Four Ways to Make Your Farm Buildings More Green!

Image from Pixabay

In case you hadn’t noticed it yet, we’re pretty concerned about the sustainability and responsible farming here. So it makes sense that we know a thing or two about ensuring that the various buildings found on a farm, both big and small, are kept green and energy-efficient.

Because a lot of types of farm buildings aren’t where you usually spend a lot of time, you may not notice a variety of problems. Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which you can make sure your buildings are run as responsibly as possible.

Image from Pixabay

The right construction materials

Really, it all starts with the very materials you use to actually construct the buildings on your farm. When people think of farms, they usually think about buildings made largely of wood. But wooden buildings can actually result in quite a lot of energy waste. Your usual brick-and-mortar buildings aren’t usually the answer because of the cost and time that it takes to set it all up. If you want to keep it quick and green, then you may want to invest more in metal. Steel buildings, for example, can offer much better insulation and energy efficiency. Check out ArmstrongSteel reviews if you’re considering getting this sort of work done.

Correct cleaning and maintenance

Hey, it’s a farm. Things can get pretty messy from time to time. But this may have a bigger effect on your energy efficiency than you may think. There are two ways of looking at this issue. The first is making sure that the interior of a building is kept free of dirt and dust; these things will get into your HVAC system and affect its efficiency. The second is in actually ensuring that facilities like the HVAC system is cleaned and maintained. (Even if you keep the interior spick and span, a HVAC system is going to get pretty dirty!)

Image from Pixabay

Updating your facilities

Perhaps the HVAC system in your buildings isn’t running that efficiently because it’s too old, or because it’s not powerful enough to cover the entirety of the building in which it’s placed. So it could be that it needs an update. Of course, the other facilities on your farm may also require an update. Just take a look at any kitchen or bathroom areas located on your farm. If your appliances aren’t that up to date, then they could be wasting a ton of energy whenever you use them. Be vigilant around that sort of waste!

Image from Pixabay

Insulation

For many people working in this field, the key really is in decent insulation. A lot of farms will have buildings that are heated slightly for animals to rest in overnight. But what if heat is basically trickling out of those areas? The trouble, of course, is that your animals are unlikely to actually tell you that there’s a bit of a draft or that the barn isn’t heating up quite as efficiently as it should be! So you’re going to have to be careful and test for this sort of thing yourself. The best way to sort out this sort of problem is to look into insulation techniques tailored especially for barns.