Scrap and educate: actions to relaunch heating with wood and pellets

AIEL, the Italian Association of Agroforestry Energy, considers the commitment to reduce PM10 emissions as a priority for its sector and proposes a concrete approach that aims to reduce emissions from wood and pellet domestic heating by 70% in ten years. The proposed strategy is called “Rottamare ed educare” and it has been described in the White Paper (aielenergia.it/librobianco) drawn up by AIEL with the aim of raising awareness of institutions, policy makers and public opinion on the contribution that the biomass sector can make to a more sustainable and clean domestic heat.

The problem: particulate matter and biomass domestic heating
Biomass domestic heating produces particulate matter that accumulates in the atmosphere, particularly in some critical areas such as the Po valley. Most PM10 emissions come from outdated stoves and fireplaces characterized by obsolete and outdated combustion technologies. The wood and pellet appliances installed in Italy since more than 10 years represent the 70% of the total installed base, approximately 6.3 million, and contribute to 86% of the PM10 deriving from domestic biomass combustion (AIEL 2020).

figure 1. PM10 emissions attributable to obsolete generators and improper management

The solution: turn over and education
The strategy developed by AIEL proposes to incentivize the replacement of old and polluting generators with modern and efficient wood and pellet heating systems, characterized by PM10 emissions that are 4 to 8 times lower compared to older technologies. The path to technological turn over, which AIEL has estimated at about 350,000 new generators a year for 10 years, is the solution to help reduce the impact of domestic combustion of firewood and pellets on air quality. It is also essential to enstablish an incisive action of information and awareness of end users, in particular those who use firewood. Incorrect operation of the wood-burning appliance can in fact cause significant increases in PM10 and organic carbon emissions, responsible for the formation of PM10 in the atmosphere, even 10 times compared to optimal use.

figure 2. AIEL estimates on the effects of technological turnover and user information over 10 years

How can we reach the objective?
To reach -70% of emissions in ten years, it is necessary to confirm and improve the existing incentive systems in support of technological turn over, first of all the Conto Termico, which needs an improvement, not in terms of budget, but in terms of usability and simplification of the access mechanism. Another element is the strengthening of the voluntary certification scheme for wood and pellet-fired domestic heating generators, ariaPulita® and the use of certified wood fuels, such as ENplus® pellet certification and firewood and wood chips quality certification Biomassplus®. The importance of the professional qualification of installers and maintainers of biomass plants should also be remembered.

figure 3. Estimates of PM10 reduction resulting from the proposed actions

User education and information
On the education side, the challenge is to raise awareness among consumers, informing them about good practices for efficient and clean combustion, how to use the generators correctly, installation rules, required controls and obligations to be fulfilled, in addition to spread the knowledge of the incentive systems to accelerate technological turnover.