Corn Furnaces: Using Corn as a Fuel

In many areas of the Midwest, and as far East as New England, shelled kernel corn is an abundantly ready food supply. The corn is dried and stored at every local co-op and used mainly as a food source for cattle. In recent years, corn prices have been driven up by the raising demand for ethanol as a fuel source. Although ethanol it self is an arguably productive fuel source, the corn it is made from definitely packs plenty of energy. One bushel of corn can be burned in a corn furnace to offer the energy equivalent of five gallons of liquid propane or 130 Kilowatt Hours of electricity or about 5 Therms of Natural Gas.

Based on the price of $3.00 per bushel, and about $1.20 per Therm, a customer can save nearly half of their heating cost by switching over to a corn burning furnace and this can amount to hundreds of dollars per year. It can be even a better deal for the farmer looking to put a fair dollar value on their corn! Most homes will use about 250 bushels of corn per heating season. Installed next to the corn burning furnace is generally a hopper containing between 10 and 20 bushels of corn which will be automatically fed into the furnace as your thermostat demands it. This is generally a ten day supply, which of course varies depending on your demand. It is safe and easy to store more corn on site to add into the hopper, and often this is done through a small grain chute so transport is minimal.

Corn furnaces burn cleanly and are simple to use. They are designed to replace your current indoor furnace, and take up only a little more space for the hopper. The hopper does need electricity to run and to continue feeding the corn furnace more "fuel." At today's corn prices, an average consumer should expect to save several hundred dollars per year by using a corn furnace. To achieve a more accurate number, one would have to go through their home and break down where the incoming Natural Gas is being used and how much can be saved. The corn ash produced from the furnace is non-polluting and organic and can be used as a fertilizer. It has a slight liming effect.