The Heat is On
25 February 2025
A study comparing the use of wood for insultation and fuel
Wood is precious, beautiful, and has multiple uses, but not all are equally beneficial, and there is only a limited amount available.
Despite forests being under increasing strain, wood demand is increasing, for energy, materials, chemicals and more. The supply gap is already huge, meaning there’s not enough wood for all industries planning to use it.
So how do we prioritise the right things?
To help answering this question, Fern commissioned scientists from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences to evaluate the respective benefits of using wood for insulation and fuel.
The results are clear: over a period of 35 years, using wood for insulation rather than fuel (wood pellets) offers comparable heat benefits while using nine times less wood, and releasing 21 times less greenhouse gases. The health benefits are also massive. Incredibly, due to current pricing conditions, installing this wood as insulation is still 16% more expensive than burning it, even after 70 years of use.
Redirecting bioenergy subsidies to support EU residents to insulate their homes would reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases emissions, while offering comparable heat benefits.