The Oil Drum

134 comments on Home Heating in the USA: A Comparison of Forests with Fossil Fuels

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Nate Hagens on December 14, 2007 - 8:33pm

I'll check it out - though wood burning, unless done by a city, like Burlington, can only be done by a small % of population that don't live in concentrated areas. Id have to do a study on that but clearly everyone in Boston and NYC cant use those woodstoves. But people who do burn wood would benefit from the newer technologies for sure - my fireplace is probably only 20-25% efficient (Im serious). On the to-do list for next year.

Thanks for the link - I'll try and incorporate that in next iteration, though I expect to be working on the demand side for the next good while (except for some almost finished EROI stuff)

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Kilted on December 16, 2007 - 3:33am

Nate,

When asked about wood burning I first ask how much sweat are they willing to put in. Do they want a fire to look at or to keep warm with.

Then my recommendations are:

* Gas fireplace insert, or zero clearance FP install.

* Wood pellets if they have the storage.

That takes care of 98% of the people who ask.

* Then cordwood and what type of stove.
In the last few years I have been getting my firewood from the local "suburban" forrest. There are many mature trees being removed and storm damage trees that would just go for waste that can be used for cordwood. This last season the local arborist would drop off a tree about every three weeks. These were only good clean burning trees. Very nice! I could not store all he had.

IF you live in New England here is a new product that is taking off like "wild fire": http://www.biopellet.net/

These are "BioBricks" basicly wood pellets for a cordwood stove. They are suppose to be much better than the usual compressed logs.

And winter time smoke pollution has become a seriuos issue. If you follow the links back on my previous post you will see what Canada is doing. Since I live in the suburbs I try to make as little smoke as possible.

Since I converted my fireplace to woodstove insert I would never have another fireplace. If building a house I would use a freestanding woodstove. Go to the woodheat.org site or hearth.com there are number of papers there, some talk about fireplace efficiency, depending upon construction a fireplace can be a net heat LOSS.

-- Brandy