Wind and Solar on the Farm
As some of the world’s most important environmental stewards, farmers have a long tradition of protecting the land, air, and water they use to grow food for their communities. Investing in renewable energy is one way that farmers can continue this tradition. Renewable energy refers to non-fossil fuel sources of energy. Fossil fuels ( coal, oil and gas) are not renewable because they take millions of years to form and there are limited amounts of each stored in the earth. Wind and solar are both considered renewable energy sources because humans will never exhaust the supply. Building renewable energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels is also a way for farmers to join in the fight against global climate change. In fact, coupled with cost-effective energy efficiency measures and homegrown biomass, renewable energy has the potential to make many farms carbon neutral.
Both government programs and net-metering can be financial resources to fund renewable energy.
Unlike a standard electric utility meter that measures only how much energy is consumed by the customer, net metering uses a bi-directional meter that records the flow of electricity both to and from the customer. This simple bi-directional meter opens up a whole new opportunity for customers with their own renewable energy systems. Net metering allows users to sell extra energy back to the utility for use by other customers connected to the grid. By selling electricity back to the grid, farmers who install renewable energy systems are able to do more than simply replace dirty, expensive fossil fuel powered electricity: They are able to turn excess energy into dollars.