural operation (seeASABE S612 Table1).

1. TheRecommended Measures forenergyimprovement areto bepresented.
2. Estimated energysavingsareto bepresented. Energysavings shall bedocumented forthemajor activities at the farm headquarters as kWh, joules, gallons, etc.and shall also be converted toa common measureof millions ofBritish Thermal Units (mBTU).
3. Estimated installed cost and energycost savings inyears areto be presented
4. Simplepayback period (inyears)shall bedocumentedforeach ofthe recommendedenergyimprovement measures.
5. Estimated emissions reductions (specificestimates forCO2, N2O, CH4, SO2, and NOx) areto beprovidedforeachrecommended energy improvement/measure.
6. Theplan mayinclude, but is not limited to, the conservation practices listed below:

• Farmstead Energy Improvement (374)

• Irrigation System, Micro-irrigation (441)

• Irrigation System, Sprinkler (442)

• Irrigation WaterManagement (449)

• PumpingPlant (533)

g. Theplan mayinclude, but is not limited to the followingrecommended energyimprovement measures:Lamps, timers, sensors, fans, control systems, variabledrives,compressors, motors, insulation, heaters, waterers, evaporator/chillers, planting, tilling, harvesting,enginedriven equipment. (Referto Table1 in theASABE S612 industrystandard, formore information on the components listed for each ofthemajor energyactivity categories)

5. Summary Reporting ofRecommendedMeasures: The followingtableand its format must beprovidedat thebeginningoftheAgEMPreport. Thesummarytable (shown below)will contain each ofthevarious recommended measures, prioritized accordingto pay-back period.

a. Estimated reduction in energyuse(electricity, propane, other), estimated energysavings,estimated installation cost, estimated energycost savings, estimated greenhousegases and airpollutant co-benefits will beprovided for eachenergyimprovement/recommended measure.

b. ThePayback in Yearscolumn determines thesequencein whichrecommended measuresareto belisted in theSummaryTable. This sequence can beused to provideguidanceon therecommended sequenceof implementation, from shortest timeofpayback tolongest timeofpayback.

c. Recommended measureswith payback periods exceeding10years maybe presented in thebodyofthe report but shall not beincluded in theSummary ofRecommendations.

d. Guidanceon how tocalculatethe estimatedgreenhousegases andestimated airpollutant co-benefit is provided in AppendixA.

SUMMARYOFRECOMMENDATIONS

Table1 below contains asummaryofthe recommended energyimprovement measures forapoultryoperation. Energyefficientequipment lowers costs byperforming thesameormore work with less energy.

Table1. SummaryofEstimatedAnnualEnergyEfficiencyImprovements

Table1 Notes:

1)Theestimatedenergyandcost savingsareapproximatevaluesprovidedfromanactualon-farmenergy audit.Aportionofthebenefitsfor someoftheimprovementsoffsetthebenefitsofothers; forexample, insulatingside walls willactuallyseal up someoftheairleaksandreducethe heatloadin thewinter.

2)SO2andNOxareambientaircontaminants;CO2isa greenhousegas.

3)Other:Gasoline,Dieselfuel,NaturalGas

EnergySavings as apercent oftotal energyusagewill also bepresentedforeachenergytypeas shown in Table2 below.

Table 2. Energy Savings of Recommendations

6. References: TheAgEMPshall includetechnicaldocumentation ofsources used for theHeadquartersAgEMP. Includethe actual documents orweb sites thatcontain the technical documentation useful fortheproducersuch as:

1. fact sheets
2. product information
3. recommendations and orcomparisons ofspecificproducts
4. journal articles
5. manufacturerproduct information sheets, etc.

7. Definitions:

a. Energy: Fuels (propane,diesel, naturalgas,etc.)and electricityused to perform stationaryfarmand ranchactivities.

b. On-Farm EnergyAuditor: A person who has thetechnical qualifications to perform anagricultural energyaudit.

c. EnergyType: Thetypeof fuel (liquid orgas),electricity, etc. used to perform farm and ranchactivities.

d. Current EnergyUsage: The annual usageof energy(electricity, naturalgas, other fuels, etc.) forstationaryfarm or ranch operations.

8. Deliverables for theClient– a hardcopy oftheAgEMPshall include:

a. An Agricultural EnergyManagement Plan Checklist with all items checked that are contained in the Plan report.

b. TheCoverpageoftheAgEMPwill contain the following:

• Name andaddress ofProducer andTSP,

• DateAgEMPwas performed,

• SignatureblocksfortheTSPand producer,and

• Signatureand dateblockfortheNRCSField Office concurrence.

9. Deliverables forNRCSFieldOffice:

CompleteHardcopyandElectronic copy(MS Word)ofthe completed AgEMP Headquarters.

APPENDIX A

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Guidanceon howto determinevalues forgreenhousegases andairpollutant co-benefits environmental benefits.

In orderto estimatetheenvironmental benefits associated with estimated energysavings, NRCS has developedaQuick Energycalculatorthat transforms energysavingmeasures for fuels and electricityinto atmospheric emission reductions. TheQuick EnergyTool relies on EPA’s state- level aggregated emission factors for electricity,to generate estimates ofemissions savings for electricity. TheQuick EnergyTool relies on theEPA EnergyInformationAgency’semission factors forliquid and gaseous fuels, togenerateestimates of emissions savings forliquid and gaseous fuels.

TheWeb link to theNRCS COMET Quick EnergyCalculator forconvertingEnergySavingsinto Emissions Reductions is located at:

Conservation systems arereviewedperiodically andupdated ifneeded. To obtainthecurrent versionof this systemplan, contactyour NaturalResourcesConservation Service StateOfficeor visit the electronic FieldOffice Technical Guide.

NRCS

August 2012

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