Modern woodstoves 95 percent more efficient than their predecessors

Washington, July 15 (ANI): In a case study, a scientist has found that modern woodstoves, with the advanced secondary combustion systems, are now 95 percent more efficient than their predecessors.

The case study on the benefits of woodstoves, was done by Dr. Paul Grogan, a plant and ecosystem ecologist and Canadian Research Chair (II) at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, with the help of final-year undergraduate and first year graduate students.

He determined that adding a woodstove to the home can help both consumers heating costs as well as the environment.

The environmental sustainability of woodstove use is dependent upon the consumption of wood from sustainably managed woodlots, as the carbon released is reused as the next generation of trees grows.

Annual gross CO2 emissions did in fact increase from 12,610 kg (i.e., 2.5 metric tons CO2/person per year) to 17,330 kg after the installation of the wood stove.

But, while this gross amount did increase, the net carbon released by the combustion is negligible, the only surplus coming from the harvest and transport.

Based on an average growing time of 130 years before harvest for local Ontario tree species, a woodlot or forest 3.5 hectares in size would provide an indefinite supply of wood heat for a household without a net increase in carbon emissions.

In the case study, adding a woodstove to the ground floor of a 3200-ft2 home reduced the mean annual gas cost by 60 percent; from 2260 dollars to 880 dollars.

The annual cost of the wood fuel for the woodstove amounted to 1330 dollars for 5 full cords (a cord is 8 feet long by 4 feet high by 4 feet wide - 128 ft3).

This was a yearly savings of 50 dollars at market fossil fuel prices of 2005-2007 without taking into account rising fossil fuel prices or the impending carbon tax.

Should these variables come into play, Dr. Grogan estimated that the domestic heating costs would be reduced by 25 percent.

This translates into a potential savings of 920 dollars in the first 3 years. (ANI)