HOW NOW BROWN COW?

The Maryland Energy Administration’s 2014 Mathias Agriculture Energy Efficiency Program grant to South Mountain Creamery is helping the farm meet its goal of being “totally green by 2015.” They are on track to reaching their goal in a cost effective and environmentally friendly way! The farm implemented several energy efficiency measures –which included efficient lighting and retrofits to coolers, freezers and chillers, among other things. These measures are paying off with a whopping 49% decrease in electricity use. The savings is calculated as the amount of time it will take to recover the initial investment in energy savings, dividing initial installed cost by the annual energy cost savings. It results in avoided electricity needing to be generated by a manufacturer or producer (such as a utility). That avoided electricity use will keep over 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere annually.