Heating Cost Comparison of Heating Fuel Sources
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING GENERATE 500,000 BTUs
|
Corn |
Wood Pellets |
Fuel Oil |
Propane |
Electricity |
Natural Gas |
1 Bushel |
62.5 lbs |
5.45 gallons |
3.60 gallons |
146.54 kwh |
5 Therms |
$5.00/bushel |
$0.10/lb |
$1.96/gal |
$3.00/gal |
$0.07/kwh |
$1.51/therm |
$5.00 |
$6.25 |
$10.68 |
$10.79 |
$10.26 |
$7.55 |
Multiply by BTU per unit of this fuel:
| Propane |
91,000 BTU/gal |
| Fuel Oil |
140,000 BTU/gal |
| Electric |
3,412 BTU/kwh |
| Natural Gas |
100,000 BTU/therm |
| Corn |
504,000 BTU/Bushel |
Example:
If you currently use 1,000 gallon of propane you are using 91,000,000 BTU's per year. Based on Heating Appliances being the same efficiency, you would need 180 Bushels of corn or 3.46 cords of white oak.
Note: Our corn furnace/boilers are 85% efficient and the gasification boilers are 90% + efficient. For your review is a comparison of the facts as provided by Underwriters Laboratories and the Energy Information Association - Iowa Dec. 2007
Available Heat from Various Woods
|
Million BTU's of heat per cord |
|
Green |
Air-Dry |
Black Locust |
28.7 |
29.2 |
Hickory |
27.1 |
28.3 |
White Oak |
24.8 |
26.3 |
Honey Locust |
24.2 |
25.6 |
Red Oak |
22.7 |
24.6 |
White Ash |
23.7 |
24.2 |
Sugar Maple |
22.4 |
23.7 |
Sycamore |
18.5 |
20.0 |
American Elm |
18.3 |
20.0 |
Cottonwood |
13.8 |
15.8 |
Willow |
13.7 |
15.6 |
* A cord is a stack of wood 4'x4'x8'. Equal to two ricks, if the ricks contain wood 24" long. Air-dry is based on 20 percent moisture content.
(After 6 to 9 months of seasoning.) |
