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Spring
2018
grainswest.com9
As a cost saver on grain drying, Westlock County farmer Richard Geiger took the unusual step of designing his own
coal-fired drying system.
Photo:ChelseaGeiger
irrigation farms, have voiced concerns.
They worry about projected increases in
production costs associated with the car-
bon levy on other energy sources and their
inability to pass costs on to their markets.
“These sub-sectors have a great oppor-
tunity to reduce energy consumption and
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions,” Price
said. “Grants like OFEM assist producers
with realizing energy and cost savings as
they transition to a lower-carbon world.”
Mike Hittinger,
Growing Forward
ex-
tension specialist, said that while it’s not
currently for everyone, solar energy tech-
nology is gaining momentum in Alberta.
The On-Farm Solar Photovoltaics program
is accepting applications for partial fund-
ing of on-farm, grid-tied solar photovoltaic
systems.
He added that one of the simplest ways
to increase energy efficiency on the farm
is to go after “low-hanging fruit.” This
includes retrofitting with higher-efficiency
lights, windows, furnaces and hot water
heaters as well as insulating buildings.
Hittinger recommended that farmers
visit the
Growing Forward 2
website and
subscribe to receive program announce-
ments regarding funding that they may be
eligible for. In addition, they can view a
funding list on the site to determine if any
of their self-directed initiatives fit funding
criteria.
The Alberta Farm Fuel Benefit saves
farmers nine cents per litre on marked
diesel and gasoline. No carbon levy
is charged on these fuels. The levy is
charged on propane and natural gas used
for grain drying. However, for eligible
farmers located outside the boundaries
of a natural gas distributor, the Remote
Area Heating Allowance Program rebates
25 per cent of the cost of propane used for
grain drying, up to a maximum of 18,800
litres. Unfortunately, Freed said, the
combination of all these rebates amounts
to less than one per cent in savings of his
total farm expenses.
FARMERS WILL ALWAYS INNOVATE
Westlock County farmer Richard Geiger
has a knack for modifying farm practices
to improve efficiency and save money, and
has received
Growing Forward
funding
for two farm-improvement projects. Over
the years, he has upgraded his expanding
mixed-farming operation. Likely his big-
gest cost-reduction innovation is his coal-
fired grain dryer. While not for everyone,
especially in light of Alberta’s commit-
ment to lowering the province’s carbon
footprint, Geiger’s ingenuity illustrates the
continuous innovation farmers are capable
of in the face of financial challenges.
During the particularly cold fall of
2004, Geiger’s propane bill for grain dry-
ing alone was approximately $7,000. Years
prior, he had switched his home- and
water-heating systems from propane to
coal at a substantial saving. So he decided
to design a coal-powered grain-drying
system.
In simplified terms, Geiger’s system
operates on coal or propane and uses a
one-million-BTU vertical tube boiler,
circulating pumps and a 900,000-BTU
radiator to run a Vertec 5600 grain dryer.
The system’s boiler is also used to heat
Geiger’s home and water as well as his
5,500-square-foot shop. He purchases
his coal at two nearby mines, hauling it
himself.
Up until the implementation of the
carbon levy, his new system brought
down his combined annual grain drying
and heating costs to between $2,000 and
$4,000. But between the carbon levy
increases and excessively wet conditions
over the last two years, Geiger’s annu-
al coal costs alone are in the $7,000 to
$8,000 range. However, while drying
costs are typically 20 to 40 cents per bush-
el, Geiger dries canola down 10 points
for about 8.5 cents per bushel, and grains
six points for about six cents. While coal
is more cost effective than propane, he
also notes that it poses less fire risk. Also,
the heat exchanger produces no moisture
when burning coal and allows slow drying
that preserves grain quality.
At the end of 2017, Geiger said one
tonne of coal cost $45 plus $38 for the car-
bon levy, for a total of $83. “I burn a tonne
of coal a day, which works out to about
$3.58 per hour. Without the carbon levy,
my coal costs would be brought down to
$1.87 per hour.”
Asked about his concerns surrounding
Alberta’s phasing out of coal, Geiger said
that because propane is also carbon-
levied, using coal is still his cheapest
option. He is keeping his fingers crossed
for changes in fuel-tax legislation.