The Benefits of Using Industrial Wood Burners for Businesses

With energy prices on the rise, businesses are facing increasingly higher costs to heat their premises. In the UK, energy bills have surged by an average of 80% in recent years, prompting companies to seek out more affordable and sustainable heating solutions. Amid this financial pressure, industrial wood burners are becoming a popular alternative. These systems offer a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly way for businesses to meet their heating needs, all while reducing waste and carbon emissions.

In this article, we will explore the numerous benefits of using industrial wood burners for businesses, from significant cost savings and improved energy efficiency to reducing carbon footprints and managing waste. We’ll also highlight how this heating solution can be adapted to meet the needs of various industries.

Where Are These Industrial Wood Burners Used?

Industrial wood burners are incredibly versatile, making them a popular choice across a wide range of industries. They are predominantly used in the woodworking sector. Whether it’s heating large or small warehouses, these wood burners can provide consistent and efficient heating.

Key Applications of Industrial Wood Burners:

• Woodworking Industry

The woodworking industry, including sawmills, often generates substantial amounts of wood waste, and industrial wood burners provide an efficient solution to utilise this waste effectively. For medium-sized woodworking businesses, agriculture and greenhouses, the normal Industrial Wood Burner of LFA WB 15 would be an excellent choice. With a 50kW output, it can heat areas to 5,000 ft² (465 m²) by consuming approximately 15kg of wood per hour. This makes it ideal for turning waste materials like MDF, chipboard, softwood, and hardwood into heat, offering both cost savings and improved waste management.

• Manufacturing Facilities

In manufacturing facilities, reliable heating is essential for maintaining operational efficiency, and industrial wood burners excel in this role. Our large industrial wood burners (LFA WB 25), for instance, are particularly well-suited for large-scale factories. Its 100kW output efficiently heats areas up to 7,000 ft² (650 m²) and accommodates medium to large wood waste with its spacious feed aperture.

• Construction Sites

On construction sites, temporary heating is often a necessity, especially in colder months. For this, smaller wood burners such as LFA WB 8 provide a cost-effective and flexible solution for small-scale projects. With its 25kW output, it can heat areas of up to 3,000 ft² (280 m²), consuming about 8kg of wood per hour. Easy to transport and operate, this burner is ideal for construction sites with limited wood waste supplies.

• Recycling and Waste Management

Businesses in the recycling and waste management sectors frequently handle large quantities of wood waste, which can be effectively converted into energy using industrial wood burners. The LFA WB 45 is particularly suited to these sectors, offering a 150kW output capable of heating up to 10,000 ft² (930 m²). Its large feed aperture accommodates bigger wood pieces, making it a perfect choice for high-volume operations.

 

Some of the more specific businesses that benefit from Industrial wood burners:

• Exhibition Companies 

Exhibition companies often deal with significant amounts of leftover materials, it was found that in the UK alone, more than 60,000 tonnes of waste are produced each year as a result of exhibition events including wood and MDF. Industrial wood burners help these businesses reduce waste while providing an efficient heating solution for their storage or production facilities.

• Joiners 

Joinery businesses often face significant losses due to poor wood waste disposal practices, with average costs reaching £2,100 annually and as high as £7,000 for some. Industrial wood burners provide a transformative solution, allowing joiners to recycle offcuts and sawdust into valuable heating resources for their workshops. By doing so, businesses can reduce their reliance on landfill disposal, comply with potential wood waste bans, and improve overall efficiency. 

• Prefab Building Companies 

Prefab building companies frequently generate wood waste during the construction of modular components. Industrial wood burners offer a sustainable way to recycle this waste, reducing disposal costs and heating large-scale production facilities efficiently.

• Pallet Companies 

Pallet companies that repair or manufacture pallets often have access to damaged or unusable wood pieces. With an estimated 2 billion pallets in service and 450 million produced annually, recycling efforts in this industry have made a significant environmental impact. Industrial wood burners offer an excellent way to recycle unusable wood into heat, minimising landfill contributions and reducing heating costs. 

• General Waste Warehouses 

Warehouses handling general waste, particularly those with high volumes of wood pallets and similar materials, can benefit from industrial wood burners to heat their premises while responsibly managing their waste. According to the Wood Recyclers Association, 5 million tonnes of waste wood is generated in the UK every year, yet only 1.4 million tonnes of it is recycled. This highlights the significant potential for improving waste wood management and recycling efforts, making industrial wood burners an even more valuable solution for these facilities.

Benefits of Industrial Wood Burners

With rising energy costs and the urgent need to adopt environmentally friendly practices, industrial wood burners have become a go-to solution for many UK businesses. Industrial wood-burning stoves offer a range of benefits tailored to meet modern business needs. Let’s dive into the advantages of these systems and understand why switching to an industrial wood burner could be the smartest move for your business.

Lower Fuel Costs

One of the primary advantages of using industrial wood burners is the reduction in fuel costs. When compared to traditional heating methods such as gas, electricity, and oil, wood offers a much cheaper alternative. Wood is widely available and can often be sourced locally, reducing the need to rely on expensive energy suppliers.

