As reported recently, our French ICaRE4Farms (I4F) team has held a trip around Brittany to assess and validate the potential of 3 different types of farms to serve as showcase sites for FengTech related STE solutions, on the 7th & 8th of April 2022.
Day 1
The first day of discovery was focused on two different places.
The first stop brought our team back to the I4F pre-audit site, that specialised in the milk-fed calf sector; reconnecting with the owner and making sure that the delivered installation has been working satisfactorily for him since the installation was completed.
The second visit led our delegation to a recently equipped pig farm whose activity revolves around maternity & post-weaning stages. Thanks to the next generation STE device from FengTech and despite only one year of functioning, most of the needs in terms of building heating are covered. The assessed reduction of energy consumption is deemed highly substantial (around 50%).
Not only did this first day allow the project team to grasp the fruit of the efforts already invested over several years of the project by exploring the success of these installations, but it also fostered closer ties with the end-users, gathered evidence confirming the efficiency of the Fengtech product and gave a window of action to promote, on the ground, in the near future, energy progress in favour of the green transition in the agricultural sector.
Day 2
Following our visit to two farms on Thursday 7th April, our partners on Friday morning went to the third and last farm of our trip.
First, a presentation of the solar thermal installation was given by the company that installed the FengTech installation; then, a more detailed presentation was conducted by the farmer who was able to enlighten the visitors about the energy logics and tactics that ensure the viability and prosperity of an innovative and modern farm.
This was also an opportunity for our partners to submit questionnaires (satisfaction, monitoring and operation/efficiency) to farmers to collect their feedback and ensure their satisfaction.
It emerged that, beyond a purely economic aspect, the farmers chose to adopt this technology for the environmental values it defends; they were able to take ownership of this issue to position themselves strategically in a market encouraging farmers to modernize.
During these two days of travel, our team was able to monitor three sites equipped with solar thermal energy systems which make possible contributions to the European environmental objectives for a Green Transition.