Two Wisconsin dairies were recently honored with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Energy Management that recognizes businesses dedicated to adopting energy-efficient and sustainable practices in Wisconsin.
Focus on Energy, a state program partnering with utility companies worked with the dairies to implement energy-saving efforts and continue to investigate new technologies and find more ways to save energy throughout their businesses.

Peterson’s Dairy LLC of Lena has saved more than 147,000 kWh of electricity annually since 2008. To reduce energy use, the dairy installed a plate heat exchanger on its milk pipeline; added a variable-frequency drive on its milk vacuum pumps; and is utilizing a plate heat exchanger on its well water pre-cooler. These efforts add up to $11,000 in annual energy cost savings. According to owner Arne Peterson, “The energy efficient equipment will pay for itself in one and a half to five years.”

Since 2009, Rosendale Dairy of Pickett has saved more than 3.6 million kWh of electricity and 6,000 therms of natural gas annually. To reduce energy use, Rosendale Dairy utilizes heat-recovery tanks; invested in plate heat exchangers on its milk pipelines; added variable-frequency drives on its dairy vacuum pumps and milk transfer pumps; upgraded to energy-efficient lighting; installed an energy efficient water heater; and installed energy-efficient livestock waterers. These efforts add up to $288,000in annual energy cost savings.

“Rosendale Dairy is always looking for ways in which it can be more efficient in every aspect, especially in energy use,” said Todd Willer, Rosendale Dairy partner. “This is crucial to us as a business as well as a part of Wisconsin’s business community and in our relationship with all of our neighbors.”