With a good part of the country entering the heating season, fireplaces and wood stoves that have been inactive for months are about to be put to use again. If you're part of the green movement, it's logical to question the green value of burning wood and pellet fuel, which is made from wood waste (sawdust and shavings).
Firewood and pellet fuel qualify as a green "biofuel" in many parts of the country —especially in rural northern areas with plentiful forests. When harvested sustainably, wood is a renewable resource, and when you buy firewood from a local supplier, you're supporting the local economy. That's a lot better than buying fuel oil or natural gas sourced halfway around the world.
The grey area in this green discussion has to do with how cleanly your biofuel is burned. Burning wood the old-fashioned way, in an open fireplace, scores high on romantic ambiance but very low on energy efficiency and air quality. Wood that is wet or not properly seasoned won't burn efficiently, and will put harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. The only sure way to burn wood and pellets cleanly and efficiently is to use an EPA-certified stove or fireplace insert, and to burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.
Does this mean that you need to stop using your fireplace and invest in an EPA-certified stove? Not if you just use the fireplace occasionally, and don't depend on it to heat part of your house. But if you're interested using wood or pellets as a fuel to keep your house warm, a good-quality stove would be a smart investment. Here are a few other tips you can use to get the most out of heating with wood or pellet fuel:
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