Milk Vat Insulation Case Studies
The following case studies show the refrigeration savings that can be achieved by insulating your milk vat.
The table uses actual input data from four different sized dairy farms, which Genesis Energy audited.
| Farm Description | Medium | Medium | Medium | Large |
| Location | Taranaki | Huntly | Taranaki | Manawatu |
| Number of cows | 170 | 340 | 400 | 1,000 |
| Shed type | Herring Bone | Herring Bone | Rotary | Rotary |
| Milking days per year | 290 | 290 | 290 | 290 |
| Time for morning milk (minutes) | 150 | 130 | 120 | 270 |
| Time for evening milk (minutes) | 120 | 110 | 100 | 210 |
| Milk Chilling Inputs | ||||
| Refrigerant | R12 | R134a | R22 | R22 |
| Milk vat size (litres) | 3,400 | 9,100 | 11,500 | 30,000 |
| Milk vat inside or out | Inside | Inside | Inside/Outside | Outside |
| Is there a milk pre-cooler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Milk temperature going into vat (usually after the pre-cooler)°C | 18 | 20 | 14 | 18 |
| Is the milk chilled by an ice bank or chilled water system | No | No | Yes | No |
| Target vat milk temperature °C | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Volume of milk per cow (average) per day (Litres) | 18 | 19 | 22 | 20 |
| Milk Cooling Requirements | ||||
| Electricity used to cool milk (kWh) | 4,133 | 12,237 | 10,419 | 34,479 |
| Electricity cost to cool milk ($) | $709 | $1,814 | $1,657 | $2,931 |
| Thermo Wrap™- Dairy Technology Services Ltd | ||||
| Installed cost | $912 | $1,274 | $1,277 | $1,718 |
| Reduction in cost per year | $121 | $320 | $258 | $498 |
| Simple payback (years) | 7.6 | 4 | 4.9 | 3.4 |
| Electricity Usage Savings (%) | 17% | 17% | 11% | 17% |
| Polar Wrap™ Dairy Technology Services Ltd | ||||
| Installed cost | $1,403 | $2,462 | $2,506 | $3,168 |
| Reduction in cost per year | $135 | $345 | $215 | $615 |
| Simple payback (years) | 10.4 | 7.1 | 11.6 | 5.1 |
| Electricity Usage Savings (%) | 19% | 19% | 13% | 17% |
It is important to note that some savings are based on theoretical calculations and others have been from trials performed by Genesis Energy. Please contact the product supplier to compare products, validate your savings estimate and obtain a firm quote.
To estimate your own milk vat insulation energy savings, just complete the milk chilling section of the Dairy Efficiency Calculator.