Heating with Wood

Using wood to heat your home has many advantages compared to other heating sources. It is renewable, locally sourced in most areas, inexpensive, and safe to store and transport. When comparing different sources, it is important to think about what is being heated. An important question to consider is, can you reduce the heat needed to warm the building? The less fuel used, of any kind, the more savings you get in return.

When used properly, wood can be a very efficient fuel source. Like any fuel, wood has its drawbacks, primary among them being concerns about emissions. The key to making the most of heating with wood is proper harvesting, storage, burn and equipment maintenance practices, and making sure you’re using the cleanest-burning technology available. The main concern with wood combustion is particulate matter and carbon monoxide. These can be serious health hazards, but modern, high-quality units have significantly reduced emissions—and the technology is improving all the time. More information can be found on the Health and Emissions page. Making sure your wood burning appliance is EPA-Certified is one way to reduce emissions from burning wood (EPA Certified Wood Heater Database).

In most areas of New York State, wood is a local resource. Using locally sourced wood not only boosts the local economy but also cuts down on the transportation process of getting the wood to the end user. Using best management practices when harvesting wood can encourage the growth of high-quality trees while also stopping the growth and spread of invasive species.

Another advantage cord wood has over many other fuels is that it can be stored for years with little or no degradation nor any risk of harming the environment. It's also preferable to fossil fuels when it comes to adding new carbon into the atmosphere: the carbon released when wood is burned is carbon that is already in the carbon cycle, as opposed to fossil fuels, whose carbon was sequestered until the fuel was brought into production (Carbon Cycle Explained).

Modern, fully automated pellet boilers / stoves offer even more advantages. Generally, they provide even better efficiencies and lower emissions than wood boilers / stoves, and, most importantly, can be automatically fed with a continuous supply of fuel. Pellets can be made to "flow" from large storage container to hopper to boiler, allowing ease of use comparable to fossil fuels.

Last updated December 1, 2023