Firewood and wood chips are domestic, renewable fuels that are strongly linked to Finnish heating traditions. Both utilize forestry side-streams and can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of heating compared to fossil alternatives. At the same time, however, their profile, cost structure, logistics, and level of automation differ significantly from each other.
Read about how firewood and wood chip heating differ and which heating needs they best meet.
Firewood is a traditional and self-sufficient fuel
Wood burning is a familiar and reliable solution for Finns. It is an environmentally friendly heating option, as firewood is a domestic, renewable energy source. In addition to being domestic, it has the advantage of self-sufficiency if it can be sourced from one's own forest. Today, wood burning is mostly used as a parallel heat source and is burned in, for example, wood boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves and water-jacketed fireplaces.
The costs of wood heating are kept moderate if the fuel is obtained from one's own forest. Purchased, the price rises, but it is still competitive, especially compared to electricity price fluctuations. However, the challenge of wood heating can be considered its labor-intensity – sourcing, chopping, drying, and manual loading of wood require time and effort. Furthermore, the heat can be uneven if a heat-storing fireplace or a water-jacketed boiler system is not used.
However, wood heating is an excellent option for single-family homes and holiday homes where one appreciates traditional, atmospheric heating.
Wood chip heating is a highly efficient and low-emission heating method
Wood chip heating represents more modern bioenergy that is particularly suitable for larger properties and farms. Chipped wood, such as branches and thinning wood, which is often obtained from local suppliers, is used as fuel. Wood chip boilers, where wood chips are burned, are largely automated: fuel is fed automatically from a silo, and combustion is controlled by a control system.
Ease of use is the biggest advantage of wood chip heating. The heat remains even without constant monitoring, and the system can be dimensioned for the needs of several buildings. However, the initial investment is higher than for wood heating, and space is required for storage and transport access.
Wood chips are best suited for properties with a continuous and high heat demand. Such objects are industrial buildings, farms, and housing cooperatives.
How the costs of firewood and wood chip heating differ
The costs of firewood and wood chip heating are formed in different ways. The initial investment for wood heating is often reasonable, especially if the building already has a heat-storing fireplace. Adding a wood boiler and an accumulator tank increases costs but usually stays within the scale of single-family homes. In a wood chip heating system, on the other hand, a heating container for wood chips requires a larger initial investment.
Regarding the fuel price, firewood can be the most affordable option, especially if it is available from one's own forest. The price of wood chips becomes more competitive at high volumes, where fuel is consumed evenly and delivery logistics are well organized. In operating costs, wood heating requires more own labor, such as lighting, refilling wood, and sweeping, while wood chip systems operate largely automatically and require only regular service and inspection.
If there is wood in one's own forest, the investment in wood heating will likely pay off quickly – especially when compared to, for example, electric heating. The profitability of wood chip heating increases with the size and heat demand of the property: the larger and more even the consumption, the more economical the system becomes in the long run.
Both firewood and wood chips are environmentally friendly fuels
Both firewood and wood chip heating are based on renewable energy, so their carbon emissions are in the long run in balance with nature's cycle. However, the amount of fine particle emissions depends greatly on the age of the equipment and the quality of the fuel. Dry and clean fuel as well as effective regulation of combustion air significantly reduce emissions.
Modern wood chip boilers can be equipped with filtration systems that improve air quality and make the system suitable even for densely populated areas. The sustainability of forestry and transport distances in turn affect the total environmental impact of the fuel. The closer the firewood or wood chips are sourced, the smaller its carbon footprint.
Availability of fuels
For many, wood heating is a natural choice, as firewood can often be sourced oneself or bought locally. Properly dried and stored firewood burns cleanly and efficiently, and provides pleasant heat and atmosphere. Drying and storing wood requires some effort – with damp wood, combustion is inefficient and produces more emissions, but when well managed, wood heating is an affordable and environmentally friendly option.
Wood chip heating, for its part, offers comfort and automation. The system is largely self-running and is particularly well suited for properties with an even and continuous heat demand. The quality of the chips and the smoothness of the supply chain are crucial for the system's operation – even quality and appropriately dried wood chips burn efficiently and problem-free. Storage requires enough space and good planning, but if done correctly, wood chip heating is a trouble-free, reliable, and economical solution in the long run.
Wood heating for single-family homes, with wood chips you also heat larger halls
In single-family homes, wood heating is a natural choice, especially if the house already has a heat-storing fireplace or a wood boiler. It offers cost-effective and secure heating, especially in combination with another form of heating. Wood chip heating is rarer in single-family homes, as its equipment and storage spaces take up a lot of room and require a larger investment.
On farms and in properties with several buildings, wood chips are often a superior option. An even heat demand and large consumption volumes make wood chip heating profitable and trouble-free. Also in housing cooperatives, wood chips are a sensible solution when the district heating network is not available or its price is high.
In industrial buildings and halls with a continuous heat demand, wood chips offer an efficient and scalable option. In such cases, pellets can also be considered, if one desires a fuel with more even quality and which is easier to handle with less storage space.
We help you assess which heating system is best suited for your object
Firewood and wood chips are both sensible and environmentally friendly options for Finnish conditions, but they serve different needs. Wood heating is the best choice for smaller properties where self-sufficiency is seen as an advantage. It offers heat, atmosphere, and security even during power outages and price spikes. Wood chip heating, on the other hand, is an excellent solution for large buildings with an even heat demand, such as farms, housing cooperatives, and industrial halls. Its advantages are automation, even heat output, and competitive operating costs.
The choice of heating form should be made with consideration of the whole. When taking into account the property's size, heat demand, fuel availability, and one's own willingness to participate in the heating work, one will find a solution that offers both heat and economic sense in the long run. Contact us – we are happy to help with the choice of a suitable heating form.