brian mitchell wrote:
David in Normandy wrote:

Ah the joys of a wood burning stove. No fuss or mess with a
gas boiler. Just set the thermostat and job done. No
messing about stacking logs, bringing them in everyday and
stacking them next to the stove, then the ongoing task of
starting the fire, topping it up and emptying ashes. That
said, watching the real fire often beats watching
television. Something satisfying about watching the flames
licking around the wood and consuming it. The occasional
highlight too when the wood bangs, spits or sparks.

Some questions for you and/or Rod, since you both use only wood. Can you
tell me how much wood you use in a year --preferably not in cords, since
I've no idea what a cord is. How many logs of what size per day, for
example, and how many days per year?

I use it not for mainheating, but for extra heating in some very large
rooms. A good fire (open)will get through about two or three large
trivets of wood in an evening. Each one is heavy, but not that heavy -
say 15-20kg,. So lets say 50kg of wood a day per large fire or stove. In
cold weather.



Or a figure in hundredweights.


Maybe a hundredweight a day. Stoves in smaller properties may do much
better.

Does
your stove run any radiators (I assume it heats water)? Can you pack the
stove and let it burn slowly for a long period, or is it a case of
feeding a log at a time?


Either. No rads on my setup.

The main reasons for asking are that I'm wondering about going over to
wood as the base fuel for heating, (some)cooking, and hot water, and
wondering about the feasibility, economic and otherwise.

Does anyone know what area of coppiced woodland it would take to be fuel
self-sufficient?


A lot. One mature beech tree has lasted me half this winter.Thats a
50year old tree..dunno how many to the acre..20 or so? so two a year
means you need 8 acres?

I'd say probably around 5-10 acres of woodland would provide..Willow is
the fastest biomass accreter, but its crap wood. Maple is probably a
decent choice here on clay.

My overall calcs on energy per square mete of land to generate any
biofuel suggests that this is not a particularly efficient way to use
sunlight/land area.

Its also a shame to waste *good* timber on burning..


However if you have the land, and don't care to use it more
efficiently,why not?

Brian Mitchell