[GBlist] burning wood, no heating

["John Daglish" <john.daglish@vnumail.com>]

Dear list

Wood is a renewable energy source.

Use the most energy efficient, healthy and low pollution wood burning stove
... a masonry stove.
These stoves burn a load of wood quickly at high temperature thereby
minimising air pollution. The long internal exhaust duct which winds up and
down within the stove exposes the high mass of the stove, stocking the heat
(up to 80% efficient) allowing it to be released slowly into the room as
radiant heat from the external surfaces of the stove. It is usually in a
central position in the house.
Depending on heat loss from the house, thermal capitance of the stove
material (brick, rock, soapstone),  you may fire up the stove 2 to 3 times
a day, it releasing heat for 8 hours or plus on a cold day.
Downside in lightweight highly insulated buildings  it cant react quickly
eg the sun comes out and overheats the space. You need a heavy weight well
insulated building with exposed thermal mass to absorb the heat. See
www.mha-net.org Masonry Heater Association, North America.

If its  a very, very well insulated fabric >0.1W/m2/K, high performance
windows >0.75 W/m2K, heat recovery ventilation  with air to earth
pretempering heat exchanger then you will probably  NOT need a central
heating system.  See hthttp://www.cepheus.de/eng/  for passive house
standard very much applicable to North America.
All comments apply to a heating dominated cool climate.

Regards

John DAGLISH, B.Arch
eco-tecture, baubiologie & permaculture

4, rue des Coteaux
91370 Verrieres le Buisson, FRANCE
Tel / Fax : +33.(0)1.60 11 12 10
Email : john.daglish@vnumail.com
Web:  http://johndaglish.free.fr




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