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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/17/milk-source-heat-pump-barbers-cheesemakers>
"In many ways, the world’s oldest cheddar-maker hews to tradition. Since 1833,
Barber’s Farmhouse Cheesemakers has operated from the rolling green pastures of
south-west England, milking grass-fed cows and fermenting the milk with
microbial starters passed down for generations. That heritage has led to
award-winning cheese, now popular across continents.
But when it comes to reducing its planet-warming emissions, Barber’s is on the
cutting edge. In 2024, the company began to use new ultra-efficient heat pumps
from the UK startup Arkaya Energy. The devices quickly cool milk to keep it
fresh, and simultaneously heat water used in milking operations, replacing
conventional chillers and electric-resistance heaters.
By cutting electricity use in half, the heat pumps are saving Barber’s about
£70,000 a year – a “huge reduction,” said Alfie Barber, a seventh-generation
cheesemaker and farm manager. At the same time, they are cutting carbon
pollution by nearly 66 tons a year. The family has had these heat pumps
installed at three of its seven milking parlours.
“It is just a wonderful feeling … when we can save energy, save on the bottom
line, and reduce our carbon footprint,” said Chris Barber, Alfie’s father and
the farm director.
All-electric industrial heat pumps, which move heat rather than generating it
from fossil fuels or running an electric current through a filament, are an
ideal fit for decarbonising food production, as most processes need only low or
medium temperatures, which the tech can readily provide. But food manufacturers
have not exactly flocked to heat pumps. The appliances are an unfamiliar
technology with a price premium, and rising electricity costs make companies
wary about using them to replace fossil fuel options.
Barber’s experience shows that early adopters can reap big payoffs – thanks
largely to new advances in heat-pump technology.
Almost all heat pumps fall into three categories: air source, ground source and
water source. Arkaya’s innovation is to draw heat not from the air or ground or
a body of water, but from fresh milk, which comes out of the cow warm. It is
“a predictable energy source whenever milking takes place”, said Arkaya’s
founder, Kumo Sharma. The company calls its product a “milk-source heat pump”.
Arkaya’s machines do the double duty of chilling milk to as low as 1.6C (35F)
and diverting the waste heat to bring water to 92C (198F), close to a boil.
Farmers need this hot water to wash udders, milk tanks, suction cups and other
equipment to keep operations clean.
For Barber’s, the payback on its heat pumps is less than two years – a welcome
departure from the norm. “There’s not many investments that have [even]
five-year paybacks,” Alfie said. “Every penny counts in our game.”"
Via Susan ****
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
