How Much Does It Cost to Dry Grain? And How Using Solar Energy can be a Money-saving Solution.

It’s harvest season, and you’re one of the Midwest’s many grain farmers dealing with the spike in expenses.

Although it’s a necessary part of the harvesting process, many farmers are surprised by how much electricity or propane grain drying consumes.

Every year, we get the same questions from grain farmers:

• • “How much does it actually cost to dry grain?”
  • “Can solar help offset those costs?”

The answers depend on several factors (and are mostly undefined), but understanding what affects drying costs can help farmers make smarter long-term investments by turning to solar energy.

Why is my electric bill so much higher during harvest?

Grain drying often becomes one of the largest seasonal energy expenses because many operations must remove excess moisture before grain can be safely stored or marketed.

Moisture levels fluctuate from one crop to the next and are greatly influenced by weather.

Higher harvest moisture means more water must be removed, which adds more costs to the dying process.

According to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (2016), due to the Midwest’s/Indiana’s wet climate, harvested grain often requires artificial drying before storage or sale.

Whether you dry your grain on-farm, you must factor in:

• Size and type of drying system.
• Amount of moisture in the corn/grain.
• Weather conditions (rainy, dry, humid).
• Costs of labor.
• And drying fuel costs (Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, 2016).

Purdue University Center for Commercial Agriculture provides a Worksheet for Estimating the Cost of Drying Corn Grain for those who want to quickly add up the costs on their own time.

ISU Extension has some of the most comprehensive research available on grain drying economics and farm energy. These sources are directly applicable to Midwestern grain producers and are widely respected by farmers. You can read more about grain and storage handling here.

What Determines the Cost of Drying Grain?

There is no universal answer because drying costs depend on several variables: fuel type, electricity usage, dryer type, and efficiency.

Fuel Costs

In AG Decision Maker William Edwards (2014) states that the “largest cost components for drying grain will be fuel and/or electricity, so these costs should receive the most attention when estimating total costs”.

Propane or natural gas is often one of the largest operating costs during grain drying because most commercial high-temperature drying systems rely on these fuels. While solar energy can supplement natural-air or low-temperature drying, it generally cannot provide the consistent, high-temperature heat needed for rapid commercial drying.

It’s estimated that high-temperature systems consume an average of 0.018 gallons of LP gas per bushel for every 1% (point) of moisture removed (Edwards, 2014).

Electricity Usage

When it comes to drying grain, electricity powers equipment including:

• fans
• augers
• conveyors
• aeration systems
• grain handling equipment

These costs add up quickly during harvest and vary depending on crop type, size, initial moisture level, desired moisture level, weather variables and more.

When measuring cost, “The assumed usage rate is multiplied by the number of points of moisture to be removed from each bushel, then by the number of bushels to be dried, then finally by the price per kWh of electricity” (Edwards, 2014).

This is broken down mathematically in the Worksheet for Estimating the Cost of Drying Corn Grain we mentioned earlier.

Drying Systems & Efficiency

Different drying systems consume different amounts of fuel and electricity, so dryer types and efficiency affect drying costs.

Examples of drying systems include:

• Natural air drying.
• Low-temperature drying.
• And High-temperature drying.

Each has different operating costs, which we’ll discuss next.

Common Grain Drying Systems

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, common systems for grain drying include:

• Natural-air drying: which uses unheated ambient air and fans to dry grain in storage bins.
• Low-temperature drying: which uses slightly heated air and fans to dry grain gradually in-bin.
• High-temperature drying: which uses heated air to dry grain quickly in dedicated drying systems or high-temperature in-bin systems (Wilcke and Hellevang, 2021).

We’ll discuss each of these systems in more detail next.

Natural-Air Drying

Natural-air drying uses ambient (outside) air with little or no added heat. Large fans push air through the grain over an extended period to gradually reduce moisture.

Common examples:

• In-bin drying systems with perforated floors and aeration fans
• Storage bins equipped with high-capacity aeration fans

Best for:

• Grain harvested at relatively low moisture
• Cooler fall weather
• Farmers who have time for drying slower

Pros:

• Lowest energy costs
• Minimal fuel use
• Lower risk of grain damage

Cons:

• Slow drying process
• Highly dependent on weather conditions (Wilcke and Hellevang, 2021).

Low-Temperature Drying

Low-temperature drying combines slightly heated air (typically 5–20°F above ambient temperature) with continuous airflow. This method dries grain faster than natural-air drying while using significantly less fuel than high-temperature systems.

