Some facts about the wood pellet industry:
INDUSTRY: There are about 80 mills in North America that produce at least 1 million tons of wood pellets per year. Pellets are made of recycled wood waste such as sawdust or beetle-killed trees.
CONSUMERS: From 800,000 to 1 million homes use pellet heating systems. A typical household uses two to three tons of pellets during a heating season at a ballpark cost of $250 a ton. Pellets are sold in 40-pound bags at a variety of retail stores.
TAX BREAK POTENTIAL: The industry is working to convince Congress to give homeowners a $300 tax credit for installing a stove, furnace or fireplace insert that burns pellets.
EFFICIENCY: In a comparison chart on its Web site, the Pellet Fuels Institute estimates the cost per million BTUs at $17.15 for pellets, $19.39 for natural gas, $29.31 for electricity, $30.29 for fuel oil and $10.89 for coal based on national averages.
COST: The general rule of thumb is that two to three tons of pellets are needed for a heating season. At about $250 a ton, it will cost a consumer around $750 a year, depending on the size of the home, the amount of heat desired and other factors, Kaiser said.
—————
Source: Pellet Fuels Institute
———
On the Net:
