• Wood Biomass Heater

    Woodstoves may be either free standing, hearth mount or a fireplace insert. Most of the stoves sold today are noncatalytic and burn with an efficiency of around 70% (a measure of how well the stove burns, retains and distributes heat.) Emissions on woodstoves have improved with greater government regulation – currently an EPA certified woodstove must release less than 7.5 g of particulate per hour. Green Energy Systems recommends the addition of a blower which substantially improves heat distribution. A typical home would burn approximately 5 cords of seasoned hardwood in a heating season to meet most of its space-heating needs.

    Pellet Stoves burn cleaner and more efficiently than woodstoves due to the low moisture content in the fuel (primarily compressed sawdust pellets) and due to the ability to control the rate of oxygen flow in the burn pot. Although pellet stoves have the convenience of a self-feeding mechanism, the mechanical components of the stoves are prone to breaking down and requiring repair. Also, the fuel cost for pellet stoves is substantially higher than the cost of cord wood used in other wood biomass heater options. A typical home would burn approximately 6 tons of wood pellets in a heating season to meet most of its space-heating needs.

    Masonry Heaters rely on thermal mass to absorb and radiate the heat energy produced from the burning wood. The most efficient masonry heaters are constructed of soapstone which has better heat retaining and thermal conductivity properties than other stones or masonry materials. Masonry heaters burn with an extremely high efficiency of around 95% due to the design that channels the heat from the fire through a series of internal baffles that increase the absorption of heat energy into the thermal mass. Masonry heaters also burn at much higher temperatures than other wood biomass heaters resulting in a very clean, low emissions burn – around 1-to-2 g of particulate per hour. Usually one full load of wood in the fire chamber of a large masonry heater will bring the heater to peak temperature and provide a gentle radiating heat to the house for up to 24 hours. Green Energy Systems recommends masonry heaters that are designed and fabricated by proven manufactures, such as Tulikivi of Finland.

    Wood Furnaces and Boilers are loaded and fired like wood stoves with the heat output controlled by the home’s thermostat that modulates the air flow to the burn chamber. Forced-air wood furnaces are located inside the house and air traveling around the metal firebox is heated and then distributed into the home’s ductwork. Some models are dual fuel and can burn either fossil fuels or wood. Wood boilers may be located either inside the house or outdoors and heat water that is supplied to either a water-to-water or water-to-air heat exchanger to provide heat for a hydronic or forced-air heating system. Efficiency on these units is generally lower than other options with a wide range of emissions performance.