missing alternatives - corn heaters and biodiesel.

Seems all the media is on hybrids and E85. Be careful with E85, your loss in mileage may not make up for the decrease in price in certain models.
You can cut the cost of your home heating by 50 percent with a corn heater/furnace this winter. They have hoppers so you only have to feed it corn like once a week.
Diesels are more efficent and the engines last longer than gasoline engines. Many of these engines can run on 100 percent biodiesel made from corn and ethanol. The mileage is only 3 percent less than regular diesel. Volkswagon makes passenger cars like the Passat and new bug in diesel that get 44 mpg in actual because my sister has one.

Just a little correction...I am in the middle of actively researching corn burners, and the only versions that can go "all week" are the ones that are meant as a basement replacement for your central heating plant. The ones that look similar to a wood stove, and are located in the living spaces require daily filling of the hopper.
Dave
Bill wrote:

Seems all the media is on hybrids and E85. Be careful with E85, your loss in mileage may not make up for the decrease in price in certain models.
You can cut the cost of your home heating by 50 percent with a corn heater/furnace this winter. They have hoppers so you only have to feed it corn like once a week.
Diesels are more efficent and the engines last longer than gasoline engines. Many of these engines can run on 100 percent biodiesel made from corn and ethanol. The mileage is only 3 percent less than regular diesel. Volkswagon makes passenger cars like the Passat and new bug in diesel that get 44 mpg in actual because my sister has one.

Well,
Here are the numbers I have so far:
Heating Oil Used 1,100 Price per gallon $2.80 Total Heating Cost $3,080.00
BTU Per Gallon 139,000 Total BTU Used 152,900,000
BTU Per LB 7,500 LB per Bushel 55 Bushels Req's 370.67
Price per bushel $1.75 $5.00 Total cost for corn $648.67 $1,853.33
Cost of Corn Burner $3,500.00 Annual fuel savings $2,431.33 $1,226.67
Heating seasons to recover purchase 1.44 2.85
First caveat!!
I am in the middle of Illinois, and I have all the corn I could ever need for the rest of my life sitting about 300 ft from my front door. This means I can buy it right out of the field from the neighbor farmer at market price (2005-10-18 price is $1.56 - $1.71 per bu at the elevator.) For me, the price of corn would have to rise all the way to $8.31 for it to be the same cost as heating oil.
This illustrates the most important point, that location and availability of corn as a fuel is the most important. If you are paying $15 for a 50lb bag of corn at a fireplace store in downtown Chicag, then no way is it cheaper.
Your point number three regarding the daily care and feeding of a corn (or pellet, or split wood or coal) burner is 100% true. For me though it looks like a no-brainer. ;-)
Dave
Jonathan Grobe wrote:

On 2005-10-18, Bill wrote:
You can cut the cost of your home heating by 50 percent with a corn heater/furnace this winter. They have hoppers so you only have to feed it corn like once a week.
True, but: 1. The heaters/furnaces are expensive--there will be a few years for payback. 2. The price of corn is at a cyclical low. A few years ago corn reached $5/bushel. What happens when this happens again--your fuel savings disappear. 3. Corn stoves/furnaces take a certain amount of manual effort-- feeding the corn into the hopper...

On 2005-10-18, Bill wrote:

You can cut the cost of your home heating by 50 percent with a corn heater/furnace this winter. They have hoppers so you only have to feed it corn like once a week.

True, but: 1. The heaters/furnaces are expensive--there will be a few years for payback. 2. The price of corn is at a cyclical low. A few years ago corn reached $5/bushel. What happens when this happens again--your fuel savings disappear. 3. Corn stoves/furnaces take a certain amount of manual effort-- feeding the corn into the hopper...
-- Jonathan Grobe Books Browse our inventory of thousands of used books at: http://www.grobebooks.com

Dave Nay wrote:

Well,
Here are the numbers I have so far:
Heating Oil Used 1,100 Price per gallon $2.80 Total Heating Cost $3,080.00
BTU Per Gallon 139,000 Total BTU Used 152,900,000
BTU Per LB 7,500 LB per Bushel 55 Bushels Req's 370.67
Price per bushel $1.75 $5.00 Total cost for corn $648.67 $1,853.33
Cost of Corn Burner $3,500.00 Annual fuel savings $2,431.33 $1,226.67
Heating seasons to recover purchase 1.44 2.85
First caveat!!
I am in the middle of Illinois, and I have all the corn I could ever need for the rest of my life sitting about 300 ft from my front door. This means I can buy it right out of the field from the neighbor farmer at market price (2005-10-18 price is $1.56 - $1.71 per bu at the elevator.) For me, the price of corn would have to rise all the way to $8.31 for it to be the same cost as heating oil.
This illustrates the most important point, that location and availability of corn as a fuel is the most important. If you are paying $15 for a 50lb bag of corn at a fireplace store in downtown Chicag, then no way is it cheaper.
Your point number three regarding the daily care and feeding of a corn (or pellet, or split wood or coal) burner is 100% true. For me though it looks like a no-brainer. ;-)
Dave
Jonathan Grobe wrote: On 2005-10-18, Bill wrote:
You can cut the cost of your home heating by 50 percent with a corn heater/furnace this winter. They have hoppers so you only have to feed it corn like once a week.
True, but: 1. The heaters/furnaces are expensive--there will be a few years for payback. 2. The price of corn is at a cyclical low. A few years ago corn reached $5/bushel. What happens when this happens again--your fuel savings disappear. 3. Corn stoves/furnaces take a certain amount of manual effort-- feeding the corn into the hopper...

Sounds good Dave.
Now what about the mouse problem with your affordable corn bought right out of the field Pest control = early detection $500.00 Late detection $1000.00 Divorce assc. with late detection...... Priceless!
fly ash and all,,, I think I'm still gonna try one!
Diddlin in n. illinois