Common examples:

• In-bin dryers with electric heaters
• Stirring-bin dryers
• Bin drying systems with supplemental heat

Best for:

• Medium-moisture grain
• Farmers seeking lower energy costs while maintaining grain quality

Pros:

• More energy efficient than high-temperature drying
• Better grain quality
• Lower fuel consumption

Cons:

• Slower than high-temperature drying
• Still weather dependent (Wilcke and Hellevang, 2021).

High-Temperature Drying

High-temperature systems rapidly dry grain using heated air, often fueled by propane or natural gas. These systems are common during busy harvest seasons when grain must be dried quickly.

Common examples:

• Continuous-flow dryers
• Mixed-flow dryers
• Cross-flow dryers
• Tower dryers
• Recirculating batch dryers
• Column dryers

Best for:

• Large commercial grain operations
• High-moisture corn
• Fast harvest pace

Pros:

• Fastest drying method
• Less dependent on weather
• Handles large grain volumes

Cons:

• Highest fuel and electricity costs

• Greater potential for grain stress if not managed properly (Wilcke and Hellevang, 2021).

Why Electric Bills Spike During Harvest

During harvest, a spike in electric bills is normal and expected for grain farmers.

The main reasons for spikes in electric bills are:

• Grain dryers run for long hours.
• Fans operate continuously.
• Dandling equipment runs nearly nonstop.
• Aeration often continues after grain enters storage.

This creates one of the highest electrical demands of the year. Here’s where investing in solar can save money.

Can Solar Reduce Grain Drying Costs?

As we said earlier, Solar energy does not replace/produce the heat needed for conventional propane grain dryers.

Instead, solar helps offset the electricity required to operate:

• Grain handling systems
• Conveyors
• Fans
• Augers
• Aeration equipment
• Other farm electrical loads

This distinction is important for understanding what solar can offer your grain farm.

Solar Makes Sense for Grain Operations because grain farms have/experience:

• High annual electrical usage
• Seasonal spikes in demand
• Large buildings or available land
• Long-term ownership

A solar system install can offset electricity purchased from utility companies throughout the year—especially during harvest.

Instead of depending on local utility companies, investing in solar provides a self-sufficient way to operate your grain farm buildings and equipment.

Looking Beyond Harvest

Once your grain is harvested, dried, and stored, a solar system continues generating electricity for the rest of your farm.

As a grain farmer, you need electricity for:

• shops
• livestock facilities
• irrigation (where applicable)
• offices
• lighting
• ventilation
• other farm operations

Sure, harvest time causes a spike in your electric bill, but year-round operations don’t stop when that electric spike starts to drop.

Solar systems allow farmers to offset electrical costs all year—not just during grain drying season.

This self-sufficiency is what makes solar so appealing (aside from the money-saving aspect).

Questions to Ask Before Investing in Solar

When a homeowner approaches us and wants to switch to solar energy, we always start by asking “What is your reason for going solar?”

This question also applies to grain farmers.

What is your reason for going solar? Are you hoping to save money? Do you want to be more self-sufficient? Are you eco-conscious?

These are all questions that help determine what kind of solar system works best for you and your farm.

Other areas we look at before agreeing to an install is your:

• Annual electrical usage
• Utility bills
• Grain drying energy usage
• Future expansion plans
• Available installation locations

Evaluating actual farm energy data leads to more accurate system sizing when it comes to your solar install.

We want to save you money and energy while not leaving wondering if you’ll have enough to keep your farm running.

Get Started with Solect!

Grain drying is often one of the largest seasonal energy expenses for grain farmers (but it doesn’t have to be).

Electrical spikes while harvesting and drying grain are driven primarily by moisture removed, fuel use, electricity use, and dryer system efficiency.

While solar doesn’t replace propane or natural gas for grain drying, it can substantially reduce/replace the electricity purchased from the utility company to operate grain handling and drying equipment.

Understanding year-round and seasonal energy costs is the first step toward evaluating whether a solar investment makes financial sense for your operation.

Realistically, investing in a solar system is going to cost more upfront, but the beauty of going solar, is that it pays off over time (unlike traditional electric).

Instead of staying stuck in the loop of energy bill spikes, there’s something different you can do as a grain farmer.

Start by reading more about our Solar System options here to understand which options are best suited for your needs.

Want to just talk to a person instead? Contact our Sales Manager Chester Gingerich at 260-499-3051 Ext 104 or email us at [email protected] today!

References

Edwards, W. (2014). Estimating the Cost for Drying Corn. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/html/

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. (2016). Grain Drying Economics module | Iowa State University Extension Store. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. https://shop.iastate.edu/extension/farm-environment/crops-and-soils/crop3083d.html

Wilcke, W., & Hellevang, K. J. (2021). Drying wheat and Barley. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/small-grains-harvest-and-storage/drying-wheat-and-barley