In 2015 the Northern Forest Center commissioned a third-party lifecycle analysis to learn how switching from fossil fuels to Northern Forest wood pellets affected greenhouse gas emissions. The Spatial Informatics Group-Natural Assets Laboratory used specific regional data and sophisticated modeling for the assessment.
They concluded that when all carbon impacts are considered, using wood pellets for heat immediately reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 54% compared to oil and 59% to natural gas.
This analysis accounts for all greenhouse gas emissions from sourcing, processing, and transporting the fuels
Results are specific to using wood pellets in high-efficiency Automated Wood Heat systems and may be different for pellet stoves. This study did not assess the carbon impact of switching from fossil fuels to wood chips or cordwood.
For more information, take a look at a fact sheet summary.
The analysis by Thomas Buchholz, PhD. and John Gunn, PhD., Spatial Informatics Group-Natural Assets Labratory (SIG-NAL), has been peer reviewed and published in the journal Energy.
In 2015, the average Northern Forest- produced wood pellet was comprised of:
SIG-NAL analyzed the greenhouse gas impacts of using modern wood heat in the Northern Forest using a forest sector lifecycle assessment tool and real pellet production data.
Important Factors
Measuring GHG impacts requires accounting for all emissions in production and use of the fuel, including:
There are many ways to analyze greenhouse gas emissions. Other studies have concluded that wood heat has even more significant carbon benefits than the SIG-NAL study did. We encourage continued exploration of this critical topic.
Forests play three crucial roles in reducing carbon: they sequester carbon while they grow, reduce emissions by storing carbon in live trees and long-lasting wood products, and displacing fossil fuels.
Located all on one block in Rochester, BigTownVT houses an art gallery, bike shop, and inn. Its owners – Anni and Don – are committed to encouraging community and vibrancy in their town.
Encouraging consumers to purchase an automated wood heat system – often a sizable investment – requires multiple touchpoints. The Feel Good Heat campaign generated more than 35 million touchpoints – or impressions – over the course of a major three-year promotional effort to reach residents in the New England area.
Sign up to receive updates about our work to advance the rural economy, including grant opportunities, direct business support, and market development. Sign up here!
