Domestic heating accounts for a large
proportion of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Heating with wood
fuel is one of a raft of solutions which can reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Compared to heating with fossil fuels or heating with non
renewable electricity wood fuel is a clear winner. Compare the
emissions figure for non renewable electricity which is 0.46 kg CO2 /
kWh, mains gas at 0.216, with the figure for wood fuel which is less
than 0.00612 kg CO2 / kWh.
These emissions are down to the
processing and transport of the fuel. Trees need to be felled and
cut, logs need to be split and everything needs to be transported
from forest to stove. This is all usually done using energy from
fossil fuels, either diesel, petrol, or electricity, and this is why
there are any emissions at all.
The forestry commission is working on
increasing production of wood fuel and aim to bring 2 million tonnes
to the market yearly by 2020. Wood is not a viable heating option for
everyone in the country as there is simply not enough, but wood
heating is a viable option for many. This is especially the case if
we all were to have well insulated houses that require only minimal
heating. This is not because heating with wood is limited to low
outputs, that is not the case at all, but it is always better to use
the least resources possible. Switching to a low carbon heating
source is all very well, but if your house is not well insulated you
will just be wasting time and resources.
So what are your wood heating options?
For a start forget about fireplaces.
Fireplaces are very inefficient and require huge amounts of air which
is generally drawn from outside (where it is cold) into your house
(which you are trying to heat). A stove is the way to go and there
are various types available.
1 - Wood burning stoves
There are many wood burning stoves on
the market many of which can come with backboilers to provide hot
water and heating. It is relatively easy to plumb such a stove in to
your existing heating system as long as you have a vented system.
This is where a decent heat accumulator tank comes into it's own. A
heat accumulator tank lets you store the heat from your wood stove
and use it when you want to. It also allows you to combine heat
sources such as a wood stove with a backboiler as and solar – this
is a popular combination.
Wood stoves generally look good and are
something which adds a valued feature to your home as well as
lowering your carbon emissions. There are many styles available and
prices range from around £300 to £1500. You have to bear
in mind that the materials and installation can often cost as much if
not more than the stove itself, so budget for around £1000 to
£3000 for everything.
Modern wood stoves tend to be
cleanburning which means that a secondary or even tertiary supply of
air is introduced to the firebox. This allows unburnt gases to burn
giving more complete combustion. This increases the efficiency of the
stove.
Most stoves also have airwash which is
where air is passed over the window of the stove to keep it clear of
deposits and tar build up.
It is always a good idea to ask an
expert in the field for advice on which stove would best suit your
needs. You can find (and leave) independent uk stove reviews on
http://www.whatstove.co.uk
A lot of help, advice and useful
information is available free from us (Stovesonline) here:
http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_help_and_advice.html
We also carry a searchable national database of firewood, and wood pellet suppliers.
If you want a heat accumulator tank
then it is worth contacting Dedicated Pressure Systems –
http://www.heatweb.com.
2 – Gasification boilers
These are not really pretty and would
normally sit in a utility room or garage. These boilers are large and
are more automated than a wood stove. A gasification boiler would
normally work in conjunction with a heat accumulator tank, storing
the heat from the wood for later use. Often wood chips can be burnt
which are very cheap compared to other fuels, but have a high
moisture content making them unsuited to burning on wood stoves (plus
the chips do not tend to burn well on a wood stove anyway even if
they were dry).
Some have the option of connection to a
large fuel store which then auger feeds fuel into the stove to give
you very automated burning.
Gasification boilers are relatively
expensive starting at roughly £4000 - £10,000 +.
Dunster Woodfuels are a provider of
gasification boilers in the South West -
http://www.dunsterwoodfuels.co.uk
3 – Pellet stoves
Quite a recent technology in the UK,
pellet stoves are much more like gas boilers. You can set them to
come on or off and most feed themselves pellets as needed from a fuel
hopper. Because the technology is recent make sure that you can get
technical backup, spares, and that there are trained technicians
available before going ahead with a pellet stove. That said they can
be a very convenient way to heat your house with wood fuel,
especially if you are not inclined to be filling a wood stove up with
wood all the time.
Pellet stoves are a little more
expensive than wood stoves and the price ranges are around £1500
to £4000 and upwards depending on the size of stove.
Stoves in smoke control areas
Most towns are smoke control areas. If
you do decide to switch to wood heating make sure that you do not
live in a smoke control area by visiting this website:
http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk
If you do live in a smoke control area
then there are a variety of stoves available which are approved for
wood burning in smokeless zones, notably the Dunsley Yorkshire which
is one of the only wood stoves with a large backboiler that is
approved. More of these stoves are listed on this website:
http://www.smokecontrolareas.co.uk
and there is also an Ecotivity article
to be found here:
http://www.ecotivity.com/wood-burning-stoves-in-smokeless-zones
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