Gypsum, Drywall & Interior Panel Manufacturing worked example

Dryer Energy Cost at 58% dryer thermal efficiency: a worked example in gypsum, drywall & interior panel manufacturing

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop dryer thermal efficiency to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate dryer energy cost for a board production run by combining boards dried, variable energy cost per board, dryer thermal efficiency, and fixed overhead.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Boards dried per run: 100 boards (held at the documented default)
  • Variable energy cost per board: 45 $ / board (held at the documented default)
  • Dryer thermal efficiency: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed overhead per run: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable dryer cost = boards dried x variable energy cost per board x dryer thermal efficiency.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where dryer thermal efficiency sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to dryer thermal efficiency, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The thermal efficiency factor here scales variable energy as supplied; confirm it matches how your energy-per-board figure was measured to avoid double-counting losses.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Dryer Energy Cost calculator, set dryer thermal efficiency to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.