As winter approaches, many home and business owners are thinking about their heating costs that are forthcoming and how they could lower them. Heating your home or business can get very pricey, but it does not have to be that way. Before you decide to freeze your family or your employees until the last possible moment, consider your options. Many people fail to realize the savings and efficiency they could gain by choosing wood for their heating needs. When using wood heating, you want the unit to achieve wood gasification so that no resource is wasted. This process not only saves you money, but also is good for the environment.
Benefits of Heating with Wood
When you think of heating with wood it may seem a bit archaic because as more fuel sources have been discovered many have turned their backs on basic energy options. This is a mistake because there are many benefits to using a wood-burning furnace or wood boiler for your home or business (even large industrial spaces), including:
– Lower emissions
– Prevents creosote buildup
– Minimal ash output
– Up to a $1,500 energy tax credit through the EPA
– Renewable fuel
Despite being one of the oldest fuel sources known to man, wood is a very viable option for your heating needs and will save you money in the long run.
How It Works
The basic idea behind gasification is that when the wood burns it releases gases into the lower chamber of the furnace. These gases, in traditional furnaces, are not converted into usable energy but are instead left to dissipate. With gasification, the lower chamber heats up these gases to temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows the gases to ignite and burn. They are then released through tubes that in turn heat the water of the furnace, making the energy effort two-fold with both the wood and the gases it releases working as an energy source. By the time the gases escape through the chimney, they have cooled to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and have very little emissions.
The highly efficient combustion that occurs in this process not only doubles the effectiveness of the unit but can also reduce emissions by upwards of 90 percent, making a very green choice for heating your home or business. If you are looking to save money, lessen your environmental footprint, and have an efficient source of heating energy for your house or your company’s space, consider the options available to you that utilize wood gasification.
Patrick Whalen is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @2patwhalen.