Advantages
- One pallet of BioBricks(TM) delivers the same heat as a full cord of wood*
- No bugs, easier storage, less mess, makes use of leftover wood that used to be treated as waste
- BioBricks are ideally sized for wood stoves. Packing density is optimized. You can fill every corner of the stove with high density fuel and extend your burn times greatly.
- BioBricks produce 1/2 the particulates (smoke) compared with good cordwood:
- Replacing normal firewood with [densified wood] firelogs can be an effective means of reducing pollutant emissions from existing fireplaces...
- One pallet of BioBricks equals one cord of regular cord wood and takes up half the space
- BioBricks are clean of bugs (dead & alive!) bark, debris and dirt
- 100% wood with very little ash (typically below 1%) and low moisture content -> less than half the moisture content of cordwood -> much more heat makes it into your house instead of converting water into steam which is lost up the chimney.
- Twice the density of cordwood – about the same energy density as coal - extending burn-times by more than 2.5x .
- Consistent size means more complete combustion
- No sparks, pops and very low smoke
- 20 Brick packs (approximately 40 lb) at an economical price - cheaper than oil and much less mess and hassle than cordwood
Pressed wood firelogs offer the potential to lower woodstove and fireplace emissions."
Houston, James T., 1999, Louisiana State University Master's Thesis, The Development of a Firelog With Improved Air Emissions
Results show an average reduction of 52% in [Particulate Matter] grams per hour emissions overall...[Carbon Monoxide] emissions were more modestly reduced by 27%, and [Volatile Organic Compounds] were reduced 39%." "...even the worst performing firelog had only 29% of the worst wood fuel emissions and 74% of the cleanest wood fuel."
Barnett, Bighouse, 1992, OMNI Environmental Services, Inc., In-Home Demonstration of the Reduction of Woodstove Emissions from the Use of Densified Logs
"The overall average PM [particulate emissions] for all 9 stoves using cordwood were 24 g/hr. Using [densified logs] the emissions averaged 12 g/hr for an average reduction of 52%"
Hayden, Braaten, 1991, ERL/CANMET, Ottawa Ontario, Reduction of Fireplace and Woodstove Emissions Through the Use of Manufactured Firelogs
Less polluting - burning Biomass recycles carbon in the atmosphere. Oil, gas and coal pull it from the ground (where it has been for millions of years) and put it in the air - an average house creates 5 tons of new carbon per year burning fuel oil.
* Testing conducted in modern stoves with typical New England cordwood.