When we talk about automated fan control, the obvious question is: does it actually save money?
We put together a case study with one of our early customers in Saskatchewan to find out. Here’s what we learned.
The setup
Farm profile:
- 15 bins, ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 bushels
- Mix of wheat, canola, and barley
- Standard aeration fans, manual control before GrainLink
- Located near Saskatoon, SK
The comparison: We tracked energy usage and grain condition across two harvest seasons—one before GrainLink, one after.
The results
Energy savings: 23%
The most immediate impact was on the power bill. By running fans only when conditions were favorable, total fan runtime dropped significantly.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. fan runtime per bin | 312 hours | 241 hours |
| Total energy cost | $4,200 | $3,230 |
| Savings | — | $970 (23%) |
And this wasn’t from under-drying. Final moisture content was actually more consistent after automation.
Time savings: ~40 hours
The farmer estimated he spent about 40 hours over the season on weather watching, fan switching, and bin checking that he didn’t have to do anymore.
That’s a week of work—freed up for other things.
Grain quality: Improved
This one’s harder to quantify, but the farmer reported fewer hot spots and more consistent moisture across the bins. No spoilage, no rejected loads.
What made the difference?
Three things stood out:
- Night running: The system often ran fans overnight when humidity was lowest—times the farmer would have been asleep
- Quick shutoffs: When rain rolled in, fans shut down automatically before moisture could be pushed back into the grain
- Data visibility: Being able to see trends over time helped catch issues earlier
The bottom line
For this operation, the GrainLink system paid for itself in the first season through energy savings alone. Add in time savings and reduced risk of spoilage, and the ROI is clear.
Your results will vary depending on your setup, location, and grain types—but the fundamentals are the same. Better data leads to better decisions leads to better outcomes.
Want to see what this could look like on your farm? Contact us for a free consultation.