This is a more general question about the eligibility of wood as renewable fuel.
Following the Reference Guide I get the impression that all wood apart from untreated waste and mill residue is ineligible. To my opinion this definition is too tight.
I am thinking of wood specifically grown to be used as fuel in wood pellet stoves, CHP or whatever. Assuming this wood comes from sustainable foresting (whatever the criteria may be) this should count as renewable energy in my opinion.
Couldn’t a field of fast growing poplar cut down every 5 years or a pine forest cut down every 100 years and grown only to produce fuel be seen as agriculture?
Is it more sustainable and renewable to take potential food like corn and cereal to produce ethanol than using wood as fuel?
Any comments /thoughts on that?
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11477 thumbs up
April 23, 2011 - 1:28 pm
Jens, I think there is definitely room according to the LEED definitions for onsite forest production to count toward onsite renewables. I definitely would want to see a forest management plan that calls for this being done sustainably. See my earlier response under "biomass boiler."If anyone has more experience with this or has done it successfully, please chime in here!