Carbon Cycle
When trees grow they take carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air. When wood is burnt, this CO2 is returned to the atmosphere. The amount of CO2 released during combustion is the same as the amount released by normal rotting and decay in forests and woods. Heating with biomass wood fuels is therefore heating the natural, environment-friendly way.
Fuel costs are another important factor in the choice of fuel, although this question cannot be covered here because of possible price fluctuations. The ash content of the material and the resulting variations in cleaning intervals should also be considered, as well as emissions during combustion.
The following table shows a comparison of selected fuels based on heating value:
Wood Chip
Wood chip is a fuel which is locally produced, carbon neutral, unaffected by the volatility of fossile fuels, and environmentally friendly. The production of wood chips also provides local jobs. That is why wood chips are the perfect fuel, not just from an economic but also from an ecological perspective.
Residue wood in the form of branches, treetops and sawmill left overs are chipped with the use of precission chippers such as the Starchl range of chippers.
Depending on the wood required, there are various quality classes.
G30 Fine wood chips 1 – 3 cm
G50 Medium wood chips 3 – 5 cm
G100 Coarse wood chips 5 – 10 cm
Wood Chip Classes
Wood chips are divided into 3 sizes. Using fine woodchips guarantees short runtimes for the feed augers and better venting, reducing the risk of faults.
Water Content
The water content plays an important role in determining the quality of the wood chips. The higher the water content of the wood, the lower the calorific value.
Wood Chip Conversion Factors
The usual units of measurement in the forestry and timber business are solid cubic metres for round timber and stacked cubic metres for stacked wood.
For wood chips, the term cubic metre loose material is used. The conversion factors are based on softwood wood chips of size G30 and water content W30.
Wood Pellets
The convenient fuel for user-friendly, environmentally-friendly heating. Pellets have a high energy density and are easy to deliver and store. These are just some of the advantages that make pellets the perfect fuel for fully automatic heating systems. Wood pellets are 100% wood and are made by compressing dry, natural wood waste into cylindrical pellets with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of between 5 to 30 mm. They are sold by weight and 1 m³ of pellets weighs about 650 kg.
Pellets are delivered by tanker, which unloads the pellets directly into your wood store. When you buy pellets you should pay particular attention to the quality offered. Only use pellets from an approved manufacturer certified to the latest standards. This is your guarantee of pellet quality.