Pellet Stoves: A Biomass Energy Alternative

Higher energy costs, especially the price of oil, highlight the importance of alternative energy sources for the United States. Pellet stoves are one important niche in the biomass energy category that offer a current partial solution to the problem.

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Technological advances in pellet stoves have made them more efficient heating alternatives for homes, schools and small businesses.

Basic pellet stove technology is a bit more complex than its traditional wood stove cousin. Most people think of wood stoves as free standing, large, cast iron appliances that have a compartment for holding wood. Pellet stoves build on that technology, and add some computer controlled thermostat and fuel delivery options. They run on electricity.

For the residential sector, pellet stoves range in size and style from larger versions that can replace traditional furnaces for the average 2,000 plus square foot home, or smaller versions that are installed for use in a specific living area.

As the name suggests, pellet stoves run on small and highly dried pellets made from biomass materials such as wood chips and animal waste. Since pellets contain much less water than even the best seasoned fire-wood, they burn more efficiently, with less smoke and more heat than split wood. Wood pellets are the most common and most efficient of the manufacturered biomass fuels today. Of late, corn has made an entrance as a pellet fuel.

Statistics from the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) show the pellet stove industry has grown steadily over the past eight years:

Number of Pellet Appliances Shipped

• 1998 - 34,000
• 1999 - 18,360
• 2000 - 30,970
• 2001 - 53,473
• 2002 - 33,978
• 2003 - 48,669
• 2004 - 67,467
• 2005 - 118,490

While pellet suppliers have traditionally kept up with consumer demand, the doubling of appliances shipped during the 2005 calendar year also contributed to pellet shortages in areas of the country. For example, the New York State Consumer Protection Board issued a warning in December 2005 stating that, "The shortage in New York and other eastern states is not expected to end until next spring." According to the Pellet Fuels Institute, an industry trade association, wood pellet manufacturers are expected to increase production by 35% for the 2006-2007 winter.

The wood pellet manufacturers could even increase their production beyond the pellet appliances needs. There are devices that can be added to traditional wood stoves and fireplaces to make them pellet friendly.

In comparative perspective, the number of pellet appliances shipped in 2005 is only a small percent of the total amount of hearth appliances shipped. The HPBA statistics also records the units shipped for competing hearth appliances:

• Corewood Appliances (traditional wood stoves) 561,596
• Gas Appliances - 2,141,165
• Electric Appliances - 380,000

You can read much more about the legal, consumer and manufacturing sides of the pellet stove industry with the following resources.

Pellet Fuels Instiutute
EPA: Clean Burning Woodstoves and Fireplaces

© 2006 Patricia A. Michaels