How are pellets delivered?
Pellets come in bags of 15 kg or 10 kg or in bulk. A vacuum truck blows the pellets with compressed air in to the storage room.
- Pellets as bagged goods and delivered as bulk commodity (below).
Frequently asked questions (Part 1)
1. How do I calculate the size of the storage room?
The size is dependent on the heating load, as a rule of thumb: 0,9 x heating load in kW = pellet demand in m3. Per cubic meter one can store about 650 kg pellets. Consult your heating contractor!
2. How should the aoutlay of the storage room be like?
The storage area should be on the outside wall, possible street side and placed next to the boiler room. The storage area should be narrow and rectangular, and above all dry.
3. Why must an angles floor be installed in the storage room?
In order for the pellet storage room to be emptied completely the surface must consist of smooth material and have at least a 45 degree inclination. If no angled floor is provided or the incline is too small a wedge is formed by pellets. It acts like a sieve which catches the fines that accommodate the slipping pellets. The fine are so densely concentrated that when the wedge moves in to the worm, disturbances could result in the system.
4. Can a old tank facility be used as a pellet storage?
Yes, these areas usally have the right fire protection requirements.
Pellet Heaters
Wood pellets are compressed sawdust. They are made without additivies - that is purely natural. Wood pellets have in their compactness a high calorific value. 1 ton equates to 500 L of oil. The price of pellets is unbeatable in comparisonto fossil fuel such as oil and gas. A ton of pellets costs between 200. and 230. Euro. 500 L of oil (equivalent heating value) cost over 300. Euro.
Beneficial for the environment: Pellets burn almost CO2-neutral. Burning wood produces the same amount of carbon dioxid as the tree has absorbed during it's life cycle. The energy consumption for the production of pellets is much lower than for oil or gas, etc., because the raw material is on site and does not have to be transported for long distances.
The Technology: It is on par with today's modern oil or gas heaters. Pellets central heating systems are automatically controlled. The only thing you have to do is order pellets once a year and empty the ash pan every now and then. The content you can use as fertilizer in your garden. The ash waste is extremely low. It is around 1 %.
Design features of a Pellet Central Heating System
1 chamot pellet chamber
2 Stainless steel grate
3 Thermostat
4 Frontdoor
5 Water heat exchanger
6 Sealed hopper for pellets
7 Feeder system with self-drive
8 Fire safety device
9 Chute to combustion chamber
10 Ceramic resistance surface ignition
11 Speed control draft fan
12 Microprocessor
13 Standard ash pan
14 Concealed controls with installation
15 Control regulator with LCD-Indicator
Source: A.S. Solar
Frequently asked questions (Part 2)
5. How are pellets produced?
Shavings are moistened with steam and then forced through a die that works like a big meat grinder.
6. How big is the heating value of pellets?
The calorific value is 5,0 kWh/kg standardized.
7. How can you compare the heating value of pellets to heating oil?
The calorific value is about half as large. 2 kg pellets correspond to 1 L fuel oil.
8. Is the supply of pellets secure in the future?
Yes, raw matarial are plentiful. Sustainable forestry safeguards the resources. It is renewable energy.
9. What is the required energy ("Grey energy") in the production and transport of the pellets?
Depending on the raw matarial availability and transport routes, 2 to 5 % of the calorific value are needed for production and transport. With fossil fuel this number is much higher.
10. How to recognize good pellets?
By the quality classification DINplus or ENplus A1. They have a pleasant smell and a smotth, shiny surface and are between 5 and 45 mm long. Premium pellets have a very small proportion of fine dust, prior to transport of maximum 1 %.
11. Why is it absolutely essential to look for quality when buying pellets?
Poor quality pellets can necessarily by their high dust content block the feed conveyor of the heater and also cause higher consumption.
12. Are combinations with Solar energies meaningful?
Yes, the combination of pellet heating unit with a Solar System is particulary recommended. During the summer months warm water can exclusively be provided by a Solar thermal plant leaving the pellet heating inactive.
13. What is the efficiency of pellet heating?
Up to 95 % have been measured, already.
14. How often does the ash pan have to be emptied?
Due the low as residue (less than 1 %) often only twice a year. The amount of ash depends, of course, on the amount of pellets consumed.
15. Are there fluctuations in the price?
Yes, pellets are cheaper in the summer months than in the winter months. It is best to stock up from April through July.
16. What is meant by CO2-neutral?
Burning wood produces only the same amount of carbon dioxide as it has absorbed during it's life cycle. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.