Impact of Power Outages on Milking System Performance and Milk Production: A Case Study of Moghan Dairy Stations with a Renewable Energy Compensation Approach

Introduction: Industrial dairy farming depends critically on uninterrupted electricity to operate Automated Milking Systems (AMS), refrigeration units, and sanitation equipment. In rural regions such as Moghan, seasonal grid instability presents a persistent challenge, especially during summer when demand peaks and supply interruptions are frequent. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of recurrent power outages on milking system performance and daily milk production, and to evaluate whether renewable energy integration could effectively compensate for the resulting productivity losses. Methods: A case study approach was applied to five major dairy stations in Moghan, jointly managing a herd of ۱۹,۴۲۸ cattle, including ۶,۲۳۶ lactating cows. Operational logs covering ۹۲ summer days documented outage timing, duration, and production results. Baseline yield was derived from pre‑outage averages (۲۰.۰۳ liters/cow/day), and loss per disrupted session was modeled at ۱۸% based on physiologic literature. Electricity load profiles for milking and refrigeration systems informed renewable energy simulations using MATLAB Simulink and HOMER Pro, assessing PV, wind, and hybrid configurations. Findings: Outages occurred twice daily for two hours each, typically coinciding with scheduled milking. Cumulative losses over the study period reached ۱.۳۷۶ million liters, representing a ۱۲% average daily production decline. Revenue losses totaled approximately ۲۴.۷۸ billion IRR (~$۴.۹۶ million USD), severely affecting station-level profitability. Renewable modeling indicated that a hybrid ۲۵ kW PV + ۱۰ kW wind system with ۱۰۰ kWh battery storage could fully offset outage-related shortfalls, supplying ۱۴۵ kWh/day with seasonal surplus. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that power outages impose both immediate economic costs and longer-term physiological stress on dairy herds, making energy resilience a strategic necessity. Hybrid renewable systems in the Moghan context are technically feasible and financially justifiable with moderate capital investment, especially under supportive policy frameworks. Adopting such systems would safeguard productivity, enhance animal welfare, and contribute to regional sustainability objectives, transforming energy vulnerability into an opportunity for modernized agricultural resilience.

کلیدواژه ها:

Power Outages ، Moghan Dairy Stations ، Automated Milking Systems ، Renewable Energy