10 - HYDRONICS FOR WOOD-FIRED HEAT SOURCES

The term biomass is often heard these days. It broadly refers to any energy source derived from recently living organisms. Common examples include methane from landfill waste, animal residues, dried corn, biodiesel fuels and ethanol. Wood is also a biomass, and a focus of this publication. As a heat source, it is renewable, widely available (especially in non-urban areas), does not require a conversion process to produce and has physical properties compatible to both residential and commercial heating.

Over the past 30 years, engineering advancements in wood-fired heating systems have led to improved energy efficiencies and dramatically reduced emissions.  As a result, wood systems have experienced renewed popularity in North America.  Coupled with increased public environmental awareness, wood-fired-boilers and furnaces have the potential for significant growth in the coming years. Read more about the hydronic systems that couple these technologies in this issue of idronics™.