Boilers – Traditional and Ecological

In recent years, it has become impossible to escape the noise of green technology versus fossil fuel technology. Solar collectors, solar thermal energy and wind turbines are at the top of the headlines in major projects around the world. 

However, don't forget the simple wood-burning stove and outdoor boiler chimney device. While they may not look like white wind turbines spinning at a constant speed over green hills or high-tech photovoltaic cells that generate electricity from ordinary sunlight, wood-burning stoves have several important advantages.

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In order to fairly evaluate a biomass boiler, it is important to explain how it works. Biomass boilers burn wood, which is an organic fuel (hence the label biofuel) and not a fossil fuel that comes from the ground (oil, gas, coal). Boilers burn untreated wood (such as logs, sawdust) and treated wood (most commonly wooden pallets).

The most fuel efficient are wooden pallets, which are compressed with sawdust. This wood dust is a waste product that should be disposed of in landfills. It is a by-product of carpentry, sawmill and joinery. Due to compression, pallets are heavier and require less volume or fuel to carry the same amount of heat into the boiler, but leave less waste in the burners.

Fossil fuels are usually associated with global warming and climate change. When burning fossil fuels, they emit CO2 as part of their natural chemical reactions. This gas has been trapped in fuel in underground deposits for millions of years.