Is switch grass a viable solution to our energy problems? Some say that it is.What is switch grass?

• Switch grass is the grass the the buffaloes used to feed on in great prairies of the plain states.
• It is a very hardy grass that can grow up to 10 feet tall with stalks the size and strength of a pencil.
• They have a very fast growing period and can be harvested annually or semi-annually with standard farming equipment using current farming techniques.
• Its long deep roots require little watering and almost no additional fertilizer.
• Switch grass gets its nutrients from the sun and it uses CO2 from the atmosphere.

How can it be used?

• Switch grass can be used as feedstock for the production of ethanol in either liquefied or gasified states.
• The left over parts of the process can be turned into pellets for heating and/or electricity production.
• Switch grass can produce up to 15 tons dry biomass per year per acre. This will yield 1,150 gallons per year per acre.

What are the benefits?

Switch grass seems to be a superior solution to its nearest competitor corn because

• It produces 540% more energy than needed to harvest (University of Nebraska Lincoln study)
• It is 81%-87% efficient in use as a heating pellet.
• Can be used well as a buffer between other crops or on the banks of streams, rivers, or aqueducts. The roots clean the groundwater of particulates, pesticide, and fertilizer run off.

Is it really viable?

According to How Stuff Works (http://www.howstuffworks.com/question417.htm) the US consumes about 400 Million gallons a gas a day or 146,000,000,000 gallons a year. At maximum yield according to Auburn University an acre of switch grass can produce about 15 tons dry biomass. Processed into ethanol this can produce 1,150 gallons of gas.

According to REAP Canada (http://www.reap-canada.com/bio_and_climate_3_2.htm) the US has 932,000,000 acres of farmland. Their calculations show the US can stand to devote 150,000,000 acres of farmland to biofuel crop production. A little Algebra and:

150,000,000*1150=172,5000,000,000

that is 172,500,000,000 gallons of ethanol, about (172,500,000,000-146,000,000,000)

2,650,000,000 gallons of extra gas.

Then on top of that the waste product can be burnt for heat or electricity. Since the grass is self seeding energy does not have to be spent for replanting for the next growing season.

Why wouldn’t we use it?

Tags: Green //