The efficiency of kiln drying firewood?

[difflock]

1 hour ago, doobin said:

Lack of efficiency. If we're wasting five tons drying twenty five tons (or whatever Big J worked out), then that's five tons that has to be replaced by fossil fuels to meet total energy demand.

 

Mind you, if you go too far down the efficiency route then the logical soloution is central CHP plants in a town running on woodchip. Which they do a lot in Europe I believe.

 

Logs in the UK are a luxury product, that's all there really is to it. As for RHI- fucking criminal. There's a reason the NI government collapsed over it.

The Elephant in the room in the respect of district heating using biomass, is the incineration of household waste(plastic and paper only), a "free" high energy source, IF seperated at source.

And any waste flue gas heat used to heat glass houses to grow exotic fruit and veg that are currently imported.

Simples!

[Stere]

Why do pigs need so much heating?

 

Increases meat production/growth rate for lower feed input  or something?

 

 

Could pig sheds be better insulated  deigned with solar gain etc rather than burning wood to heat pigs which doesn't seem that enviro freindly?

[Big J]

1 hour ago, Squaredy said:

One more factor to remember.  Man made climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels not wood.  The most important factor is whether the wood fuel is sustainably sourced.  If it is then what is the problem?

 

 More of a concern is if we are burning wood from unknown sources and possibly causing deforestation.  In the UK this is unlikely but if the wood comes from overseas much more difficult to track.

 

Yes, but it's still wasteful. And you're making the assumption that our wood use is sustainable, which it isn't. We import 80% of our timber into the UK, including a lot into Sandwich for KRE. Our home grown stocks are under extreme pressure, and we don't have enough to meet demand over the next 10 years.

 

1 hour ago, doobin said:

Lack of efficiency. If we're wasting five tons drying twenty five tons (or whatever Big J worked out), then that's five tons that has to be replaced by fossil fuels to meet total energy demand.

 

Mind you, if you go too far down the efficiency route then the logical soloution is central CHP plants in a town running on woodchip. Which they do a lot in Europe I believe.

 

Logs in the UK are a luxury product, that's all there really is to it. As for RHI- fucking criminal. There's a reason the NI government collapsed over it.

 

CHP plants would be superb. Build new communities around them, with biomass grown onsite or nearby. Carbon neutral, super localised energy cycle. Ideal

[difflock]

From the brother who farms; "heat's half meat", meaning anyone with live stock will have ruefully observed how much more their animals eat when it is cold.

[Big J]

1 minute ago, Stere said:

Why do pigs need so much heating?

Increases meat production/growth rate for lower feed input  or something?

Could pig sheds be better insulated  deigned with solar gain etc rather than burning wood to heat pigs which doesn't seem that enviro freindly?

 

There is no financial incentive to conserve energy. You are only paid for energy that you generate "sustainably" as opposed to energy that you conserve.

[Stere]

Talk of pigs and CHP makes me think of the the pig  system they had in mad max film, it looked effecient  ?

 

 

A film  influenced by the 1970's oil price crisis and fears of looming energy crisis and enviromental degradation....

 

 

[Puffingbilly413]

1 hour ago, doobin said:

Logs in the UK are a luxury product, that's all there really is to it. As for RHI- fucking criminal. There's a reason the NI government collapsed over it.

I wouldn't say heating your house is a luxury.  Wood still remains the cheapest option for many, especially in rural communities.  I heat my house mostly on wood (albeit it's all arb 'waste').  There are some good case studies on using log boilers - they certainly seem to be a lot cheaper than the air source heat pump we have (a bad choice, wish I hadn't gone down this route but there you go).

 

I see nothing criminal in a scheme to incentivise people to use renewable energy sources - granted the RHI scheme is bady designed and implemented though.

[Rough Hewn]

The problem is space.
You try renting several acres of hardcore to put barns, 2000m3 etc on.
Would cost more than the wood sold.
IF we could rent space cheaply enough, no one would kiln dry.
Bang up a load of polytunnels and that's it.
All sub 20% easily.
The problem is competing with construction and other businesses, as the margins on firewood are too tight.

What really winds me up though is the amount of quality logs chipped for biomass.
Like there's not enough chip being produced???
Is just organisation and political will we are missing.
I'm off to find a brick wall...

[Woodworks]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

 

 

Logs in the UK are a luxury product, that's all there really is to it. 

I dont think thats the case for all. Sure if you have mains gas its a luxury no question but we deliver to many who are either on oil or some who have no other form of heating other than wood. In this relatively rural area I would estimate only 25% have mains gas

[gdh]

1 minute ago, Woodworks said:

I dont think thats the case for all. Sure if you have mains gas its a luxury no question but we deliver to many who are either on oil or some who have no other form of heating other than wood. In this relatively rural area I would estimate only 25% have mains gas.

It's the same for a lot of our customers, wood is their sole source of heat. RHI has done it's job with quite a few of them to and they've replaced oil boilers with wood so they rely on us to keep them going as much as an oil tanker before.