renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
Do you not think that would work if the boiler can supply the heat requirements? We hopefully have someone identified to cut harvest our willow in whole rods soon. We are planning to stack them and season them naturally until the autumn. We might try some in a solar kiln as you mentioned previously if we can get our hands on a 2nd hand polytunnel coming at handy money and the rest outside with the prevailing wind blowing straight into the stack.
The plan would then be to chip as and when required and blow onto a small drying floor to get the moisture down to a consistent level sub 20% and hopefully ready to burn in the boiler we hope to install. Heat would be used for staff room, office, dwelling and small drying floor.
Only initial stage of planning but thats a rough idea of what we're hoping to do. Looked at a similar system last week and hoping to go to look at another tomorrow. The farmers seem happy enough with it. Hopefully draw up more detailed plans with installer as soon as possible.
Dry before you chip is not a problem as your probably only looking at reducing from 25% down to 20% which is within the capability of grain driers but green chip at 50% down to 20% is a whole different ball game which is why I suggested the Lenz system.