The Need 

Breeze Ridge Farm, a family-owned dairy farm in Pennsylvania, is home to 140 Brown Swiss and Holstein dairy cows on 127 acres of preserved farmland. Producing 160,000 gallons of milk annually, the farm had already taken steps toward improving energy efficiency but found the process of securing funding for further upgrades overwhelming. Siblings Carol Davis and Bob Guidice who manage the farm, read about PennTAP in Farm and Dairy magazine and reached out for assistance in navigating the grant application process. 

The Project 

After an initial video consultation, PennTAP technical advisors learned that Breeze Ridge Farm wanted to replace its aging ventilation fans with energy-efficient variable frequency drive (VFD) units and upgrade its grain dryer to a propane-heated model. While these improvements had the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption, the complexity of applying for funding through programs like the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Pennsylvania Small Business Advantage Grant (SBAG) posed a challenge. 

To support the farm, PennTAP conducted an on-site Energy Efficiency (E2) Assessment led by one of their regional Technical Advisors. During the visit, the team evaluated farm operations, discussed maintenance practices, and used infrared imaging to identify areas for improvement. Based on the findings, PennTAP confirmed that the farm’s ventilation upgrades qualified for both REAP and SBAG funding. PennTAP then provided a technical report detailing the anticipated energy savings and guided the farm through the grant application process. 

Reflecting on the experience, Bob shared, “The information PennTAP provided was invaluable. They came out to the farm and figured out where our energy costs could be cut. It’s a lot of paperwork and technical work that we couldn’t have done in a thousand years. It seems like the PennTAP team is the go-to group of people to get a lot of your answers for projects like this. They explained everything well—the SBAG, the REAP process, the quotes, the things we needed to do. And, they explained all those details before they even came, which was a plus because we knew what we were going to be dealing with.”  

After implementing the upgrades, Breeze Ridge Farm discovered that the new fans were so effective they could reduce or eliminate the need for additional intermediary fans which further improved energy efficiency.  

Outcomes and Benefits  

With PennTAP’s assistance, Breeze Ridge Farm achieved several key benefits: 

• Expected annual electricity savings of over 11,200 kWh, reducing energy costs by $1,797. 

• A reduction of 7.4 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (MTCO₂e) in greenhouse gas emissions each year. 

• Successful approval of an $8,303 REAP grant to help fund the upgrades. 

• Assistance in applying for a $6,148 SBAG grant, which is expected to be awarded in 2025. 

By leveraging PennTAP’s expertise, Breeze Ridge Farm secured critical funding to enhance its energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and lower its environmental impact, demonstrating how sustainability and smart investment can go hand in hand in Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector.  

This assessment was funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (SEP-BIL) via the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Energy Programs office (EPO).