Purchase low-carbon energy
System: Dairy Cattle
Mainly applicable for: Intensively rearered indoor herds where there is a high demand for electricity.
Not applicable or effective for: Outdoor herds.
Description
Purchasing renewable or low-carbon electricity, fuel or gas, and using it for on-farm processes. Green electricity (from wind, solar or other renawables) can be purchased from electricity providers or directly from a nearby generator (Power Purchase Agreement). Nuclear power is an example of a low-carbon, but not-renewable, electricity source. Natural gas can be replaced by biomethane, such as from anaerobic digestion.
Mechanism of effect
Replacing fossil energy by energy from renewable sources, such as sun, wind and biomass, means carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel sourcing and combustion are avoided. In theory, 100% of the fossil electricity, fuel and/or gas can be replaced. Some CO₂ emissions are associated with renewable energy sources due to the manufacturing and transport of renewable energy equipment, but this is very small compared to CO₂ emissions from fossil energy sources.
Reference situation
Average European grid mix.
Legend
| ● – Small effect (<5%) | o – No effect | o – no effect |
| ●● – Medium effect (5-20%) | ● – Unfavourable effect | ? – unknown effect |
| ●●● – Large effect (>20%) | ● – ● – Variable effect (depending on farm characteristics or way/level of implementation) |
Effect on total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (kg CO2-eq)
| per kg product | per farm (absolute) | Level of evidence | |||
| Mean | (min-max) | Mean | (min-max) | ||
| Purchase green electricity | ●● | ●–●● | ●● | ●–●● | High |
Effect per emission source
| Source | Manure | Animal | Feed and forage production | Barn | |||
| Gas | CH4 | N2O | CH4 | CO2 | N2O | LUC | CO2 |
| Purchase green electricity | ●●● | ||||||
*risk of an adverse effect (see ’cause of variable or unfavourable effect’)
Explanation of variable effect
Purchase green electricity
The size of the effect depends on the amount and type of the purchased renewable electricity, and the carbon footprint of the purchased electricity in the reference situation, which depends on the national electricity grid mix.