Aspects of Land | Spring/Summer 2018

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25 Spring / Summer 2018 Aspects of Land
way to understand how to make your
energy usage truly efficient is with smart
meters,” he says. “Any large pieces of
equipment need to be metered so that
you can make more informed decisions on
how to deploy your energy.”
The system at Cronan Farm is on track
to pay for itself within seven years and, in
the meantime, McLaren has installed LED
lighting in some of his larger sheds: “A
potato grading shed can have its lights on
for 10 continuous hours a day, five days a
Switch appliances off
and eliminate waste
Install better appliances
and reduce energy losses
Produce your own
sustainable energy
Install high efficiency
technologies
When nothing else can be
done, use conventional energy
and offset to compensate
UNDERSTANDING ENERGY HIERARCHY
ENERGY SAVING
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
RENEWABLES
LOW EMISSION
CONVENTIONAL
Investing in solar PV systems is a way of becoming more energy efficient
week, nine months of the year, so I expect
to make considerable energy savings there.”
Every farm or estate is unique but
almost all will have ways they could
optimise energy use and generation.
These include battery storage, heat
distribution networks, ground source
heat pumps, energy management systems,
thermal screens in greenhouses and
wavelength-specific LED lighting. Estate-
owners with tenanted properties should
also consider insulation, LED lighting and
smart meters in these houses.
For farmers in England, there is a new
grant available through the Government’s
RDPE Countryside Productivity Scheme.
These grants are worth up to 40% of the
eligible costs of an energy efficiency project,
from £35,000 to a maximum of £1m. They
cannot, however, be used to fund renewable
generation equipment such as solar
panels, wind turbines or biomass boilers.
There are also grants of up to £32,500 for
owner-occupiers and some private sector
landlords in Scotland who want to make
energy-efficiency improvements or install
home renewables systems.
Finally, don’t forget the obvious.
“Installing a smart meter in a very visible
position can substantially reduce energy
use,” says Thomas. “Human behaviour
works in exactly the same way, whether
it’s on a domestic scale or when you’re
running a business.”
n To investigate ways you could optimise your
energy strategy, contact Nick Green, Perth,
01738 477 518, or Thomas
McMillan, Perth, 01738 440 886, tmcmillan@
Smart meters are key to reducing energy use
LED lighting is much more efficient than conventional systems
SHUTTERSTOCK, PAUL RAPSON / ALAMY