News > A Year of Savings with Innovative Energy Solutions – Dairy Plate Coolers

A Year of Savings with Innovative Energy Solutions – Dairy Plate Coolers

June 2023

Throughout 2023, Stearns Electric will be featuring residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural EnergyWise programs, rebates and other cost and energy saving features in our Year of Savings with Innovative Energy Solutions. In June, we are featuring member McAndrews Farm and Dairy Plate Coolers.

Member Interview

McANDREWS FARM
Member since 2006
Dairy Plate Coolers installed in 2019

WHY DID YOU ADD THE PLATE COOLER TECHNOLOGY ON YOUR FARM?
I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with technology and tinkering. We had looked into a plate cooler for years, but we really made the move during the winter of 2019, when propane prices were high, to offset some of that additional cost.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST BENEFIT?
The cost savings are the biggest benefit as we are saving both in cooling the milk and heating the parlor floor without needing to use a boiler. Our general clean-up is easier now too, which leads to less animal slips and injuries.

ARE THERE ANY INCONVENIENCES?
The only inconvenience was the initial set-up and collaborating the plate coolers exactly how we wanted with the correct settings for temperatures and flows.

HOW MUCH DID YOU RECEIVE IN REBATES?
We received a $700 rebate when we installed our plate coolers.

HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU SAVED?
The cost savings of using less energy to cool the milk and heat the parlor floor, along with lowering the run time for the bulk tank compressors, has led to nearly $4,200 in annual savings.

HOW MUCH ENERGY HAVE YOU SAVED?
Our farm milks about 400 cows twice a day taking 18 hours each day. Since adding the plate coolers to aid in the milk cooling process, we save approximately 66,454 kWh of energy each year because of the inverting temperature process.

Dairy Plate Coolers

The Agricultural Dairy Rebate is available to agricultural members who purchase and install a dairy plate cooler. Dairy plate coolers reduce milk temperature before sending it to the bulk tank. This saves energy by reducing the cooling load in the bulk tank. The milk is run through one side of the heat exchanger while cool well water passes through the other side and absorbs the heat from the fresh milk.

REBATE REQUIREMENTS:

• Purchase or lease must be final before funds are issued.
• Member and vendors must submit itemized equipment invoices, rebate applications and manufacturer equipment specifications.
• The Cooperative reserves the right to conduct random inspections of installations.
• Rebates must be applied for within 12 months of invoice date.
• Project must comply with all program-specific rules and qualifications.
• The member is responsible for checking with the Cooperative to determine funding and availability to verify program parameters.

*The maximum rebate amount is limited to 25% of the equipment costs or $10,000, whichever is less. Based on project type, there are caps for each rebate.

Stearns Electric offers residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural rebates for our member-consumers. By upgrading to more efficient equipment and enrolling in our EnergyWise programs, you will save money and energy every month. Contact Stearns Electric at (800) 962-0655 for more information.

Click to see the full June Innovative Energy Solutions feature.