Biomass, or plant material, is a readily-available, renewable energy source. Burning biomass instead of fossil fuels saves money and enhances your energy security while supporting American farmers.
Using biomass to create energy has a plethora of environmental benefits as well. It can help mitigate climate change, reduce acid rain, soil erosion, water pollution and pressure on landfills and provide wildlife habitat.
The following is a comparison of fuel prices for various materials used to heat most homes today. Average fuel prices, even within a state, can vary widely. Heating will also vary depending on floor plan, heat loss and geographic location of home, stove venting configuration and climate. The comparison shown below is a “best effort” representation based on most recently published information obtained from independent sources.
| Fuel Source | BTU Value Per Unit | Units Required To Produce 1,000,000 BTUs at Typical Cost | Deliverable Cost for Usable Heat | Heat Cost Ratio Using Dry Shelled Corn in Bixby MaxFire™ |
| Dry Shelled Corn | 392,000 BTUs Per Bushel (7,000 Per Pound) |
2.55 Bushels @ $2.25 / Bushel |
$7.17 | 100.0% (Base) |
| Coal | 20,500,000 BTUs Per ton (10,250 Per Pound) |
.0488 Tons @ $150 / Ton |
$9.17 | 136% |
| Firewood | 16,800,000 BTUs Per Cord | .0595 Cords @ $130 / Cord | $11.54 | 161% |
| Natural Gas | 1,000 BTUs Per Cubic Foot |
1,000 Cubic Feet @ $0.0122 / Cu. Ft. |
$12.84 | 179% |
| Wood Pellets | 16,000 BTUs Per Ton (8,000 Per Pound) |
.0625 Tons @ $200 / Ton |
$15.63 | 218% |
| Heating Oil #2 | 138,000 BTUs Per Gallon |
7.25 Gallons @ $1.75 / Gallon |
$15.86 | 221% |
| Liquid Propane | 91,690 BTUs Per Gallon |
10.9 Gallons @ $1.53 / Gallon |
$17.55 | 245% |
| Electricity | 3,415 BTUs Per KwH |
293 KwH @ $0.093 / kWh |
$27.25 | 380% |
| Source: Bixby Energy Systems, Inc. on the basis of published U.S. federal and state government data.
Note: It is important to realize that, even within a state, average energy or fuel prices can vary widely. It is important to use your customer’s energy bill to determine the savings. |
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