San Joaquin Valley Farm Saves Money With Propane
Steve Maddox, a third-generation farmer and general partner of the 8000-acre Maddox Farms in Riverside, Calif., reports that his two-year-long trial of a dual-fuel retrofit system for irrigation engines has saved him about $15,000 a year. The irrigation engine system by California Clean Air Technologies (CCAT), the first to receive an off-road alternative fuel certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), utilizes propane in combination with diesel to reduce the operation cost and emissions of 6- to 15-liter heavy-duty diesel engines. The two-year trial was conducted in cooperation with the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC).
Maddox says he now has plans to install two more systems to run wells that provide water for drip irrigation systems on his farm, where he grows 1500 acres of almonds, 2000 acres of wine grapes, as well as alfalfa, corn, and wheat to feed his 3900 head of registered dairy cows. “I didn’t know whether to believe it was true or not,” says Maddox of CCAT’s original proposal of the dual-fuel system two years ago. “As time went on and we saw the reduction of diesel use and a reduction in the total cost per hour to operate, it proved to be true. With the price advantage alone, it was a one-year payback on the system. It was a bonus that the emissions were also reduced, which is always a goal for us.”
Prior to applying for PERC’s dual-fuel incentive program, Maddox, who currently serves on the Sustainability Council for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, had never used propane on the farm. Instead, he relied on diesel, natural gas, electric, and solar energy from his 1-megawatt solar installation, which produces about 80% of the annual electrical supply for the dairy. Maddox claims that the propane/diesel dual-fuel system, when compared to his former single fuel source, diesel, is cleaner, cuts down emissions, increases the hours of service, and offers a cost advantage in the long term. The CCAT system has also allowed him to save money by avoiding costly diesel fuel theft. Instead of the large 10,000-gal. diesel tanks—a potential liability in the event of theft—he can now opt for new 1500- to 2000-gal. propane tanks that have anti-theft devices on them, cost less to install, and come with fewer regulatory issues.
While cost and CARB regulations are top priorities for Maddox, he says that the CCAT system enables him to better fulfill his goals of sustainability and land stewardship for future generations of Maddox farmers, beginning with his son, fourth-generation farmer Steve Maddox Jr. “Managing a farm, I am always watching costs. But I am also cognizant that the decisions I make have an impact on the land,” the senior Maddox says. “Choices like this one are not only for the benefit of the business, they’re in the interest of my family and the environment that makes my business possible, and the future of that ecosystem.”
Maddox says he now has plans to install two more systems to run wells that provide water for drip irrigation systems on his farm, where he grows 1500 acres of almonds, 2000 acres of wine grapes, as well as alfalfa, corn, and wheat to feed his 3900 head of registered dairy cows. “I didn’t know whether to believe it was true or not,” says Maddox of CCAT’s original proposal of the dual-fuel system two years ago. “As time went on and we saw the reduction of diesel use and a reduction in the total cost per hour to operate, it proved to be true. With the price advantage alone, it was a one-year payback on the system. It was a bonus that the emissions were also reduced, which is always a goal for us.”
Prior to applying for PERC’s dual-fuel incentive program, Maddox, who currently serves on the Sustainability Council for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, had never used propane on the farm. Instead, he relied on diesel, natural gas, electric, and solar energy from his 1-megawatt solar installation, which produces about 80% of the annual electrical supply for the dairy. Maddox claims that the propane/diesel dual-fuel system, when compared to his former single fuel source, diesel, is cleaner, cuts down emissions, increases the hours of service, and offers a cost advantage in the long term. The CCAT system has also allowed him to save money by avoiding costly diesel fuel theft. Instead of the large 10,000-gal. diesel tanks—a potential liability in the event of theft—he can now opt for new 1500- to 2000-gal. propane tanks that have anti-theft devices on them, cost less to install, and come with fewer regulatory issues.
While cost and CARB regulations are top priorities for Maddox, he says that the CCAT system enables him to better fulfill his goals of sustainability and land stewardship for future generations of Maddox farmers, beginning with his son, fourth-generation farmer Steve Maddox Jr. “Managing a farm, I am always watching costs. But I am also cognizant that the decisions I make have an impact on the land,” the senior Maddox says. “Choices like this one are not only for the benefit of the business, they’re in the interest of my family and the environment that makes my business possible, and the future of that ecosystem.”
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