It’s possible to be completely self-sufficient in your heating needs by growing your own woodfuel. This could be a smart use for a redundant piece of land.
What we know about willow as a woodfuel
Around 50% of UK homes are described as being hard to heat.
Around 15% of UK homes are off the gas grid and rely on more expensive forms of fossil fuels.
Most poorly insulated homes are not suitable for heat pumps. Biomass heating provides a more sustainable and more affordable choice in these circumstances.
The area of willow required to fuel an average farmhouse requiring 10,000 litres of heating oil per year is 2-3 hectares.
The area of willow required to fuel a fuel a 5-kW stove for 150 nights is between 0.1-0.2 hectares.
Willow, poplar and Eucalyptus can provide different quality of woodfuel in a rapid timeframe - self-sustaining stocks achieved within 5 years.
What we're exploring next
Which varieties have the best woodfuel qualities:
High calorific value
Low moisture content at harvest
Low ash
High bulk density
Who should care
Farmers with biomass boilers
Smallholders with log boilers or wood stoves
Owner of hard to heat rural properties and businesses
