On-Farm Renewable Energy Survey

2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production (OREP)

Instruction Sheet

Completing the 2009 OREP Questionnaire

Make all entries clear and easy to read. Use a blue or black ball point pen.

General

Refer to the instructions below for completing your questionnaire. The enclosed census follow-on questionnaire was mailed to producers and growers throughout the United States. Because it is meant for use in all parts of the country, it may contain items and inquiries which do not apply to your operation. In this case, mark the "No" or "None" box and go on to the next item or section.

If you did not produce any renewable energy on your operation in 2009, select “No” to item 1 in Section 1, then go to Section 6 on the back page and complete the remainder of the questionnaire. If you operated no land in 2009, go to Section 6 on the back page and complete the remainder of the questionnaire.

Partial Year Operation

If you stopped farming at any time during 2009, complete the questionnaire for the portion of 2009 that you did farm. Write “Stopped farming in 2009” and the date you stopped farming below the address area. Mail the completed questionnaire in the return envelope.

If You Receive More Than One Questionnaire for the Same Operation

Return any duplicate questionnaires in the same envelope with the completed questionnaire(s). In the address area of the questionnaire(s) you complete, write the 11-digit ID number from the label of the extra questionnaire(s).

Partnership Operations

Complete only ONE questionnaire for a partnership operation and include all partners' shares on the same questionnaire. If two or more questionnaires were received for the partnership, see instruction on “If You Receive More Than One Questionnaire For The Same Operation” above.

How to Enter Your Responses on the Questionnaire

Please enter your answers in the proper spaces and in the units requested, i.e., number of acres, dollars, percent, etc. Mark all applicable Yes/No boxes with an “X”.

Instructions by Section

Section 1 – Introduction

The operation must have produced and used renewable energy. If the operation leased out wind rights only and has no other renewable energy devices, this should not be included and the response to this question will be “No”. If the response to this question is no, skip to Section 6 on the back page. If the response to this question is “Yes”, then continue to the next section and complete the questionnaire.

Section 2 – Wind Turbines

This section will collect data on operations that have wind turbines, which are usually considered “small”. Your operation must own the wind turbine(s) and benefit from generating the electricity, either from direct usage or payment for electricity sold onto the grid.

Item 1: Owned wind turbines

Respond “Yes” to this question if you own the wind turbine. If you selected “Yes”, complete this section, else skip to Section 3.

Item 2: Number of turbines owned and operated

Report the number of turbines owned and operated in 2009. Again, turbines installed under a wind rights lease agreement are not to be reported on this survey, so do not report them here.

Item 2a: Generating capacity of wind turbines

Report either the average generating capacity per turbine or the total generating capacity of all wind turbines owned in kilowatts/hour. If you are reporting in a different unit, please note this in the margin next to the cell.

Item 3: Year(s) of installation

Items 3a, b, and c should total to the number of turbines you reported in item 2. Report each turbine only once.

Item 4: Installation cost

This will be the total cost for all wind turbines installed, regardless of when they were installed. Along with the turbine, this may include labor, meter, wiring, battery, new structure to protect battery, remodeling of an existing structure, concrete slab, etc.

Item 4a: Outside funding

There are many sources of outside funding available to install renewable energy devices. You may have received funding from the federal, state, or local government, utility company, coop, etc. DO NOT include tax credits or loans in this total.

Section 3 – Solar Panels

This section will collect data on operations that have solar panels. These may be used to generate electricity to power a building or pump water; heat water or buildings; or electrify a fence.

Item 1: Owned solar panels

This question will determine if you will complete this section. Only respond “Yes” to this question if you own solar panels of any type. If “Yes”, complete this section, else go to Section 4.

Item 2: Photovoltaic solar panels

Report number of photovoltaic solar panels owned and operated in 2009. Only report panels here if they generated electricity to power buildings, pump water, etc. Other types of solar powered devices should be reported in items 3 and 4. If you have no photovoltaic solar panels, skip to item 3.

Item 2a: Maximum power rating of photovoltaic solar panels

If you own more than one panel, report total power rating for all panels combined. For example, if you own 3 panels and two have power ratings of 50 watts and one is rated for 100 watts, 200 would be entered into box 311.

