You’ve sold me on using renewable energy to heat my home, but how do I go about choosing the right appliance for my home?

Since we were kids the statement “mine is better than yours” has caused many a fight and black eyes. Marketing hype and sales people bent on getting you to buy “their product” has sent your mind spinning. Just how do you select the “right” appliance?  Are all corn stoves created equal?

Research is the answer.

Today, manufacturers like American Energy Systems, have informative web sites http://magnumheat.com that carefully explain each product’s features so that you can choose just the right one for your heating needs. Some companies in the market have appliances that only burn one type of fuel. This can be a challenge when that fuel is in short supply and the price to get it goes through the roof.

The best advice is to choose an appliance like the MagnuM or Country Flame product line that offers multi-fuel capabilities. Then you can choose the fuel that is suitable for your area, availability, and of course,  your pocketbook.

Picking an appliance that is designed for one fuel and burning another can lead to problems that are not going to make you happy. When looking for an appliance make sure that the company has been building the product for a long time, and it has a positive track record. Choosing the right application for your needs will result in many years of affordable, renewable energy for your family.

  photo credit: eirikso

Many people are excited about the prospect of saving money and burning corn for heat, but have questions about how alternative heat and fuel accessibility works for people in larger cities. After all, they don’t necessarily have corn fields in their backyards like many mid-westerners.

So how do you access and/or buy corn if you live in an urban area and want to use a corn stove?

Corn and other Bio-Mass/Agri-Fuels have been distributed world wide for many years. The industry today is providing several alternatives for getting the fuel of choice right to your home or local distribution centers. Bulk delivery, bagged fuel, and personalized service are part of the package when purchasing a corn stove these days.

American Energy Systems was instrumental in putting a corn silo in downtown Tacoma Park, Maryland in full view of the White House to show that fuel can be supplied anywhere people want to conserve energy.

There was a great blog post written a while back in support of corn stoves, alternative energy, the corn silo project in Tacoma Park, and American Energy Systems by Mike Tidwell. You can read his article here, called “Maryland’s First 90% Renewable-Energy Home; The story of how one Takoma Park family is fighting global warming on a budget, and how you can do it too”

Here’s a quick video tutorial in helping you decide if heating with renewable energy is right for you and your home: