| Many individuals question whether burning wood in | | | | container and presents no fire hazard. |
| an outdoor wood furnace is a good green energy | | | | The best reason to use wood is that it is |
| solution or contributing to global warming. Well the | | | | renewable. We as human beings are getting a little |
| answer is not that simple .... it depends! As with all | | | | smarter. We do know that trees can be replanted |
| things in life the answer can be muddled in the | | | | and many more jurisdictions are moving towards |
| execution. If an outdoor wood furnace is designed | | | | sustainable harvesting and silviculture methods |
| and installed intelligently then it is a great, GREEN | | | | that guarantee that we are not removing more |
| heating option. If not, then it may get you | | | | wood from the earth than we are growing. That |
| ejected from the neighbourhood. How does one | | | | can't be said of many of the other fuel options: oil, |
| know? | | | | coal or nuclear. |
| First maybe lets look at all the reasons why wood | | | | But the story gets better. Every tree is about |
| itself may be a good fuel source. In my case it is | | | | 50% carbon. Where does that come from? As |
| a no brainer. I have a wood business that | | | | the tree grows, it breathes in all the pollutants |
| generates large volumes of waste in the form of | | | | that you and I persist in dumping into the |
| very thin and very long strips of wood. Disposal is | | | | atmosphere, and the tree is smart enough to |
| always an issue. Thus, an outdoor wood furnace | | | | convert the carbon in the carbon dioxide and |
| looks attractive. | | | | carbon monoxide into tree mater. The tree acts |
| Some have suggested cutting it up and bagging it | | | | like a pollution repository. |
| for campgrounds as a source of fire starter, but | | | | Taking that tree and converting it to a desk |
| the cost of handling is higher than what the | | | | would lock in the pollution and be the best answer, |
| campgrounds are interested in paying. | | | | but in the worse case scenario even if we burn all |
| Stacking it in one large pile and having an annual | | | | this wood in an outdoor wood furnace, it still |
| bonfire certainly appeals to the guests and | | | | would not give up more carbon that what it |
| creates a wonderful social environment, but as | | | | originally absorbed as the tree grew to maturity. |
| municipalities tighten up on open burning | | | | Thus although using outdoor wood burning |
| regulations, for good reason, this option is rarely | | | | furnaces is not the perfect answer, it certainly |
| available... at least not that size. Thus considering | | | | does not add more carbon based pollution to the |
| outdoor wood burning furnaces as a method of | | | | environment than what would have existed if the |
| disposal, if for no other reason, is not a bad plan... | | | | tree had never been born. That can't be said of |
| and if it saves on the heating bill and offsets oil | | | | oil, coal or nuclear. Wood is carbon neutral! |
| consumption it is even better. | | | | The question then becomes how wood burning |
| Likewise if you have access to local firewood | | | | can be efficient in outdoor furnaces to minimize |
| using that as a fuel source helps to clear the | | | | toxic exhaust. That is a story on its own including |
| forest of very low grade fibre and make room | | | | a larger discussion on intelligent furnace design, |
| for better quality trees. In fact using wood as a | | | | what metal to use for good thermal transfer, an |
| heating fuel is endorsed by the U.S. Forestry | | | | article on water-antifreeze considerations for your |
| Service especially when you use an outdoor wood | | | | hot water boiler.. and many more design |
| furnace that contains the fire in an all metal | | | | paramaters covered on our website. |