Switchgrass  
   
  amount  units   comments 
   
                            18  Gj/tonne   claim(1) 
*           1,000,000,000  Giga   conversion 
/                       3,600  j/wh   conversion 
=                 5,000,000  wh/tonne   
/                       1,000  kwh/wh   conversion 
*                           10  tonne/ha    claim (1) (2) 
=                     50,000  kwh/ha/yr   net energy captured by switchgrass 
*                       3,413  btu/kwh   
/                 5,800,000  btu/barrel   
=                           29  barrels equivalent/ha 
   
   Compare   
   
est.                         4.00  kwh/m2/day   approximate sunlight to ground 
*                     10,000  m2/ha   conversion 
*                          365  days/yr   conversion 
=                14,600,000  kwh/ha/yr   total sunlight 
* 0.33%  24 hr efficiency of photosynthesis 
=                     48,180  kwh/ha/yr   net energy captured by photosynthesis 
   
  4%  difference 
   
   Sanity Check   
   
   
                  5,000,000  wh/tonne   see above 
/                       3.413  btu/wh   conversion 
=                17,065,000  btu/tonne   
                        1,000  kg/tonne   conversion 
                      17,065  btu/kg   
                           2.2  lb/kg   conversion 
                        7,757  btu/lb   
   
est.                       8,000  btu/lb   approximate energy content of wood 
   
  -3%  difference 
   
  Potential using all cultivated land  
   
  In terawatts  
   
 est.               150,000,000  hectares   Cultivated Land USA 
 *                      50,000  kwh/ha/yr   net energy captured by switchgrass 
 /            1,000,000,000  twh/kwh   
 =                        7,500  twh/yr   
 /                        8,760  hrs/year   
 =                          0.86  tw equivalent 
   
  In barrels of oil equivalent  
   
 est.               150,000,000  hectares   
 *                            29  barrels equivalent/ha 
 /            1,000,000,000  barrels/billion barrels 
 =                          4.41  billion barrels equivalent 
   
       
1 McLaughlin, S., J. Bouton, D. Bransby, B. Conger, W. Ocumpaugh, D. Parrish, C. Taliaferro, K. Vogel, and S. Wullschleger. 1999. Developing switchgrass as a bioenergy crop. p. 282–299. In: J. Janick (ed.),  Perspectives on new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA. 
   
2  +200 kg of N/ha