Dairy

Benefits

Proper lighting in barns provides optimal efficiency for dairy production. It has been shown that proper lighting inside the barn including an optimum schedule of time will increase milk production by 6 to 10%. Cows are responsive animals and their rhythm of day and night is important for dairy production. In order to impact the difference between day-and-night rhythms on the cow’s body, particular light levels are required. A carefully designed light scenario provides adequate daytime light to the cows and also guarantees a (dark) rest period. As soon as the light level hits the retina, the cow’s nerves will send a signal to the brain’s pituitary physis to lower hormone melatonin production. This hormone contributes to sleepiness, raises the amount of body fat and disturbs the competitive capacities of the animals. When the amount of melatonin decreases, another hormone, that is IGF-1, rises in the blood of the animals. The role of the IGF-1 hormone is to stimulate animal activity and hence the production of milk thereof. More light therefore signifies a rise in milk production. In order to offset the higher upfront costs of LED lighting, producers are getting energy rebates from their local service suppliers as an incentive to install a more energy-efficient alternative. Join them in saving significant energy and reaping the many other various advantages of Citra’s LED lighting.

Energy & Savings

Citra offers dairy production facilities an opportunity to implement energy efficiency improvements to help them meet their Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) goals. Dairy farms, which consume large quantities of energy in electrical cooperatives and some investors owned utility territories, have considerable opportunities to save electrical energy because of their reliance on pumps, motors and ventilation for milk extraction, milk cooling and cow comfort.
Milk extraction, cooling, and cow comfort components of dairy operations puts these farms at the higher end of the electric power consumption spectrum. Dairy facilities face growing market pressure to reduce their environmental footprint and have a business interest in keeping the inputs from milk production to a minimum. In addition, the vast majority of dairy facilities are situated on rural electric cooperative power lines in rural areas, taking into account the spatial needs for cattle, outbuildings and traditional zoning criteria. Each day, dairies work at any hour. Milk harvesting and refrigeration, sterilization of the facilities, lighting and ventilation all require energy costs. Milk refrigeration alone accounts for a fifth of the dairy energy output budget. This process is important to ensure that there is a low count of bacteria in milk, generated at about 99 degrees by a cow and hauled away to be sold at a few degrees above freezing.

LED lighting offers considerable advantages over other artificial lights due to its low operating temperatures, fast starting time, decent color rendering, long service life, white color temperature, lack of mercury in the bulbs, and low depreciation of the lamp lumen. LED lights also have the benefits of low maintenance, increased directionality, high lumen per watt and a good color rendering index (CRI). LEDs may also be dimmed, removing the need for extra lighting for use when it’s dark. LEDs are the only fully dimmable lighting systems, in the sense that when the lights are dimmed a corresponding reduction in energy consumption occurs. Other lighting systems can be dimmed, but even if the light intensity is that they still use the same amount of energy. Thanks to the longer operational life cycle of LEDs, additional savings in labor and maintenance can be achieved. Payback for LED lighting suitable for farm use (proof of dust, dirt and water; physical impact resistance; and capable of extreme temperature operation) offers energy savings combined with improved milk output by means of a well-managed control system making the procurement of farm use LED lighting and the necessary control / sensor systems accessible, smart and environmentally sound. Citra LED Properly designed and managed LED lighting system will significantly boost the energy efficiency of your dairy production.

Design

The design and use of lighting in dairy facilities is one way of increasing cow performance, particularly through the use of long-day lighting (LDL). The practice of designing a lighting system to artificially extend the duration of light that a lactating cow is exposed to requires the consideration of both facility specific variables and luminaire specific variables. LED lights are designed for all your dairy farm’s needs, whether high-bay or low-bay applications. Citra’s LED lights come with automated controls that include scheduled on/off, daylight harvesting or night-light switching to eliminate human error and provide additional energy savings. Certain LED light fixtures are guaranteed for 10 years, which far surpasses the warranty periods of other light fixtures. Proven research into lighting installations in dairy barns, has identified the potential to increase milk yields by 6-10% – indicating that milk production can be increased by regulating the dairy cow’s exposure to light. Additionally, energy expenses for lighting maintenance are reduced and the overall improved lighting enhances the operating and welfare conditions for both the farm workers as well as the cattle. It’s these benefits, combined with the potential to increase milk production which ensures a good return on investment. LED lighting is delivering significant energy savings as well as better-controlled lighting across farms. Innovative energy saving technologies which help to reduce carbon emissions and cut costs are shown to improve a farm’s profitability – and not only on the bottom line, but also enabling new business growth and productivity.

Controls

LED lighting control systems from Citra are the best option for dairy production facilities. A wide range of controls are used in agricultural operations including switches, dimmers, photosensors, sensors and timers. This flexible LED lighting system begins with lighting and is easily extended to provide the required control to increase performance, productivity and safety by additional sensors. Unlike other agriculture industries, dairy production lighting needs are varied and essential to its day-to-day operations. From dairy barns and feedlots, to maintenance facilities and storage areas, the challenge is to get the right amount of lighting to facilitate operations cost-effectively.

Citra addresses these problems by providing better, higher quality lighting and illumination rates through a fully controllable and energy-efficient LED lighting control system. Citra’s LED design is well adapted for dairy production, offering years of maintenance-free lighting, no re-lamping or re-ballasting required and under all temperature conditions, and provides a line of hazardous position fixtures for facilities requiring safety certifications Class I, Div2, Class II Div2 and Class III. Citra’s smart building solutions offer a unique, facility-wide perspective. With Citra, you can easily outfit your dairy production facilities with an expanded, sensor-based LED lighting control that provides dairy productions powerful optimization of energy, environmental, and occupancy trends, plus the control you need to create a more productive, efficient, and safe enterprise.

Ambient Intelligence (IoT)

The reasons for implementing IoT in dairy production are universal – cost savings, increased efficiency, and stronger profit margins. Citra’s IoT technology provides information systems for cloud infrastructure, hardware and SaaS management to track and optimize livestock feeding, safety and breeding. Citra’s IoT-enabled smart dairy facilities promise for the farm is for higher revenue and more reliable cash flow. Hopefully this will contribute to a healthier supply of food for society, with less price uncertainty, waste and emissions.

Precision milking is a smart dairy farming subset which aims to optimize daily milking routines. One related field that can be enhanced with Citra’s IoT is waste management such as manure collection/distribution. Citra’s IoT system can be used to monitor which cows have been milked, and for how long. The milk will then be automatically checked, and any irregularities will cause the milk to be discarded and not reach the food supply. Not only does this technology help to increase the dairy’s profitability and enhance the dairyman’s workflow efficiency, it also generates additional revenues for your operations.