It’s clean, efficient, and eco-friendly. The pellet is perfect for our current climate emergency and economic crisis. This fashion is fuel. This is especially true now, with the electricity bill soaring and Russia threatening to cut power to Europe. One of the few downsides to pellets was that you could only use them in certain stoves and boilers. But then a French invention, a new type of refractory brazier, solved this problem. Now, you can use pellets in any wood stove or fireplace.
Wood heating provides a warm atmosphere in the home, and it’s the only system that can do this. But trunks are not practical: As the Ecoinventos special portal explains, you need to cut them, dry them, transport them, dirty the house, and have a place to store them.
Pellets are easier to handle and store. You don’t need to cut them. They are better for the environment than gas, coal, diesel, and wood. They also produce less ash. Pellets are better than wood-burning fireplaces.
Also, even though the price has gone up a lot in recent months, it’s still much cheaper than gas, diesel, and electricity. And even more since last Saturday, when the government cut the value-added tax (VAT) from 21% to 5%.
The change to the tax, which will be in effect until December 31^(st), is expected to save consumers 19.4 million euros, according to the Consumer and User Organization (OCU). The tax cut is meant to partly balance out the increase in pellet prices, which went up 67% last year.
Practical solution
Let’s talk about the invention. Dominic Chenais has worked with pellet stoves and fireplaces for 30 years. He is the author of the mechanism. “I had the idea to start a barbecue business because some customers with wood-burning fireplaces asked if they could burn wood pellets,” he says.
It’s a practical solution for people who don’t want to or can’t handle heavy logs or floors that have trouble storing firewood. He created the pellet stove, also called a “brazier,” through his company, BFC Confort. It is a basket made of steel in different sizes and shapes that is placed directly above the fireplace.
However, the inventor says that this method of heating works well with other systems. This is not meant to be used as the main way to heat something, except when the temperature is not too low.
The first model was made of cast iron and was sold only at fairs. The new model is made of steel, is much lighter, and more accessible. You can purchase it on the company’s website. Prices range from 310 to 420 euros, but a full patio fireplace is also available for 1,440 euros.
This product is perfect for anyone looking to restore their fireplace or wood stove without having to do any work, remodeling, or technical assistance. The BFC Confort website says that a barbecue that can hold 3 to 7 kilos of pellets can heat up to 3 to 6 hours.
High calorific value
Pellets are small cylinders 6 to 10 millimeters long made of dry sawdust without additives. It is a type of biomass left over from biological or mechanical processes. For example, it can be made from sawdust and wood chips that are thrown away when making furniture. They have a high calorific value (4,180 calories/kg).
Why is this heating system better for the environment than gas, diesel, electric systems, coal, or wood? The CO2 balance of the pellet is neutral because trees take in CO2 when they’re growing. So, it’s the CO2 that’s released when things are burned.
Several reports have concluded that: Using pellets instead of natural gas or coal can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 90%. In addition, using pellets can reduce heating bills in homes by up to 50%.
Pellet consumption has increased quickly in recent years, especially in single-family homes, which use this biofuel the most. In 2021, people in Spain used more than 700,000 tons of pellets. This is four times more than they used ten years ago.
It looks like more than 800,000 tons will be produced this year. He said that the sector will grow by 30% to 40% this year. The average cost of a pellet stove is around 2,000 euros, but the price can vary depending on the model. Dominique Chenais’s plan will reduce spending a lot.