Kiln dried Firewood - The future ?

[arboriculturist]

The largest Firewood retailer in the UK is now advancing into their 20 years of RHI payments for Kiln Drying Firewood.

 

As their business model hinges on the Tariff, I find it hard to see how can they adapt on their scale and still compete when the RHI payments come to an end.

 

Several of those who are Kiln drying now have had to adjust their prices to fall closer in line with those who air dry.

 

I am certainly interested to hear what others see as the future of Kiln dried Firewood.

[ash_smith123]

I personally think the price of kiln dried will start dropping to around the same price as seasoned. People will start to catch onto this and more customers will start buying kiln dried which would mean if your not selling kiln dried firewood you will start to struggle in the next few years.

I think having a business model that hinges around the RHI tariff is a risky game to play. With the amount of new legislation and red tape coming in I can see most people's RHI tariff not lasting more than 5/10 years. We would have still got our kilns if the RHI wasn't about. It's more about being able to produce a consistent quality product all year around for me.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

What possible justification could there ever be for using one form of energy to speed up the CV optimisation of another form of energy?! The sun and air are free, given for the purpose so to speak. People need to slow down, not speed everything up at state expense to realise short term unsustainable energy and nonsense zero-carbon policies.

[arboriculturist]

What possible justification could there ever be for using one form of energy to speed up the CV optimisation of another form of energy?! The sun and air are free, given for the purpose so to speak. People need to slow down, not speed everything up at state expense to realise short term unsustainable energy and nonsense zero-carbon policies.

 

There is no justification, just the financial incentive, which generally drives the descision making process.

[Tom D]

In principle burning fuel just to dry other fuel is pretty daft and from en ecological point of view pretty pointless, however thats a black and white view, there will be exceptions and valid reasons for kiln drying. The advantage of kilning is you don't need as much storage, and storage is expensive, so if you are being paid to kiln through the RHI then it makes sense. From an ecological point of view it makes no sense.

[arboriculturist]

I personally think the price of kiln dried will start dropping to around the same price as seasoned. People will start to catch onto this and more customers will start buying kiln dried which would mean if your not selling kiln dried firewood you will start to struggle in the next few years.

I think having a business model that hinges around the RHI tariff is a risky game to play. With the amount of new legislation and red tape coming in I can see most people's RHI tariff not lasting more than 5/10 years. We would have still got our kilns if the RHI wasn't about. It's more about being able to produce a consistent quality product all year around for me.

 

Where we live perhaps more people can afford to care about the environment.

 

Providing they can buy quality naturally dried firewood that burns well, I cannot see them choosing to buy forced dried Firewood that requires an unnecessary carbon footprint to produce it.

 

Of course if you have invested in a Kiln, understandably you will be fighting your own corner.

 

Only time will tell:001_cool:

[ash_smith123]

I don't agree unfortunately.

I burn only my waste (I have a lot of waste that I would have to pay to get rid of) or cheap "chip wood" that if I didn't buy it would only be going to port talbot to be burnt anyway. So am I producing anymore carbon footprint than them burning it? Maybe even less because where my wood comes from they usually have to pass my yard and drive another 60/70 miles.

I'm sorry but if the people you are selling to care that much about the carbon footprint they would be putting solar panels up and not buying wood that has been cut by a big diesel machine, moved twice by a big Diesel machines, moved to your yard by a big diesel machine, cut down smaller by a petrol or electric machine, delivered to their house by a diesel van or truck.

Me burning a very small amounts of wood to dry a large amount of quality dry product is a small drop in the carbon footprint ocean!

[Johny Walker]

I don't agree unfortunately.

I burn only my waste (I have a lot of waste that I would have to pay to get rid of) or cheap "chip wood" that if I didn't buy it would only be going to port talbot to be burnt anyway. So am I producing anymore carbon footprint than them burning it? Maybe even less because where my wood comes from they usually have to pass my yard and drive another 60/70 miles.

I'm sorry but if the people you are selling to care that much about the carbon footprint they would be putting solar panels up and not buying wood that has been cut by a big diesel machine, moved twice by a big Diesel machines, moved to your yard by a big diesel machine, cut down smaller by a petrol or electric machine, delivered to their house by a diesel van or truck.

Me burning a very small amounts of wood to dry a large amount of quality dry product is a small drop in the carbon footprint ocean!

 

& how do you get yr wood to yr yard ??? magic carpet ???

[ash_smith123]

I didn't say I got my wood to the yard any other way than anyone else... ?! I was making the point that wood fuel as a whole has quite a big carbon footprint. So 1.. Me burning a small amount of wood to dry a lot of useful and quality wood fuel is a small drop in the ocean and 2...if customers are that worried about the carbon footprint of kiln dried wood they should all be driving around in electric cars charged by their solar panels... But these people usually drive around in 3L diesel range rovers so to say people won't by kiln dried firewood because of the extra "carbon footprint" it leaves is rubbish

[Johny Walker]

I didn't say I got my wood to the yard any other way than anyone else... ?! I was making the point that wood fuel as a whole has quite a big carbon footprint. So 1.. Me burning a small amount of wood to dry a lot of useful and quality wood fuel is a small drop in the ocean and 2...if customers are that worried about the carbon footprint of kiln dried wood they should all be driving around in electric cars charged by their solar panels... But these people usually drive around in 3L diesel range rovers so to say people won't by kiln dried firewood because of the extra "carbon footprint" it leaves is rubbish

 

 

i was jesting:001_tt2:

 

i understand were your coming from ,i think getting paid to dry wood to burn is a total scam ,imo