30 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 228 



Figures from the projects in other sections, organized in a similar way, may be 

 of general interest at this point, though it should be recalled that all projects 

 in this field are in varying stages of development. The average annual consump- 

 tion on the Red Wing experimental line, Minnesota project, for ten consumers 

 was 3,362 kilowatt hours for the year April, 1925, to March, 1926, or 280 kwhs. 

 per month. A survey of 414 farms of all types using electricity in Virginia (non 

 experimental) showed an average annual consumption per farm of 573.5 kilowatt 

 hours, or 47.8 kwhs. per month. The Whitesburgh Pike line, a practical rural 

 extension on the Alabama project, having 10 farmer customers, averaged 1050 

 kwhs. per farm in 1925 or 87.5 kwhs. per month. A six months record from the 

 Illinois project shows that for the ten farms under test each consumed an ave- 

 rage total of 1445 kilowatts or 241 kwhs. per month, indicating a possible total 

 of 2890 kwhs. per year or thereabouts. The South Dakota test line consisting of 

 17' farms had, in the first year of operations, an average consumption per farm 

 per year of 785 kwhs. or 65 kwhs. per month* 



While, as previously stated, the New Hampshire experimental farms are not 

 meant to represent average conditions, the possibilities of building an apprecia- 

 ble electric load on farms in New England appear to be very favorable. Further- 

 more, the number of customers per mile of line is probably greater in New Eng- 

 land than in other sections due to the smaller farms and generally more dense 

 population, making a more desirable condition for rural extensions. From the 

 data thus far it would seem that the farm house is the logical starting point in 

 applications, and that further research and development of applications is de- 

 sirable, especially for farmstead operations. 



While the records are still too limited to draw many detailed conclusions, 

 some general tendencies appear more or less fixed. 



The lighting circuits on all except poultry farms do not vary greatly, except in 

 the time of fluctuations, from those of any home. On poultry farms this con- 

 sumption may rise considerably in the winter if poultry lights are used. This 

 practice occurs at dusk and dawn, however, which brings it on the edges of the 

 city night load. 



At the present time power circuits, operating milking machines, water pumps 

 and short term operations seem to have little well defined regularity throughout 

 the year. While the consumption is quite irregular, it does remain within cer- 

 tain limits, in most cases, without any pronounced peaks. This is logical con- 

 sidering the type of equipment operated from it. 



Heating equipment, such as refrigeration, ranges, ironers, water heaters, etc., 

 produces the greatest effect in the total consumption and develops peak load in 

 midsummer. Except in cases where only straight electric ranges are used, this 

 circuit will taper off to a very small amount in the cold months. Where elec- 

 tricity is used for cooking the year around, a very appreciable consumption should 

 take place, still coming to a peak in midsummer. If low winter consumption as 

 well as high summer consumption is desirable, the combination range, which will 

 probably be most popular with the majority of farmers, would probably produce 

 this effect. At the same time if the cost of operating electric water heaters 

 proves prohibitive, the above type of range makes it possible to care for this 

 service for most of the year. 



Reviewing the curves of total consumption, the peaks occurring in midsummer 

 are repeated sufficiently to emphasize the point that they are characteristic of 

 the farm load. The dairy farms, in general, tend to fall off in use in the winter 

 months. 



Poultry farms follow the same general trend until poultry lighting starts in 

 the fall, which may bring in another peak in January. Fruit farms will probably 

 have characteristics similar to dairy farms but with less total consumption. 



The rural load is almost entirely a daytime load. Except for such appliances 

 as refrigerators and water heaters, which may be run automatically, the farm 

 practically stands at no load for most of the night. The former draw compar- 

 atively little current and the latter are seldom run automatically. 



The appliances in use have three fairly definite characteristics; namely, (1) 

 intermittent operation for short periods of time; (2) regularity in time of use; 

 (3) operation to near full capacity of machine. This is, of course, exclusive of 

 machines set for automatic operation. 



•Figures are from C.R.E.A. bulletins 7, 6, and S, Vol. II; 1926 report of Illinois project; 

 and South Dakota Ext. Cir. 232. 



