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Better Farming
December 2016
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21
RISING
ELECTRICAL
COSTS
kilowatts (kW). Thus other activities could also be
accomplished without incurring a demand charge.
Aeration fan motors on those small bins were usually not
more than two hp. If the electrical demand exceeded 50
kW, charges would only be applied for one month, as the
meter reader reset the demand indicator during the
regular monthly visit.
If on-farm drying systems did expand to effectively
become commercial drying systems, three-phase power
was a must. The drying system could be strategically locat-
ed adjacent to a three-phase line or, with a capital contri-
bution, three-phase lines could be extended to the desired
farm site.
The cost of hydro
Up to the early 2000s, electrical energy was relatively
cheap, and many relatively large on-farm drying systems
appeared in Ontario. By 2010, the cost of extending
three-phase service and the cost of electrical energy in
Ontario increased significantly.
The option of generating electrical energy with natural
gas as the engine/generator fuel needed consideration.
One of the largest installations that I am aware of is in
western Ontario. When a high-capacity screen-less type
dryer was installed in 2009, a dedicated large V-12 natural
gas engine which produced about 870 hp and powered a
600-kVA (kilovolt amp or about 500 kW) generator, was
attached. This combination system directly provided all of
the electrical energy for that large screen-less dryer. All of
the engine waste heat, as well as the exhaust gases, was
directed into the air stream to the grain dryer to maximize
energy efficiency.
This concept is not unique. As hydro rates continue to
increase, along with the high delivery charges, many
potential on-farm dryer operators are being encouraged
by equipment suppliers to consider this type of combina-
tion system. However, many of these systems would be
much smaller and could be wired/controlled so that the
power system could also be used as a standby power
system for the entire farm in the event of an outage or for
use during the on-peak billing times.
It is important to note that these power systems cannot
be used to feed the power grid. They would need to be
synchronized and do not meet the requirements of
Ontario’s Green Energy Act. However, gas-fired electrical
generation systems have been used for many decades as
“peaking plants” by electrical power suppliers in Ontario
and elsewhere.
Grain drying and handling progression
In the 50 years that I have been involved in grain drying
in Ontario, many changes have occurred. As I noted
earlier, the first on-farm grain drying appeared to help
farmers avoid those persistent lineups at the local small
This older batch-type dryer that is PTO-powered
by a tractor is still in use.