For example, if you are running a large factory or warehouse, your energy bills can be substantial. Switching to an industrial wood burner allows you to lower these costs significantly, especially if you have access to wood waste or can buy wood at a discounted rate. Many businesses save on heating bills, and over time, the initial investment in an industrial wood burner can pay off with substantial long-term savings.

Energy Efficiency

Modern industrial wood burners are highly efficient, with some models reaching up to 90% efficiency in converting fuel into heat. This means that more of the energy produced by burning wood is used to heat your space, reducing waste and lowering overall energy consumption.

These burners are also equipped with advanced features such as an automated feed system to ensure consistent fuel delivery, temperature regulation, and smoke control, making them safer and more efficient.

Furthermore, industrial wood burners are ideal for use within smoke-controlled areas, as they produce fewer emissions than traditional heating methods. They also come with a ‘summer dump’ feature, which allows businesses to burn wood all year round, even when heating needs are lower, helping to maintain cost efficiency.

Sustainable and Renewable Energy Source

Wood is a renewable resource, making it a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas. Through responsible forestry and waste wood utilisation, industrial wood burners create a carbon-neutral heating system.

The carbon dioxide (CO₂) released when burning wood is the same amount absorbed by the trees during their growth. This creates a balanced cycle, unlike fossil fuels, which release stored carbon, adding to the atmosphere’s greenhouse gas load.

By switching to wood burners, your business can actively contribute to reducing its carbon footprint and supporting the UK’s net-zero goals.

Reduction of Carbon Footprint

Wood burning is a cleaner alternative, with significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fuels as aforementioned. Additionally, Modern industrial wood-burning stoves are designed to meet strict UK and EU environmental regulations. These systems include advanced filtration and emission control technologies to minimise particulate matter, ensuring businesses remain compliant with air quality standards.

Waste Reduction

For businesses that generate wood waste, such as scrap wood from manufacturing processes and leftover timber from construction sites, industrial wood burners provide an excellent opportunity to reduce waste and recycle it into something useful. Instead of sending this waste to landfills, it can be burned to generate heat, creating a more sustainable cycle.

By utilising wood waste, businesses can effectively reduce the amount of waste they produce, helping to lower landfill use while also keeping their heating costs down. This contributes to a circular economy, where materials are reused, reducing the need for new resources.

Reliable and Independent Heating

Industrial wood burners offer businesses the chance to become self-sufficient when it comes to heating. By relying on wood as a heating source, businesses can become less dependent on external energy suppliers, such as natural gas or electricity, whose prices fluctuate.

This means that businesses can lock in lower, more stable heating costs for the long term. As wood is often cheaper than fossil fuels and more abundant, companies can rely on their wood burners to provide consistent, dependable heating throughout the year.

Moreover, wood burners are known for their durability and reliability, requiring minimal maintenance to run smoothly. This gives businesses peace of mind knowing that their heating system will continue to perform well for years.

Scalable and Flexible Solutions

Industrial wood burners come in a variety of sizes and configurations, making them a highly scalable and flexible solution. Whether your business operates in a small workshop, a medium-sized factory, or a large warehouse, there is an industrial wood burner to meet your heating needs.

Modern wood burners can be customised to suit specific requirements, whether that means additional heating capacity or integration with other systems, such as biomass boilers. The flexibility of these systems makes them ideal for businesses that need a tailored solution that can grow with their operations.

Compliance with Environmental Regulations

In the UK, businesses are under increasing pressure to meet environmental standards. Industrial wood burners make compliance easier by adhering to emission regulations and supporting sustainability efforts.

By switching to wood burners, businesses can contribute to reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, there are financial incentives for businesses that adopt renewable energy solutions, including tax breaks, grants, and other government-backed initiatives designed to encourage sustainable energy usage.

Businesses that invest in certified, compliant wood burners can also benefit from long-term savings and avoid penalties associated with non-compliance.

Choose the Right Burners for your Needs at Landfill Alternatives

The benefits of industrial wood burners for businesses are clear. From significant cost savings and improved energy efficiency to a smaller carbon footprint and waste reduction, these systems offer a range of advantages that help businesses reduce their operating costs and improve sustainability.

For businesses looking for a reliable, environmentally friendly heating solution, industrial wood burners are a wise investment. Not only do they provide long-term savings, but they also contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.

Whether you run a small woodworking shop or manage a large recycling plant, there’s an LFA wood burner designed to meet your requirements. From compact and efficient wood burners to high-capacity wood burners, our range of products offers a solution for every scale of operation. Our wood burners are designed to heat large areas efficiently by burning materials such as MDF, chipboard, softwood, and hardwood.

In addition to industrial wood burners, we also offer other essential equipment, including waste balers, compactors, and crushers, to help your business manage waste efficiently. If you’re unsure which product suits your needs, our product finder can help guide you to the right choice.

We encourage you to schedule a free, no-obligation, on-site audit to assess your machine requirements. Our expert team is here to help you find the best solution for your heating and waste management needs.

Contact us today at 01295 816 733 or request a call back to discuss how we can help your business become more energy-efficient and sustainable.