Future Firewood Demand Optimism?

[waterbuoy]

Too add further:

 

You may still require a consent to 'discharge' the water back to the river/stream as, believe it or not, some parts of the EA (and SEPA) consider that water which has been through a turbine to be trade effluent.

 

Another consideration is that at low flows they will not even permit the diversion as you would take the main watercourse below sustainable levels for aquatic ecosystems etc.  In the past the threshold used to be related to either Q95 or Q90, is the flow which would be exceeded for 5% or 10% of a typical year (c. 18 and 36 days).  This is partly why I had suggested that you try and measure the flow in the coming weeks as some rivers are already getting below Q80.

[Paul in the woods]

This is why I wanted to try something small scale to work out if it's worth jumping through the hoops. I've spoken to the EA about something else to do with the stream and quickly realised there is very little logic to their rules - if you ask you have to follow them even if there's loads of other people not following them and causing more harm.

 

On the note of low flows, I could cope with only using the power when the stream is in full flow. Even though it's still cold at night, because it's been dry we have much less need for heating. The need for heat and wet weather go hand in hand down here.

[Rob_the_Sparky]

Does not a simple weir automatically regulate the water you take?  If the main stream level drops below the height of your weir then you stop taking water.  Sounds simple to me so I'm sure the regulations will make it much more complex

[Chalgravesteve]

On 25/04/2022 at 18:42, Paul in the woods said:

This is why I wanted to try something small scale to work out if it's worth jumping through the hoops. I've spoken to the EA about something else to do with the stream and quickly realised there is very little logic to their rules - if you ask you have to follow them even if there's loads of other people not following them and causing more harm.

 

On the note of low flows, I could cope with only using the power when the stream is in full flow. Even though it's still cold at night, because it's been dry we have much less need for heating. The need for heat and wet weather go hand in hand down here.

Correct about no logic to their rules. Years ago, we needed to abstract more than 20m3 per day and the EA said we couldn't and we should build a reservoir into which we could abstract 20m3 per day every day and then use that water at whatever rate we wanted to once it was retained in the reservoir. We took that advice and submitted a planning application. The first people to object to the application were the EA!! Got there in the end though. 

[Billhook]

On 09/09/2021 at 10:29, Billhook said:

Not like a farmer to be optimistic but perhaps with the current hike in gas and electricity prices, coupled with the net zero initiative and the move to all electric cars, people may find it hard to pay the increases to keep warm.  Keeping warm is the greatest cost.

I see they had to fire up a coal power plant recently as the wind power had faded. Gas being phased out and the electric demand will no doubt cause power cuts

what d’y’all think?

About ten months since I started this thread and a lot has changed.  This Winter will soon be upon us and with our "Just in Time" society at risk of breaking down in a few days due to supply problems, preparation is everything.. While I am optimistic about the importance of firewood, I have my natural farmer's pessimism about food and water in the near future not forgetting fuel to power agriculture.

Societies break down very quickly with shortages, look at Sri Lanka, Ghana and Holland with many others on the brink.

[Billhook]

Making more from less.  I think he is on the right track but making hard work of it.  I was keen to do something similar with my Urban branch logger which has a bagging attachment to make life easier.  We use the branch logging all the time for kindling and they work on BBQs as well.  I have enough to be going on with so going out and finding a labelling company and marketing is not  my thing but surely an idea for those starting off with a limited supply of firewood and equipment

 

[neiln]

Those scrounging wood have been busier and there seem to be more doing it, I hope that translates to more demand for bought wood too.  Gas and electricity price rises expected too be very large again when the October rise comes. I worked out people having come off deals and onto the massively increased cap will be seeing a tripling of costs in a12 month period.  Heating oil I don't know exactly but assume is well up too.

 

If I was supplying wood I think my price would be set considerately higher than last year, double maybe.

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, neiln said:

Gas and electricity price rises expected too be very large again when the October rise comes

...and again in Jan 23 it seems. 44p/kWh predicted for electricity and 14p for gas. It will have a minimal effect on me as my electricity bill will still be around £200+ standing charges and gas is only used for hot water but at these prices solar PV  and a battery is a no brainer if you have an unshaded southish facing roof.

[GarethM]

It's certainly getting pretty scary, especially when you look abroad to see where things are heading energy shortage wise.

 

Personally I think most of the developed world has no option but to backtrack on all the green whitewashing shenanigans and start going back to nuclear and maybe start thinking about using those wind turbines when it's too windy and excess solar for possibly heat storage or at the very least hydrogen production.

[sandspider]

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

...and again in Jan 23 it seems. 44p/kWh predicted for electricity and 14p for gas. It will have a minimal effect on me as my electricity bill will still be around £200+ standing charges and gas is only used for hot water but at these prices solar PV  and a battery is a no brainer if you have an unshaded southish facing roof.

 

Unfortunately, prices for solar panels and batteries have gone up a lot since pre pandemic, and all the decent installers are booked up for months. Still tempting though.

Hope I've got enough wood for this winter anyway.