Corn Burning Stove Facts
Pellet stoves, including their corn stove counterparts, are the most efficient solid-fuel burning home heating appliances on the market. A corn burning stove, or corn pellet stove, is quite similar to a wood pellet stove but with one major distinction: while wood pellet stoves burn small, compressed dried wood pellets, a corn pellet stove burns dried corn kernels. Does this Spark an idea?
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Popularity
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Corn pellet stoves are becoming more commonplace in the United States, according to the Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living. In 2006, there were more than 150,000 corn burning stoves in the nation, or nearly double the amount of stoves the previous year. As of 2009, more than 800,000 various pellet-burning stoves are used to heat American homes. One reason for the popularity is the fuel cost; the price of the stove will initially run you between $1,600 to $3,000, but in the long run, corn kernels are cheaper than traditional oil, gasoline or propane heating fuel.
Energy Efficiency
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Compared to traditional wood stoves and fireplaces, corn pellet stoves have higher combustion and heating efficiency, produce less pollution, and burn more cleanly than any other heating appliance, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Corn pellet stoves have a combustion efficiency of 78 to 85 percent, which makes them exempt from EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency emission standards. With an 8,000 to 90,000 BTU, or British Thermal Unit heating output, corn pellet stoves can heat any room of a residential home.
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Installation and Use
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Unlike fireplaces or wood stoves, corn pellet stoves do not require chimneys, but they do need outdoor ventilation through a four-inch pipe. A corn pellet stove runs on electricity and many models come with wall-mounted thermostats and augers to help control the heat output. Other components include a corn kernel hopper to store your fuel and automatic fire-ignite switches for safety. Corn pellet stoves are clean-burners, but they do require regular cleaning for optimal use, and will demand more cleaning than a wood pellet stove.
Corn-Burning Kickbacks
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In addition to being eco-friendly and energy efficient, corn pellet stoves may also qualify you for a Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit, according to the EPA. Initiated in 2010, the tax credit was extended through 2011 and awards a $300 credit if you purchase any qualified biomass-burning stove between Jan. 1, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2011. To qualify, your corn pellet stove must meet a 75 percent energy efficiency rating. For a link to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Energy website, or DSIRE, see Resources.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Corn image by DSL from Fotolia.com
