Woody Biomass
Colorado communities looking for ways to reduce heating bills often consider using wood for heat. Using wood, or woody biomass, to create energy can reduce heating bills, address regional forest health issues, and help keep more dollars in the community. Wood fuel is considered “carbon-neutral.” While carbon dioxide is emitted when wood is burned, the very same amount of carbon dioxide is absorbed when the tree grows. When wood-fuel is used to offset fossil fuels such as propane and natural gas, the net effect is lower carbon emissions, allowing “carbon credits” to be sold.
Although there are many benefits to using woody biomass for heating, the wrong technology for the wrong application with wrong expectations is a recipe for negative results. The first step to a successful project is education. The information on this page is content from Where Wood Works: Strategies for Heating with Woody Biomass Find the entire document in the Publications Section of this website.
Woody Biomass Heating Systems
- Chip Systems are well-suited for large buildings and campuses. Successful projects
get their chips locally, usually within 30 miles or so. Chip-handling systems are
complex and expensive to build and operate, but the cost is offset (typically in less than ten years) by the low cost of the fuel itself.
- Pellet Systems work very well at the residential scale and are beginning to be
used in commercial buildings. In Europe, pellets are delivered in bulk to heat entire towns and they are even used as a zero-carbon substitute for coal in large electric power plants. Pellet systems are smaller have a smaller footprint than wood chip systems, but a silo must be available for storage.
- Pellets vs. Chips Comparison Table (coming soon)
- Cordwood Systems require the least amount of wood processing but do require daily manual labor. This technology is best suited for small commercial projects.
- Coordwood system overview sheet (coming soon)
- Combined Heat and Power (CHP or co-generation) – the production of
heat and electricity from wood – is very promising. Today, it works very well in large lumber mills, paper mills, and furniture factories. In the future, it may even work for smaller applications.
- Emerging Technologies are being developed by governments and industries
looking for low-carbon, low-cost energy sources. One emerging technology is gasification. The gas can be used to fire a boiler, drive an engine or turbine, and even run a fuel cell. Wood can be liquefied into liquid biofuels for transportation.
Which wood type is best for my building?
- More than 100,000 square feet:
If you have more than 100,000 square feet to heat in a moderately cold climate and you’re located near a stable supply of wood-chips, you may have a winner. If the building is a hospital, prison, or dormitory, even smaller buildings might make sense since these buildings use lots of hot water year round.
- Less than 10,000 square feet:
If you have a building less than 10,000 square feet to heat and you live in a moderately cold climate, a wood pellet solution might work for you even if you’re far from the nearest tree. And if you don’t have access to natural gas, things look even better.
- In between 10,000 and 100,000 square feet:
Buildings in the 10,000 – 100,000 square feet range are the most likely building you are planning and unfortunately the least likely for a simple off-the-shelf wood-fueled solution. But, there are some very exciting systems heading your way – and you really should consider designing your building to take advantage of them when they arrive.
How can the GEO help?
The GEO supports biomass heating projects with funding and technical expertise. Learn more about GEO's Community Biomass for Thermal Usage Program.
