Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600534
10/13/97

### ENERGY COST OF DRYING

     Let's calculate the energy cost of drying green beans  and

    peaches
    in a dehydrator built from plans in Home And  Garden

    Bulletin
      No.  217,  pages  16-20.   The   dehydrator   can

    accommodate
    18 pounds of fresh product.  Assume that  during

    the
     first  2 hours of drying time, all nine  75-watt  light

    bulbs
     (675 watts total) will be on.  Only six  light  bulbs

    (450
     watts total) will be left on for the remaining  drying

    time.
     Calculate  the energy cost at 5 cents  per  kilowatt-

    hour.

    GREEN
    BEANS

     18 pounds = about 9 quarts

     Drying time is 8 to 14 hours (average = 11 hours)

     2 hours x 675 watts  = 1,350 watt-hours

                          =  1.35 kilowatt-hours

     9 hours x 450 watts  = 4,050 watt-hours

                            4.05 kilowatt-hours

     1.35 kilowatt-hours + 4.05 kilowatt-hours

       kilowatt-hours     = 5.40

     It takes 5.40 kilowatt-hours of electricity to dry about 9

    quarts
    of green beans.  That's equivalent to 0.60  kilowatt-

    hours
    per quart.

     0.60 kilowatt-hour x 5 cents/kilowatt-hour = 3.0 cents

     The energy cost of drying one quart of green beans is  3.0

    cents.
      (This   does   not   include  the  energy  cost  of

    blanching
    the beans as pretreatment for drying.)

    PEACHES

     18 pounds = about 8 quarts

     Drying time is 36 to 48 hours (average = 42 hours)

     2 hours x 675 watts  =  1,350 watt-hours

                          =   1.35 kilowatt-hours

     40 hours x 450 watts = 18,000 watt-hours

                          =  18.00 kilowatt-hours

     1.35 kilowatt-hours  +  18.00 kilowatt-hours

         kilowatt-hours    =  19.35

     It takes 19.35 kilowatt-hours of electricity to dry  about

    8
    quarts of peaches, or 2.42 kilowatt-hours per quart.

     2.42 kilowatt-hours x 5 cents/kilowatt hour = 12.1 cents

     So the energy cost of drying one quart of peaches is  12.1

    cents.

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