Energy prices.

[Blobber]

I feel that Blobber is on to something here with the idea of creating a wood.

Filling it with fast growing pine trees could have an additional benefit beyond growing firewood.

Whenever I visit a DIY shop for timber, it is always pine .There is a massive demand for pine timber. Whether it is a few pieces of 4x2, new joists for the flooring, or timber roof trusses and other aspects used in the construction industries.

Imagine the area full of mature trees, and an outbuilding closeby with a sawmill inside. If you just consider the four sides that are cut from each tree that results in a large oblong shaped log worth £££s. Even the four side off-cutts from each tree would provide lots of 'wood fuel'. Not just for himself, but a decent amount sold on at a profit, plus all the thick branches chopped in to logs.

If the trees are cut down near to the ground (coppicing) they will regrow again. What's not to like?

Coppicing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I think this might be an option, certainly not all pine but Im going to have a look around for prices!

 

[Onoff]

Aye but they will buy from someone cheaper and then he gets nothing.

Energy never really disappears it just changes form.

Fitting storage batteries seems to be the current sound bite in the face of leccy prices and then charge from PV. Great idea and maybe there's some monetary concessions for early adopters.

At the end of the day, if we're still reliant on China for the PV panels and the raw materials for the batteries, then the day will come when they too can hold us to ransom.

 

[Kayos]

Energy never really disappears it just changes form.

Fitting storage batteries seems to be the current sound bite in the face of leccy prices and then charge from PV. Great idea and maybe there's some monetary concessions for early adopters.

At the end of the day, if we're still reliant on China for the PV panels and the raw materials for the batteries, then the day will come when they too can hold us to ransom.

SSE acquires its first 50MW battery storage asset to provide flexible power

www.sse.com

 

[addjunkie]

You cant eat the trees but in and around trees live lots of wildlife! we can get a good harvest of willow in 3 to 4 years and there is a load of other old poorly maintained trees that need removing so were well on the way!

Willow isnt the best fire wood as it grows best in wet soil, often planted with silver birch to dry land out. When cut its very wet. And may rot before its dry enough to use as fire wood.
And pine/ spruce is your 25 to 30 years to harvest. Unless you do Christmas trees, at 6 or 7 years.

 

[Onoff]

SSE acquires its first 50MW battery storage asset to provide flexible power

www.sse.com

Interesting and UK owned from what I've briefly read about them. I wonder what storage technology they are using still and where the panels come from.

 

[Kayos]

Interesting and UK owned from what I've briefly read about them. I wonder what storage technology they are using still and where the panels come from.

I will let you know once I've visited the site

 

[Greeves246]

BP garage at Gemini Warrington this morning, petrol £1.60.9, diesel £1.70.9. How long before £2/ litre?

 

[Blobber]

Willow isnt the best fire wood as it grows best in wet soil, often planted with silver birch to dry land out. When cut its very wet. And may rot before its dry enough to use as fire wood.
And pine/ spruce is your 25 to 30 years to harvest. Unless you do Christmas trees, at 6 or 7 years.

Weve never had a problem drying and storing willow it burns fine, elder on the other hand is horrible, takes ages to dry and not the hottest burn but it still goes in the stove mixed with other woods

 

[JimmyS]

Many parts still available new from 600 group....not cheap though!

SSE acquires its first 50MW battery storage asset to provide flexible power

www.sse.com

Is that one of the Sodium Sulfur battery installations I wonder?

 

[Kayos]

Is that one of the Sodium Sulfur battery installations I wonder?

No idea yet

 

[Kram]

Got another bill today. Turd rates are going up too! Perhaps they should be building anaerobic digestion plants to solve the gas problem and paying us for the turds?

 

[Greeves246]

With talk of banning Russian oil, $140/ barrel this morning, how long before petrol coupons get issued? Last time was 1973 ,but never implemented, because of an oil crisis.

 

[Kayos]

There won't be an oil crisis, just ridiculous prices

 

[The Artilleryman]

Diesel £176.9 near me this morning.

We were hoping to do 8 steam rally's this year, that's a month's pension in fuel alone - if I offset that against no rally's for 2 years it's not to bad - how many of these events will survive, if petrol/diesel remains (or climb's higher) ?

 

[brewdexta]

I've just taken delivery of 3 tonne of pellets for the boiler. The owner of the timber company told me to use them sparingly as there's a shortage. The pellets I buy come from an Austrian company that makes wooden construction components, the pellets are made from waste wood. The majority of their timber comes from Siberia......

No doubt they will find another source but the price will increase with demand.

I have enough to last out the winter now, and the boiler can also burn logs, but they are going to go up too.

 

[fizzy]

I've just taken delivery of 3 tonne of pellets for the boiler. The owner of the timber company told me to use them sparingly as there's a shortage. The pellets I buy come from an Austrian company that makes wooden construction components, the pellets are made from waste wood. The majority of their timber comes from Siberia......

No doubt they will find another source but the price will increase with demand.

I have enough to last out the winter now, and the boiler can also burn logs, but they are going to go up too.

I get free pallet wood. Not the skinny stuff but nice chunky side bearers from 2 way pallets. 3x4 usually - mix of hard and softwood.
Not good when you are too ill to deal with it though
Filled my oil tank when it was 50p per litre - enough to last the year.

 

[Blobber]

I've just taken delivery of 3 tonne of pellets for the boiler. The owner of the timber company told me to use them sparingly as there's a shortage. The pellets I buy come from an Austrian company that makes wooden construction components, the pellets are made from waste wood. The majority of their timber comes from Siberia......

No doubt they will find another source but the price will increase with demand.

I have enough to last out the winter now, and the boiler can also burn logs, but they are going to go up too.

Dont know if these are worth a try?

straw pellets - Straw pellets

Straw Pellets supply for commercial and domestic applications, the carbon neutral alternative fuel.

www.strawpelletsltd.co.uk

 

[R Kraft]

The bio fuels Alcohol producers, want to increase the amount of alcohol in fuel from 10% to 50% to lower petrol prices.
It takes 24% more energy to produce than it provides.it also takes more fertilizer to produce than almost anything that is grown.
Food crop growers (potatoes and such) are already having shortages of fertilizer.
At present the futures people are saying that there is a possibility of families having to spend more than $1000 a month for food.

 

[brewdexta]

Dont know if these are worth a try?

straw pellets - Straw pellets

Straw Pellets supply for commercial and domestic applications, the carbon neutral alternative fuel.

www.strawpelletsltd.co.uk

Very interesting, thanks, I shall take a look

 

[addjunkie]

Very interesting, thanks, I shall take a look

Who do you buy your pellets from, we use them for animal bedding, and the last pallet was from Pellet Co. There are cheaper, but had several split bags last two pallets.