Hot water is essential on every dairy farm. From plant washing to tank cleaning and general hygiene, reliable hot water plays a direct role in daily operation. However, producing that hot water can also create a significant and ongoing energy cost.
At the same time, dairy farms are already removing large amounts of heat during the milk cooling process. In many systems, this heat is rejected through refrigeration and lost to the surrounding environment. Heat recovery changes that. Instead of allowing useful heat to go to waste, it can be captured and used to pre-heat water.
Fabdec’s SPAR-HEAT system is designed to recover heat from the refrigeration process and transfer it into a dedicated stainless steel hot water vessel. This reduces the amount of energy required to heat water to the final required temperature, helping farms lower running costs while making better use of energy already present in the system.
Turning Recovered Heat into Real Value
To show the potential value of heat recovery, Fabdec has calculated example annual recovered values across the SPAR-HEAT range. These figures are based on heating the full vessel volume once per day, 365 days per year, using a 50°C temperature lift and an energy cost of £0.25 per kWh.
For example, a 500 litre SPAR-HEAT vessel requires approximately 29.0 kWh to heat by 50°C. At £0.25 per kWh, that represents a potential recovered value of £2,648.78 per year.
Larger vessels offer even greater potential. A 1,125 litre SPAR-HEAT vessel represents approximately 65.3 kWh of recoverable heat per full daily heat cycle, giving an example annual recovered value of £5,959.77. At the top of the standard range, a 3,000 litre vessel represents approximately 174.2 kWh, with an example annual recovered value of £15,892.71.
These figures are designed to give farms a practical indication of the energy value that can be recovered. Actual savings will depend on refrigeration duty, system runtime, hot water usage, energy costs and site conditions.
SPAR-HEAT Dimensions & Recovery Value
| Volume (litres) |
Coil Heat Exchangers |
Height (mm) |
Diameter (mm) |
Energy to Heat by 50°C |
Example Annual Recovered Value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 1 | 1085 | 576 | 8.7 kWh | £794.64 |
| 215 | 1 | 1480 | 576 | 12.5 kWh | £1,138.98 |
| 305 | Up to 2 | 2028 | 576 | 17.7 kWh | £1,615.76 |
| 400 | Up to 2 | 1380 | 756 | 23.2 kWh | £2,119.03 |
| 500 | Up to 3 | 1665 | 756 | 29.0 kWh | £2,648.78 |
| 680 | Up to 3 | 2256 | 756 | 39.5 kWh | £3,602.35 |
| 840 | Up to 3 | 2750 | 756 | 48.8 kWh | £4,449.96 |
| 1125 | Up to 3 | 2047 | 1005 | 65.3 kWh | £5,959.77 |
| 1775 | Up to 3 | 2565 | 1090 | 103.0 kWh | £9,403.19 |
| 2155 | Up to 4 | 1995 | 1290 | 125.1 kWh | £11,416.26 |
| 3000 | Up to 6 | 2960 | 1290 | 174.2 kWh | £15,892.71 |
*Example annual recovered value is based on heating the full vessel volume once per day, 365 days per year, using a 50°C temperature lift and an energy cost of £0.25/kWh. Actual savings depend on refrigeration duty, runtime, hot water usage, energy costs and site conditions.
Why Milk Cooling Creates a Heat Recovery Opportunity
Milk cooling and water heating are two of the most energy-intensive processes on many dairy farms. Fresh milk must be cooled quickly and reliably, while hot water must be available for cleaning and hygiene routines.
Normally, the refrigeration system removes heat from the milk and rejects it through the condenser. With SPAR-HEAT, this heat can be transferred into water before it reaches the main water heating system. As a result, the water heater has less work to do because the incoming water has already been pre-heated.
This does not remove the need for final water heating where higher temperatures are required. However, it can significantly reduce the energy needed to reach those temperatures.
Built for Dairy Heat Recovery
SPAR-HEAT is available in capacities from 150 litres to 3,000 litres, allowing the system to be matched to different farm sizes and hot water requirements. Each vessel is manufactured from stainless steel and can be configured for new installations or retrofit projects.
The system uses coil heat exchangers to transfer recovered heat into the water. Depending on vessel size, SPAR-HEAT models are available with one or multiple coil heat exchangers to support the required recovery capacity.
Because the system is designed around the existing refrigeration process, it helps farms make better use of energy that is already being generated during milk cooling. This makes SPAR-HEAT a practical choice for farms looking to improve efficiency without adding unnecessary complexity.
A Practical Way to Reduce Dairy Energy Costs
Energy prices have made running costs a greater priority for dairy businesses. While every farm is different, heat recovery offers a straightforward principle: recover useful heat from milk cooling and use it to reduce water heating demand.
For farms with consistent milk cooling and hot water requirements, the recovered value can build up quickly over the year. Even where daily usage varies, the opportunity remains clear. Heat that would otherwise be rejected can instead contribute to the farm’s hot water supply.
By combining stainless steel vessel manufacturing with dairy system knowledge, Fabdec can help farms identify the right SPAR-HEAT size for their operation and estimate the potential recovered value based on real usage.
Calculate Your Potential SPAR-HEAT Saving
The example values shown above are based on standard assumptions, including a 50°C temperature lift and an energy cost of £0.25 per kWh. For a more accurate estimate, farms should consider daily milk volume, refrigeration runtime, hot water demand and current energy costs.
To find out how much heat your dairy farm could recover, speak to Fabdec about SPAR-HEAT dairy heat recovery systems.
