MP11B Case Studies on Forestry Products
C123
1:20 PM - 4:40 PM, Monday
() Substitution of natural gas and electricity by wood pellets for heating systems in residential and industrial applications.
Nebel, B1, Anderson, C1, Nielsen, P1, Kaeseler, M1, Johannes, P1, 1 Forest Research, Rotorua, New Zealand
ABSTRACT- A growing part of the New Zealand population is looking for clean and convenient energy sources for their domestic energy demand. In over two thirds of the dwellings electricity is used for space and water heating. In around 50 % of residential buildings wood is currently used for heating, mainly in addition to electric heating. The trend for both, electricity and wood, is slowly declining in favor of gas due to the demand for convenient and clean fuels. Wood pellets would provide a convenient and sustainable alternative. Electricity peaks in New Zealand during winter and dry years could be covered with 150,000 tons of wood pellets. This paper shows the results of an LCA according to the ISO standards 14040 -43 for wood pellets as a fuel for domestic space and water heating. The functional unit is a three-bedroom family home heated over one year. Substitution of electricity and natural gas are modeled. Methodological emphasis is on allocation, since saw dust which is the raw material for wood pellets is in many cases still disposed of as waste.
Key words: bioenergy, wood pellets, lca, domestic heating