Milky Way

Heating takes the Milky Way

On the Danish island of Samso, one particular farmer is taking dairy farming and renewable energy production to a whole new level. Jørgen Tranberg has been using the milk he produces to heat his home and has been doing this for the past 8 years.

Mr Tranberg, 55, was bemused that this old process of heating homes was of major significance. But the truth is, not many farmers are fully utilising this system and some are not even aware of it. “Using milk to heat your home is like opening a fridge” Mr Tranberg said referring to the simplicity of this process.

Jorgen Tranberg explains the heating process

In the 8 years, that Mr Tranberg has relied on this form of heating, he claims that he has not encountered any problems. Though he had spent 250,000DKK setting up the heating systems, he proudly announced that his “total cost for monthly heating bills is now 0 kroner.”

With 150 cows at his farm and a daily production of 4 tonnes of milk being used in the heating process, this form of heating is extremely environmentally friendly. Mr Tranberg estimates that this amount of milk can be substituted to 15-20litres of oil.

All of the produced milk that is part of the heating process is sold and there is no wastage. ” The milk is sold for 2.2DKK per kilo. This is a very low price compared to a few years ago when milk was valued at 2.5DKK” Mr Tranberg explained. This was due in turn to milk over production.

The Heating Process

At the time of milking, the temperature of the milk is approximately 38.5 degrees. The milk has to be cooled down to 3-4 degrees before it can be further processed and sold. The milk is stored in a collection tank after production to prevent heat loss.

Process of cooling the milk

The milk is then cooled by an automated heat exchanger that was installed by Mr Tranberg. This device works as a refrigerator cooling the milk to the desired temperature and releases heat to the house via pipes.

Energy Independant

Mr Tranberg also owns a Bonus 1MW wind turbine on his property and half of a 2.3MW offshore wind turbine that provides all his electricity needs. He even sells some of the produced electricity but refused to mention how much he makes.

Investing in a wind turbine and heating mechanism resulted in Mr Tranberg being self dependant for his energy needs. His energy production far exceeds his energy consumption.

Mr Tranberg always had a soft spot for saving the environment. “The one place that you can get energy is from the land; the one place you can also get food from is the land” Mr Tranberg says citing that more people should start to protect the environment than to add to the carbon destruction that has prevailed.

Mr Tranberg arrived in Samso 26 years ago to start a small farming business with 3 other farmers. He became bust but refused to give up his passion for farming and persisted on. With careful investments in renewable energy sources, Mr Tranberg along with the other 4,000 odd residents of Samso has contributed to the carbon neutral goal of the island. They have also profited from this venture.

The people of Samso once were the producers of more than 45,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. However with their inventiveness and strong support for renewable energy developments, they have cut their carbon footprint by a staggering 140%.

Although the transfer of heat from the milk to household heating is just a small component in the community’s energy system, it illustrates how hard the ‘Samsingers’ are willing to work in harmony with nature.