Better Farming - January 2017

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52 Dig Deeper: Better Farming January 2017
HOWIT WORKS
Niagara Falls. This is often referred to
as “clean” power.
Where are we going?
There is no doubt in my mind that
more and more rural customers will
be looking at ways to go “off-the-
grid.”
In early 1986, I completed a
research report for a joint contract
supported by the Agricultural Energy
Centre of OMAFRA and the Ontario
Ministry of Energy, in cooperation
with the Engineering and Statistical
Research Institute, Research Branch,
Agriculture Canada. The report was
titled “Biogas Production Facilities on
Farms.” We covered all existing
digestion systems in Canada and the
northeastern United States.
At that time electricity generated
by biogas systems was not viable
because utilities like Ontario Hydro
would only pay a very nominal
amount for supplied electricity.
Storing biogas on the farm for
on-demand use was not reliable or
safe.
Only a few biogas-generating units
are in operation in Ontario today.
In Germany, many “free-standing”
biogas-generating systems are
operating very effectively. These
German systems are using significant
additions, including chopped corn
plants and other plant byproducts
such as oat hulls, to the animal waste
that was/has been the primary biogas
input in Ontario.
Where relatively cheap natural gas
is available in Ontario, along with a
consistently high electrical demand,
on-site electrical power generation
can and will become a primary
source of electrical/heat input. Grain
drying systems, ethanol production,
large greenhouse operations, and
large dairy operations are all poten-
tial users of on-site generation.
Unfortunately, specialized knowl-
edge and dedication was, and will be,
required to operate anaerobic
digester systems. For example, an
antibiotic used to treat animals can
kill the desired microbes in the
digester, just as some soaps or other
additives like milk can shut down a
septic system.
Gas-fired systems are simpler and
will become more common as long as
the electrical demand is high and
consistent.
In conclusion
Many smaller commercial users of
electrical energy in Ontario will
continue to shut down their opera-
tions due to high electrical and
labour costs.
I believe the green energy pro-
gram is not and will not fill the need
for reasonably priced electrical
power in Ontario on a 24-hour/365
day basis.
We as small rural users of electri-
cal energy are in a no-win situation.
We cannot afford to buy high-priced
electrical energy with the unreason-
able distribution component.
But going off the grid and gener-
ating one’s own electrical power is
just not a practical solution for most
farmers.
I must come clean at this point.
From 1969 to 1974, I worked for
Ontario Hydro in Toronto as a farm
sales officer, also known as an
agricultural applications engineer.
During that time we promoted the
effective and efficient use of electri-
cal energy on all Ontario farms.
Why? Because there was a need to
increase the flow of electrical energy
into those low-density areas in order
to keep the price per kWh down.
How ironic! As I stated in my August
article, the peak system demand was
always on the Monday preceding
Christmas day.
The tremendous increase in load,
primarily by air conditioners, has
moved that peak system demand
into the hot summer days.
I ask: should we in the rural area
supplying food be penalized for
using electrical energy efficiently for
the benefit of all Ontarians? BF
Ralph Winfield is a retired professional
engineer, farmer and technical writer.
A local hydro distribution station reduces the voltage down from
27.6 kV to distribution voltage.