Wood4heat

Wood4heat is based at The Sustainability Centre and is a provider of woodfuel and advice to individuals and organisations in the South of England.

We specialise in wood chip fuel and can supply you with chip, or can chip your own timber. We also offer advice and consultancy on the feasibility of woodfuel use.

Why is woodfuel important?

• Very low carbon emissions.
• It's a local and secure energy source.
• It provides rural employment.
• It brings benefits to forest management.
• It's cheaper than electricity, LPG, oil and often gas.

The modern fuel for the 21st Century

Our increasing concern about CO2 emissions and their adverse effect on the environment has brought about a resurgence in interest in burning wood to heat homes, local government buildings, schools, community spaces and commercial applications. Burning wood releases carbon that has been locked up in the tree for a short period of time and, in a sustainably managed woodland, this carbon is reabsorbed by the young, vigorous trees that grow in its place. Burning wood fuel is therefore considered almost carbon neutral. In contrast the burning of fossil fuels releases into the atmosphere CO2 that was locked up in the earth's crust millions of years ago. Man-made CO2 emissions are considered one of the major contributors to climate change.

The South East of England is one of the most wooded parts of the country; Sussex and Hampshire have a woodland cover of almost 18% by area, and at 22% Surrey is the most wooded county in the UK. With the reduction in traditional coppice crafts, charcoal-making, and the local use of wood for pulp, the market for low-grade timber has declined. Using wood for heating is one way of returning financial value to managing woodlands, improving biodiversity and bringing employment to rural areas.

There are three different types of woodfuel:

• Logs - most often used in open fires, but also in modern enclosed stoves where much higher efficiencies are possible. You can also install a log-fired central heating boiler that supplies all your domestic hot water and central heating needs.
• Wood chip - high quality seasoned chip (but not green brash, leaves and needles) provides the opportunity to automatically store, feed and burn wood in a modern, clean and efficient manner. Woodchip is best suited to medium and larger scale applications such as large houses, mini-district heating schemes, schools, commercial and public buildings.
• Wood pellets - easier to handle and cleaner than logs or chip, but currently more expensive since they are a processed by-product of woodworking processes such as sawmills.

Modern woodfuel boilers are now reliable, clean and in most cases completely automated.

The cost of logs and chip are comparable with, and sometimes cheaper than, mains gas, whilst pellets are similar in cost to oil. Supplies of chip, pellet and even logs are now available on a commercial basis where continuity of supply is assured. With almost 50% of the CO2 emissions in the UK resulting from the use of heat, we have the opportunity to do something positive about it in our own homes and communities.

Wood4heat: chipping and chip supply

We can supply you with woodchip fuel using our Heizohack HM6-300VM drum chipper, a unit specially designed to supply high-quality fuel to biomass boilers. The unit is trailer- mounted with its own 70hp engine, and is ideal for rapid flexible response to your chipping needs.

We can supply chip from local woodlands or from your own seasoned roundwood, direct to your boiler store.

• Capability to supply to G30 and G50 specification
• Available in the Hampshire and West Sussex Area
• Max trunk dia = 30cm (12") - hand-fed
• 25 - 50 tonnes/day

Wood4heat consultancy

We can:

• help you evaluate the benefits that you can gain from heating your premises with woodfuel
• provide you with background information
• set up and run training days
• provide project management

A typical biomass feasibility study would:

1. Quantify the client's current and future heat load

2. Identify and discuss with the client their needs and objectives

• Cost saving?
• Environmental?
• Woodland management?
• Physical location issues?

3. Produce a simple requirement specification

4. Obtain budget quotations from reputable suppliers against the specification

5. Assist the client in the assessment of supplier responses and alternative technical solutions

6. Produce a summary report sufficient for the client to decide whether to proceed to the next stage of detailed specification and fully competitive quotation

7. Advise on potential sources of grant funding

Contact:

Wood4heat Limited
The Sustainability Centre
Droxford Road
East Meon
Petersfield
Hampshire
GU32 1HR

John Bushby
Tel: 01730 823167
Mobile: 07736 947785
Fax: 01730 823168
Email: john@wood4heat.co.uk
Email: info@wood4heat.co.uk