Use the correct pellets for your pellet stovePellets are always available in sufficient quantities. This is due to the amount of sawdust left over from wood processing. In recent years we have seen that pellet prices have remained stable despite the increased demand for pellets. Pellet quality is important. EN+ a1 pellets are the best pellets for your pellet stove. The pellets consist of 100% clean sawdust from spruce wood. Hardwood has never been added, as this can cause many problems for your pellet stove.
Which pellets are suitable for a pellet stove?
Why do pellets have to be an EN+a1 quality mark?
Why shouldn't pellets be dark in color?Dark colored pellets are worse for your pellet stove. Pellets are darkened by the addition of hardwood or softwood, or contain bark that has not been properly removed, or have been pressed at too high a temperature. Dark pellets are more likely to cause problems with ash residue remaining in the burner pan. Furthermore, the calorific value of all wood pellets is almost the same per kg (all are cellulose with some resin oil). So it doesn't matter for heat production. Hardwood pellets contain a higher chlorine level, which causes cast iron parts, steel parts and vermiculite stones to deteriorate faster. For example, you will notice that parts in the stove wear out faster. Dark pellets are also more difficult to burn. The flue gas temperature is often higher (and therefore efficiency lower). In addition, dark pellets are harder to burn, which can lead to buildup in the burner box. This can lead to dangerous overheating situations.
Why are dark pellets sold?
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The choice for sustainable pellets
Heating with a pellet stove, and therefore with wood pellets, can be much more sustainable than heating with gas or wood. An important condition, however, is that the fuel is burned with pellets that have a PEFC or FSC label. Wood with this label comes from sustainably managed forests.
Thanks in part to these sustainable labels, European forests are being preserved. In fact, the forest area in Europe is still increasing¹. By burning pellets with the PEFC label, we contribute to the sustainable character of a pellet stove. When you buy a pellet stove, make sure you are burning locally produced pellets (PEFC certified) that meet the ENplusA1 and DINplus standards.
What are pellets made of?
Pellets are made from sawdust. In principle, pellets can be made from any type of sawdust. However, for approved EN+a1 pellets, only clean and dry spruce sawdust is used, and not, for example, the bark of the tree. In most cases, however, the pellets are made from residual sawdust that is left over after the tree has been processed into various products.
Actual CO2 emissions compared to other fuels
To properly compare CO2 emissions, you must also include emissions from the production and transportation of the pellets. Pellets are made from sawdust. It is cleaned, dried, and then pressed. After production, the pellets are packed in 15 kg bags or in bulk in big bags of usually 1000 kg.
The price development: prices remain stable
Pellets are made from sawdust. As the demand for wood increases, more sawdust becomes available. That is why prices do not rise when, for example, wood prices rise. From the data we can see that the price of pellets has not increased. We can see that the price difference varies between the high and low season. It is best to buy pellets in spring or summer.
Small-scale heating
By using pellets with the PEFC label² you can be sure that you are heating with pellets from sustainably managed forests. As long as this wood is used in pellet stoves, it is sustainable heating.
We also see a trend towards supplementing large power plants with wood pellets. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as they are fueled with wood from sustainably managed forests. And that's where things sometimes go wrong. And that's a shame, because it's not really sustainable anymore.
There are a lot of sustainably managed forests in Germany. That is why the amount of forest is still growing strongly. In 2018, 98.5 million m³ were harvested and the forest grew by more than 121.6 million m³ per year. If we look at Europe, the amount of forest is still growing every year.
In contrast to the rest of Europe, the amount of forest in the Netherlands is decreasing. The problem in the Netherlands is mainly caused by a lack of space. There is a great demand for land and most trees are currently disappearing due to the construction of new roads and the expansion of residential areas or industry.
