Burning Wood in an Outdoor Wood Furnace - Green Energy Or Grey Smoke

Many individuals question whether burning wood in an outdoor wood furnace is a good green energy solution or contributing to global warming. Well the answer is not that simple .... it depends! As with all things in life the answer can be muddled in the execution. If an outdoor wood furnace is designed and installed intelligently then it is a great, GREEN heating option. If not, then it may get you ejected from the neighbourhood. How does one know?

First maybe lets look at all the reasons why wood itself may be a good fuel source. In my case it is a no brainer. I have a wood business that generates large volumes of waste in the form of very thin and very long strips of wood. Disposal is always an issue. Thus, an outdoor wood furnace looks attractive.

Some have suggested cutting it up and bagging it for campgrounds as a source of fire starter, but the cost of handling is higher than what the campgrounds are interested in paying.

Stacking it in one large pile and having an annual bonfire certainly appeals to the guests and creates a wonderful social environment, but as municipalities tighten up on open burning regulations, for good reason, this option is rarely available... at least not that size. Thus considering outdoor wood burning furnaces as a method of disposal, if for no other reason, is not a bad plan... and if it saves on the heating bill and offsets oil consumption it is even better.

Likewise if you have access to local firewood using that as a fuel source helps to clear the forest of very low grade fibre and make room for better quality trees. In fact using wood as a heating fuel is endorsed by the U.S. Forestry Service especially when you use an outdoor wood furnace that contains the fire in an all metal container and presents no fire hazard.

The best reason to use wood is that it is renewable. We as human beings are getting a little smarter. We do know that trees can be replanted and many more jurisdictions are moving towards sustainable harvesting and silviculture methods that guarantee that we are not removing more wood from the earth than we are growing. That can't be said of many of the other fuel options: oil, coal or nuclear.

But the story gets better. Every tree is about 50% carbon. Where does that come from?As the tree grows, it breathes in all the pollutants that you and I persist in dumping into the atmosphere, and the tree is smart enough to convert the carbon in the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into tree mater. The tree acts like a pollution repository.

Taking that tree and converting it to a desk would lock in the pollution and be the best answer, but in the worse case scenario even if we burn all this wood in an outdoor wood furnace, it still would not give up more carbon that what it originally absorbed as the tree grew to maturity. Thus although using outdoor wood burning furnaces is not the perfect answer, it certainly does not add more carbon based pollution to the environment than what would have existed if the tree had never been born. That can't be said of oil, coal or nuclear. Wood is carbon neutral!

The question then becomes how wood burning can be efficient in outdoor furnaces to minimize toxic exhaust. That is a story on its own including a larger discussion on intelligent furnace design, what metal to use for good thermal transfer, an article on water-antifreeze considerations for your hot water boiler.. and many more design paramaters covered on our website.

Archgard Fireplaces - Not Only Stylish, Also Energy Efficient

When outdoor temperatures hit below 0 there is nothing like coming home to a hot cocoa and lounging in front of a warm and cozy fireplace. Indeed, fireplaces are more than mere adornments in any home and find its full use during the cold winter months, or even during cooler evenings in the fall. Fireplaces, however, should not only be functional but also safe. And since you want to maintain the beauty and elegance of your home, they should also be stylish. That is what Archgard is all about.

Archgard is a leading manufacturer of gas and wood burning fireplaces in North America. All Archgard units are manufactured in North America by skilled craftsmen who know about cold weather and keeping warm during the cold winter months. Having been in business for more than two decades, Archgard has become a leader in fireplace solutions. The company offers the best heating solutions across the continent. It's a claim that is yet to be disputed.

Being at the forefront of producing excellent quality fireplaces, they continue to re-invent their fireplaces and gas and wood stoves using the latest in heating technology. Archgard can easily do this because it is a privately owned company and thus can easily allocate resources for product research and development to maintain the company's commitment to high quality standards. Precisely because of this pro-active mindset, Archgard is able to come up with different products that make the home a comfortable and safe place to live in, especially during the wintertime. Among these are the freestanding fireplaces which can also be installed in difficult settings like the basement.

Aside from their commitment to product quality, what sets Archgard apart is its commitment in supporting the North American economy by generating jobs in the locality. This is made possible by utilizing the talents of skilled craftsmen in the area which contributes to lowering the unemployment rate. This also ensures that money goes into the local economy. Furthermore, Archgard's business model ensures that the market only gets the products that have been paid for so that there is no over or under production.

With Archgard fireplaces you do not just get all cozy and warm inside your home, you get fireplaces and gas and wood stoves that add a distinct elegance to your interior from the unique designs available. You also get peace of mind because all products are tested to meet safety compliance standards. As an added bonus, you get great savings because energy cost is optimized resulting to minimal utility bills. All units are guaranteed durable and are supported with a limited lifetime warranty.