Closed Combustion Wood Stoves (CCWS) are globally recognised for their efficiency and eco-friendliness when it comes to home heating. These stoves burn wood at temperatures exceeding 900°C, achieving up to 80% efficiency and minimising heat loss. This high efficiency ensures that very little heat escapes into the atmosphere. Also, the flue emissions from CCWS are lower than if the same wood had decayed naturally in the forest, making them a sustainable and environmentally responsible heating solution.
When using a CCWS, whether burning your own sustainably sourced wood or purchasing from a reputable supplier, your contribution to global warming is negligible. The cost of heating with a CCWS is about 60 cents per kWh, significantly lower than electricity in South Africa, which can be up to 5 times more expensive. Over time, the installation cost of a CCWS can be paid off in as little as two years through savings on electricity bills. Switching to a CCWS can reduce your home’s electricity demand by around 10,000 kWh per year, saving Eskom burning 4 tons of coal and conserving thousands of litres of water. This is crucial for a country like South Africa, facing growing air pollution and water scarcity. Here, Infiniti Fires shares how adopting a Closed Combustion Wood Stove (CCWS) can provide both environmental and financial benefits, offering an efficient alternative to traditional home heating methods.
Operation of a closed combustion wood stove
A wood stove operates similarly to a car engine. Once lit, you control the burn rate by adjusting the air supply (like adjusting the accelerator in a car). Initially, the stove is run with the air controls fully open to generate maximum heat. After about 30 minutes, once the wood is fully alight, you can adjust the burn rate depending on the volume you wish to heat and the room’s temperature.
How much heat do you require?
To determine how much heat your home needs, consider that in a typical South African home, 1 Kw of energy can heat approximately 40 cubic meters. To calculate the necessary heat output for your space, divide the total volume by 40. This will give you an estimate of the required heat from your CCWS to warm your home effectively.
How much wood do you need to burn?
1 kilogram of good-quality firewood contains about 4 kWh of energy. A well-designed CCWS will achieve about 80% efficiency, meaning that 1 kg of wood burned for 1 hour will provide around 3.2 kWh of useful heat. So, if you require 8 kWh of heat, you will need to burn approximately 2.5 kg of wood per hour.
By understanding these calculations, you can efficiently manage your wood consumption and ensure your CCWS is operating at optimal levels, providing both cost savings and environmental benefits.
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