Fragments From Floyd

While the walnut we're burning this year (yes, walnut) is not one of your top-BTU-yielding hardwoods, the glow from it's orange coals this morning sure feels good on a damp, chilly late November morning. And it warms me in other ways, knowing that our heating energy literally grows on trees. I've been reading lately about biomass as an alternative energy source, and we're blessed to be able to implement that planet-friendly lifestyle change in the near term. Perhaps some of you are contemplating a similar decision to opt for renewable sources for your winter heat. Maybe you'll find these links and info useful.

How much is our winter wood worth? The Smithers method assumes the following equivalents to one cord of average dry hardwood:

• 150 gallon No. 2 fuel oil


• 230 gallon LP gas


• 21,000 cubic feet natural gas


• 6,158 kwh electricity

We burn about 3.5 cords of somewhat lower than average yield hardwood in a typical winter. (A cord is a block of stacked wood that is 4' x 4' x 8'.) At $2.50 a gallon for LP gas that we would otherwise use, that's about 800 gallons and $1600 worth of fossil fuel we won't be needing this winter.

According to the official measures, our Quadrafire 4300 is about 70% efficient. You can use this link from CDC/Clemson U to compare exactly how this compares to other forms of heat energy. And this link tells you what the highest yielding woods are. But as I've said before: the best kind of wood is what you have plenty of. We have partially decayed oak, lots of tulip poplar that yields about like pine, walnut (which is about like cherry) and indeterminant windfalls of all sorts, and very little oak, hickory, locust or other 'good stuff' and manage to keep quite toasty, for the most part, as the result of our pleasant foraging down the valley. I've had truckloads of wood given to me as well by folks who don't burn stoves but have trees fall or die in their yards.

Something to think about. Let us know if you make the switch!