“It’s important that we work closely with Carroll White REMC, as power is very important to us. … Eggs are a commodity and anytime we can maximize our efficiencies, it benefits our bottom line across the board and helps us be more competitive in the marketplace.”
– David Hurd, Vice President of Live Production
Rose Acre Farms
Rose Acre Farms, a national egg production company based in Seymour, Indiana, created three innovative cage-free egg-laying barns and a new production facility at its Pulaski County Egg Farm in Francesville, Indiana. The 171,000-square-foot barns each incorporate new design elements to improve comfort and livability for the chickens. Rose Acre built the new barns to replace older facilities at the site while increasing egg production.
“A lot of the major retailers have made a promise to convert their sales to cage-free,” said David Hurd, vice president of live production for Rose Acre Farms, which has 18 locations in seven states. “For the industry to meet that need, we needed to get serious about remodeling or building new laying houses to meet demand.”
The family-owned business collaborated with Carroll White REMC, which provides electricity to Pulaski County Egg Farm, on construction for the new egg-laying barns. Carroll White also offered energy efficiency incentives through the Power Moves® program to support construction while lowering long-term energy costs.
Rose Acre Farms received $94,000 in Power Moves® incentives for energy efficiency upgrades that will save $112,000 in energy costs annually. The upgrades include a new unique design element: full spectrum LED lighting, which closely simulates natural daylight. The infrared spectrum of the lighting, which is not visible to humans, has a calming effect on chickens.
“Birds see light more to the infrared spectrum of light,” Hurd said. “By working with the POWER MOVES® team on this project, as well as focusing on a new and better system, we utilized the LED lights that are better for bird behavior and performance.”
The barns incorporate additional new design elements to benefit the hens. Rose Acre Farms worked with Carroll White REMC and the Power Moves® team, including a LEED-AP certified engineer, to maximize the benefits from the efficiency upgrades.
The new cage-free barns each house 370,000 hens, with 72,000 dozen eggs expected to be produced daily at the farm when production is at its peak.
“It’s very helpful when we can collaborate with businesses early in the planning process to discuss their energy needs,” Carroll White CEO Randy Price said. “We can help them maximize their energy usage and make sure that they qualify for the most efficiency rebates and additional incentives to make the project successful.”
The Rose Acre Farms expansion was an impactful local economic development project which can help lead to future regional business growth, Price added.
“For the Rose Acre Farms team to say that they like it here and can do good business here is a tremendous compliment,” he said. “It’s great for all of us that they chose to invest in our community.”
The Pulaski County Egg Farm’s new laying barn designs have been well-received by the hens, Hurd said. Rose Acre Farms has since incorporated the design elements in new barns built in southern Indiana and Arizona.
“It’s important that we work closely with Carroll White REMC, as power is very important to us. The livelihood of our hens depends on feed, water, and air, and electricity is a part of all of our systems providing those resources,” Hurd said. “Eggs are a commodity and anytime we can maximize our efficiencies, it benefits our bottom line across the board and helps us be more competitive in the marketplace.”
Project Highlights
- Free building design consultations with LEED-AP certified mechanical engineer
- Installation of dim-to-red LED lighting fixtures in each laying barn, saving 426,854 kilowatt hours (kWh) per laying barn annually
- Installation of LED lighting fixtures in the production facility, saving 120,346 kWh annually
- Estimated total of 1.4 million kWh saved annually
Financial Impact:
- $94,000 in Power Moves® incentives for energy efficiency upgrades
- Estimated $112,000 in energy savings annually