Item 3: Thermal solar panels

If no thermal solar panels owned, mark “No” and continue to item 4, else select “Yes”.

Item 4: All other solar powered devices

All other solar powered devices not reported above will be captured here.

Item 4a: Stand alone solar powered devices

Check all that apply. If you have a solar powered device not listed, select the other option, then specify what this device powers.

Item 5: Year(s) of installation

Items 5a, b, and c should only include solar panels reported in items 2 and 3. Solar powered devices reported in item 4 are not to be included here.

Item 6: Installation cost

This will be the total installation cost for all solar panels reported in items 2 and 3, regardless of when they were installed. This may include solar panel(s), labor, meter, wiring, battery, new structure to protect battery, remodeling of an existing structure, etc.

Item 6a: Outside funding

There are many sources of outside funding available to install renewable energy devices. You may have received funding from the federal, state, or local government, utility company, coop, etc. DO NOT include tax credits or loans in this total.

Section 4 – Manure/Methane Digesters

Item 1: Owned manure/methane digesters

This question will determine if you will complete this section. If you respond “Yes”, complete this section. If “No”, skip to Section 5.

Item 2: Number of digesters owned and operated

Report number of digesters owned and operated in 2009. All digesters reported need to be owned and operated by the operation named on the label.

Item 2a: Methane produced

Record the amount of methane produced in cubic feet. If you are reporting in a different unit, please note this in the margin of the questionnaire next to cell 411.

Item 3: Electricity generated

A response of yes or no is required here. Further questions concerning electricity generated will be asked in Section 5.

Item 4: Natural gas sales

If you sold any gas to the natural gas pipeline, select “Yes” to this question, else skip to item 5.

Item 4a: Natural gas payments

Complete this item only if you reported having sales to the pipeline. If you can only give dollars per cubic foot, please note this in the margin on the questionnaire next to cell 431.

Item 5: Other uses of methane

If methane is flared, used for heating buildings or water, etc., please note that here.

Item 6: Year(s) of installation

Items 6a, b, and c should total to the number of digesters reported in item 2.

Item 7: Installation cost

This will be the total for all digesters installed, regardless of when they were installed. Along with the digester, this may include labor, meter, wiring, generator used to produce electricity, battery, new structure to protect battery, remodeling of an existing structure, etc.

Item 7a: Outside funding

There are many sources of outside funding available to install renewable energy devices. You may have received funding from the federal, state, or local government, utility company, coop, etc. DO NOT include tax credits or loans in this total.

Section 5 – Other Information

All other information for types of energy producing devices, types of renewable energy produced, electricity sold onto the grid, savings, and federal funding will be collected in this Section.

Item 1 and 1a: Other forms of energy produced

If you produced any other forms of energy or used another type of energy producing device than those previously recorded, report those here. If you select “Yes” to item 1, then item 1a needs to be completed, else skip to item 2.

Mark all that apply in 1a. If you select cell 516 (other), specify what you have. Be as detailed as possible. For example, if you have a wood-burning furnace used to heat your shop, report this as “wood-burning furnace”. If you are using the heat to heat your household and the household is not considered part of the operation, then do not report the furnace on this questionnaire.

Item 2: Electricity sold onto the grid

If you sell electricity onto the grid, select “Yes”. If you have a net metering arrangement with the utility company, this is not considered sales to the grid and “No” should be selected. If “Yes”, complete item, else skip to item 3.

Item 2a: Amount of electricity sold onto the grid

If you are selling electricity onto the grid, report amount sold in kilowatt hours. If you are using a different magnitude (i.e. watts) write the amount and unit in the margin next to cell 521.

Item 2b: Payment received for electricity sold

If there is a contract with the utility company stating you cannot disclose amount received for electricity, please note this in the margin of the questionnaire.

Item 3: Utility bills savings

Dollar amount saved on utility bills may be an exact amount or a rough estimate, depending on the type and age of device. If you are unsure, please give a range of how much you think was saved.

Item 4: Energy audit

Item 5: Federal funding

Select “Yes” to this item if you received any federal funds to install this device. This may include grants, loans, etc. Exclude tax credits.