Warmth from Wood There Is a Growing Need to Become More Self-Sufficient in the Way We Produce Energy and Fuel
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A guide to using wood for fuel Warmth from wood There is a growing need to become more self-sufficient in the way we produce energy and fuel. Cumbria has rich supplies of wood – a natural fuel. It makes sense to take advantage of it. 2 Wood burning in Cumbria There has never been a better time to discover the benefits of burning wood for heat. Modern wood burning stoves and boilers offer an affordable and attractive way to heat your home, office or business and, as wood is a renewable source of energy, you are doing your bit towards fighting climate change and helping woodlands across Cumbria to thrive and adapt into the future. Burning wood grown and harvested in Cumbria has huge benefits. Cutting down trees may not seem like the most sensible way to create thriving woodlands but doing just this manages the woodlands, allowing younger trees to be planted and existing trees and habitats to be looked after. The latest research into climate change suggests that the best way to protect the forests we have is to manage them, so there is a diverse range of species and ages. Less than half of Cumbria’s woodlands are managed, the rest are fallow. Burning wood creates a much larger market for woodland owners to sell their trees and timber and in turn manage more woodlands. 3 A renewable energy source We are using too much energy, especially non-renewable This not only protects habitats and our wonderful landscape, fossil fuels like gas, coal and oil. These fuels release it also means that any carbon dioxide released when wood carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change, is burnt is captured by the next generation of trees as and are often sourced from politically volatile countries. they grow. This process is described as ‘carbon lean’ We are already seeing fuel scarcity in many parts of the as the growing and burning of the wood is in balance, world as fossil fuel resources dwindle. This is leading releasing and then capturing the carbon as the woods grow, to rising fuel costs and a growing need to become more but a small amount of fossil fuel is used to harvest and self-sufficient in the way we produce energy and fuel. transport timber. Forests and woodlands can help the people of Cumbria to Wood can be a more affordable heating option than oil, become more self-sufficient in energy production and help electricity or LPG. Recent increases in energy prices make tackle the threat of climate change at the same time. The wood even more attractive. woodlands of Cumbria are protected by laws which ensure that when trees are felled they are replanted. So, when you buy logs or wood chips from Cumbria you can be sure that the woodlands will grow again. 4 In this booklet This booklet provides all the information you need to make informed choices about burning wood. The case studies illustrate a range of options for domestic wood fuel to help you decide which is the best for you. Log stoves and boilers are the cheapest but require the most work, having to be fed manually. Chip systems can be automated and work well for larger houses, although installation costs tend to be higher than for either logs or pellets. Pellet stoves work well, can easily be automated and take up less space, but as pellets are not yet produced in Cumbria, this could be an expensive and less environmentally sound option. The reference section outlines all the details you may need to know – from the types of fuel available and where to buy wood to the legal considerations you need to be aware of. 5 Morso Swan Stove Space Heater Wood burning stove Living a lower carbon lifestyle and tapping into renewable resources were the main reasons why Sara, Neville and Finn decided on a wood burning stove. Since installing it in 2002, it has become the centrepiece of the room. They had previously looked at a number of stoves and had spoken to staff in shops for advice. As it was to take pride of place in the living room the look of the stove was key and the Morso Swan space heater, with its multi fuel grate and Swedish design, was chosen primarily because of its aesthetics. Although a multi fuel device, they have decided to burn only wood. “We used hardwood at first but softwood has since become easier and cheaper to source. The only thing is that you need to make sure the wood is well seasoned, and also don’t be afraid to burn conifer.” Sara and Neville buy local timber, which they store at the house before preparing and burning it. “There is a bit of work preparing the fuel,” Neville said, “but that’s all part of the enjoyment. We would certainly recommend a wood burner and are currently looking into other wood based heating options, such as a range.” The Morso Swan Stove has two sliding drafts to manually control air flow. A stove pipe thermometer has been added to ensure it burns with plenty of air to get the stove hot and maximise its efficiency. This also reduces the amount of soot and tar build up in the stove. The owners are incredibly happy with their Morso Swan Stove: “We rarely use the radiator in the living room now and normally the door to the living room is left open so the heat can circulate in the hall and bedrooms.” Image: Sara and Finn enjoy the fireside glow 6 “ We would definitely do House type : Victorian mid terrace of it again and it’s better sandstone construction. Location : Cockermouth to watch than the TV.” Floors : Three Receptions : Two Bedrooms : Four* Windows : Ten** Radiators : Nine Insulation : No insulation in the walls, though the loft space has 12” of rockwool and the living room has under floor insulation. * One of which is an attic room. ** Three are double glazed, the rest are draughty sash windows. There are also three Velux windows and two exterior doors. The details Name of boiler Morso Swan Space Heater Fuel type Wood Cost of unit/installation The stove and flue pipe totalled £800 (installation was undertaken by the owners at minimal additional cost) Heat output 7 kWh Fuel usage per week 0.3 cubic metres Fuel usage per year 5 cubic metres of seasoned softwood per year Cost of fuel per year £225, depending on wood used 7 Charnwood SLX45 Woodburning stove with backboiler linked to solar thermal Night storage heaters and an open fire originally In order to link the solid fuel boiler with the oil boiler, the heated Mealohill Cottage, but in 2002 conventional owners bought an electronically controlled link up called central heating with radiators plus an oil boiler and hot an H2 Panel. The panel allows independent and combined water tank were installed. The owners, Graeme and working of the boilers, sending pre-heated water to the oil Sarah, then decided to remove the open fire and replace boiler when the room or hot water is not up to temperature, it with a stove that could link to the existing oil boiler. and the ability to switch off the boiler when satisfactory temperatures are reached. Deciding on which stove to settle for proved to be quite Though the Charnwood stove hasn’t completely replaced a lengthy task, the main reason being the fact that many the oil boiler, the owners are happy with its performance. other stove owners and suppliers were not in the same “In the winter, we have the oil boiler timed to come on situation. “We spoke to people that had room heaters for an hour in the morning and an hour early evening. The without back boilers so it was a bit hit and miss,” Graeme remainder of the time, the stove takes over.” explained. “Mostly we relied on searching the Internet. In fact, the only advice for linking both the solid fuel boiler and In 2008, the Mealohill Cottage roof had solar panels the oil boiler was obtained from the Internet. The Solid Fuel fitted to provide hot water during the summer months. Association produces a leaflet called ‘Link Up’ which was “On the rare occasions that we had sunshine in 2008,” also very helpful.” Graeme laughed, “the panel seemed to work. However, I think we will reserve judgement for another year.” Graeme and Sarah were attracted to the Charnwood stove because of its output, which turned out to be greater than they needed for their heat requirement. Its adjustable multi fuel grate and contemporary design also swung it and its adjustable draft is thermostatically controlled via a bimetallic strip – simple to use but effective. The owners are in the fortunate position of being able to source logs very cheaply, only having to pay for the cost “ We linked our stove of converting and transporting them. They use a mixture of hardwood and softwood and leave it to season, usually to a boiler and fitted for eight to twelve months, before use. Occasionally they burn anthracite alongside the wood. “There is quite a lot of solar panels.” manual work, but at the moment we are happy to do that,” acknowledged Graeme. Image: Graeme enjoying his Charnwood stove 8 Mealohill Cottage House type : Semi-detached house of sandstone and cobble construction. Location : Near Wigton, Cumbria Floors : Two Receptions : One: large and open plan Bedrooms : Three Windows : Nine* Radiators : Seven** Insulation : No insulation in walls; two layers of rock wool insulation in the loft space.