Kiln dried Firewood - The future ?

[ash_smith123]

Ha I was like a fish on a hook then [emoji12]

[Big J]

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.

 

Wise words.

 

And I say this as some one who has very seriously looked at RHI kilns.

 

It is morally and environmentally corrupt, but it is very financially lucrative. There is never, ever a need to kiln dry firewood, but the government has created a situation where it makes financial sense to burn 1/4 of your firewood to dry the other 3/4.

 

Is it perhaps counterproductive? Does the extra demand push up the price of cord meaning cost and efficiency savings of kilning are cancelled out.

 

By the way, just because I think that the RHI scheme is daft, doesn't mean I still wouldn't consider it myself!

[arboriculturist]

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!

 

Some fair comments there, however as more of us go to bio-fuel things start to look different and utilising modern, efficient machinery large or small can actually be a positive step.

 

Whatever energy is being produced, energy in one form or another will be required in the process.

 

I think we all have to do what we can to reduce the effects on the environment.

[cornish wood burner]

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

Lots of things wrong with the system IMO. Getting paid for using wood to dry more wood rather than sun and wind is only one. We get an OTT amount for roof mounted PV and biomass RHI, neighbouring prime agricultural farmland full of PV has to be the worst though.

Bottom line is that if OTT or inappropiate payments are offered then its obviously good business sense to take them. I'm all in favour of renewables but I believe some payments have been pitched too high and some for the wrong things.

[arboriculturist]

Lots of things wrong with the system IMO. Getting paid for using wood to dry more wood rather than sun and wind is only one. We get an OTT amount for roof mounted PV and biomass RHI, neighbouring prime agricultural farmland full of PV has to be the worst though.

Bottom line is that if OTT or inappropiate payments are offered then its obviously good business sense to take them. I'm all in favour of renewables but I believe some payments have been pitched too high and some for the wrong things.

 

Here Here.

 

I think we have to be guided by our conscience, however principles cost money.

[Logsnstuff]

I don't have a problem people using kilns but I don't like the fact they tell customers its a superior product because it's been forced in 7 days to 20% instead of 8 - 12 month natural seasoning. a sub 20% log is sub 20% however it got there and will burn the same. too much deception and misleading info. I have had customers try kiln dried and they didnt like it and I also have some who don't like the idea of burning wood to dry wood so my view is there will be business for both until the rhi ends and everyone will be back on air seasoned.

[ash_smith123]

Not if you wanted to sell more than a few hundred cubic metres a year. Would be near impossible to air dry 1000+ cubic metres a year at 20% moisture. To be honest though we will all be buying in kiln dried hardwood from Europe in 10/15 years time as there will be no hardwood left in the UK to process and Stove shops/manufactures have been telling people for years that softwood is rubbish and you should only burn hardwood.

[Tom D]

I don't have a problem people using kilns but I don't like the fact they tell customers its a superior product because it's been forced in 7 days to 20% instead of 8 - 12 month natural seasoning. a sub 20% log is sub 20% however it got there and will burn the same. too much deception and misleading info. I have had customers try kiln dried and they didnt like it and I also have some who don't like the idea of burning wood to dry wood so my view is there will be business for both until the rhi ends and everyone will be back on air seasoned.

 

You're spot on there, and also I think that kiln logs are often still pretty green in the middle, so the moisture meter shows the edge is dry but not the centre, an air dried log has time for the moisture level to equalise.

[briquette_seller]

Not if you wanted to sell more than a few hundred cubic metres a year. Would be near impossible to air dry 1000+ cubic metres a year at 20% moisture. To be honest though we will all be buying in kiln dried hardwood from Europe in 10/15 years time as there will be no hardwood left in the UK to process and Stove shops/manufactures have been telling people for years that softwood is rubbish and you should only burn hardwood.

 

Its not impossible to air dry large quantities.

I have far more external space to air dry logs than dry internal storage to store kd logs.

[cornish wood burner]

Not if you wanted to sell more than a few hundred cubic metres a year. Would be near impossible to air dry 1000+ cubic metres a year at 20% moisture. To be honest though we will all be buying in kiln dried hardwood from Europe in 10/15 years time as there will be no hardwood left in the UK to process and Stove shops/manufactures have been telling people for years that softwood is rubbish and you should only burn hardwood.

 

Depends where you are surely. I dry 3000 tonnes/ year to 25% as biomass boiler fuel. 1000 cube to 20% would just need more drying time and space / stack.