Solar water heaters to save hot water
In Saint-Pierre-des-Landes in Mayenne, Guillaume and Stéphanie Vollard installed a solar heating system to produce hot water. With the milk precooler which allows them to reduce their energy consumption, the couple plans to reduce their milking bill.
Stéphanie and Guillaume Vollard, from Gaec Lait Normandes, have been based in Saint-Pierre-des-Landes since 2005 and 2007, recalls Stéphanie. We are solely in dairy farming with 512,000 litres of milk to produce and 80 Normandy cows on 75 hectares. Guillaume and Stéphanie invested in a solar heating system developed by the Mayenne company Fengtech, based in Entrammes. Installed in December 2022, it allows the couple to save energy for water heating.
Milking parlour and tank washing
In six months, Guillaume and Stéphanie Vollard have already been able to notice changes in their operation: “We have an indicator which tells us what temperature the water will rise to. We notice that we regularly reach 99°C. At this temperature, the water starts to boil, there is steam and we tell ourselves that we will consume less hot water for the milking parlor, morning and evening, and for washing the tank every two days. This indicator, in general, does not drop below 50 °C. The old water heaters really complement it, but very little 11, says Stéphanie Vollard. “Here, the calves are fed milk. This is why two Fengtech installations, located side by side, are sufficient for our system and the needs of our operations. »
An investment of 15,000 euros
“Overall, when we count the earthworks, the concrete and the installation done by Mayenne Elevage, we are at an investment of 15,000 euros.
As for depreciation, “As a general rule, the cost of the investment is amortized after five to six years depending on the brightness and according to needs” explains Stéphanie Vollard. “Before, we were at 30,000 kilowatt hours of consumption per year. Thanks to the milk precooler that we installed in mid-May 2023. We are supposed to reduce our consumption by around a third, or even almost half.”
A completely passive system
According to Hugo Jeuland, national merch sales facilitator at Fengtech, “the system, installed here at Gaec Lait Normandes, has an annual production capacity of 10,000 kilowatt hours. He is totally passive. It works without electricity. It is the water pressure of the network which will supply the energy from point A to point B. We do not have a pump or circulator.
