More stringent air quality standards and targets will be introduced from 2030. EU law aims to reduce air pollution in the EU to ensure zero air pollution by 2050. Does this mean that all emission-based heating, including wood and pellet heating, will be banned after 2030? This question is answered by an expert.
- New EU rules set stricter limits and targets for 2030 compared to current rules for several pollutants, including particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and SO2 (Sulphur dioxide).
- For the two pollutants with the greatest documented impact on human health, i.e. PM2.5 and NO2the annual limit values are to be reduced by more than half from 25 µg/m3 do 10 µg/m3 and with 40 µg/m3 do 20 µg/m3 appropriately.
- Air quality standards shall be reviewed by 31 December 2030, and thereafter at least every five years, or more frequently if prompted by new scientific findings, such as revised World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines.
- Member States will be able to request a postponement of the deadline for achieving air quality limit values to 2030 by up to 10 years if certain conditions are met, including where the necessary reductions can only be achieved by replacing a significant proportion of existing domestic heating systems causing pollutant emissions exceedances.
- However, as you can see, sooner or later more restrictive standards may affect the owners of houses heating with pellets or wood. We asked an expert if this is what will happen.
The approved EPBD directive allows for the heating of new zero-emission buildings of the future with renewable energy sources. Without a doubt, biomass, i.e. wood and wood pellets, are among the renewable sources according to the EU EPBD directive approved in April this year. However, people who burn wood or pellets know that boilers and this type of heating are not emission-free.
This means that when burning pellets or wood in the boiler, we pollute the air. How much?
What emissions can a home heating system based on wood and pellets cause?
On the Internet we can find a number of publications and calculations showing how much pollution it produces.
For example, a poorly insulated house consumes 140 kWh/m per year2year with a usable area of 120 m22, in which 4 people live and consume hot water 40/l per person. The hot water temperature will not exceed 45 degrees Celsius. The number of days a pellet or wood (gasified) boiler is in operation is 325 days a year.
Thus, an energy-saving pellet boiler will produce approximately 1,577 kg of CO2/year.
In the case of a wood gassing boiler, CO emissions2 will be approximately 533 kg of CO2/year as shown in the table below.
Summary of annual emissions of pollutants from a house with an area of 120 m2 and energy standard of 140 kWh/m2year
Fuel Type | Type of boiler | CO2 (kg/rok) |
CO (kg/rok) |
Dust (kg/rok) |
SO2 (kg/rok) |
NOx (kg/rok) |
Wood | Wood gassing boiler | 533 | 324,60 | 0,39 | 161,29 | 5,27 |
Wood | Pellet boiler | 1577 | 46,63 | 0,34 | 4,77 | 4,62 |
Source: Vaillant and Sauner Duval
So let’s get to the point. More and more often there are voices that heating with wood is very unfriendly to the environment and causes smog.
More stringent air quality standards and targets by 20230.
New EU rules set stricter limits and targets for 2030 compared to current rules for several pollutants, including particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and SO2 (Sulphur dioxide).
For the two pollutants with the greatest documented impact on human health, i.e. PM2.5 and NO2the annual limit values are to be reduced by more than half from 25 µg/m3 do 10 µg/m3 and with 40 µg/m3 do 20 µg/m3 appropriately.
There will also be more air quality measurement points in cities
Air quality standards shall be reviewed by 31 December 2030, and thereafter at least every five years, or more frequently if prompted by new scientific findings, such as revised World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines.
Member States will be able to request a postponement of the deadline for achieving air quality limit values to 2030 by up to 10 years if certain conditions are met, including where the necessary reductions can only be achieved by replacing a significant proportion of existing domestic heating systems causing pollutant emissions exceedances.
However, as you can see, sooner or later more restrictive standards may affect the owners of houses heating with pellets or wood. We asked an expert if this is what will happen.
Will heating homes with wood and pellets be restricted by the EU and national regulations in the future?
The requirements for home heating in anti-smog resolutions are constantly being tightened, and EU regulations on air quality are also being introduced.
Is it because of the increasing restrictions and standards related to maintaining air cleanliness in Poland and the EU?
We asked Krzysztof Woźniak, an expert at Drewno Pozytcyjna Energia (DPE) for air quality, representing the Polish Association of Fireplaces and Stoves, about these issues.
Woody biomass is various types of fuel, including: lump wood, wood pellets, briquettes and wood chips. All these fuels have one thing in common: they are renewable. Both in Polish (RES Act) and European legislation, they are full-fledged Renewable Energy Sources. No worse than photovoltaics, wind energy or geothermal energy. No regulations provide for restrictions on the use of renewable energy sources, including wood biomass. – notes Krzysztof Woźniak, DPE air quality expert. – It is also worth emphasizing the zero emission of greenhouse gases (CO2) biomassbecause although carbon dioxide is emitted during combustion, the burning wood had to absorb the same amount of it from the atmosphere.
As the DPE air quality expert emphasizes, the balance of this emission is therefore zero and in the sense of preventing global warming, this fuel is recommended as “emission-free”.
However, heating with wood may have an adverse effect on air quality and this must be taken into account in anti-smog regulations. However, there are no restrictions on the use of wood for heating houses – only the use of heating devices (boilers or fireplaces) that meet the appropriate emission standards regarding air pollution is required. – notes Krzyszto Woźniak. – EU ecodesign regulations standardize this. Provincial anti-smog regulations in Poland temporarily allow devices with higher pollutant emissions, but ultimately they only allow those that meet ecodesign requirements.
The exception throughout Europe is the city of Krakow, where the use of solid fuels is prohibited.
The effect of this ban is an increase in the energy poverty of residents, which is one of the reasons for the lack of followers on our continent – emphasizes the DPE air quality expert.
Does heating with wood or pellets cause high air pollution?
We also asked Krzysztof Woźniak, DPE air quality expert, whether owners of pellet or wood gasification stoves should be afraid that their boilers produce too much pollutants thrown into the air and will have to limit heating their homes using biomass?
As I have already mentioned, only in Krakow has the possibility of heating with wood been limited. This should not be feared elsewhere, because apart from increasing poverty (which was confirmed by President Majchrowski in a letter to Prime Minister Morawicki), this ban was also groundless. It does not take into account the basic principles of sustainable development and scientific studies on smog risk. It is true that wood biomass devices can produce a huge, too high amount of air pollutants, especially particulate matter (PM). In order to make a business out of this fact, they carefully omitted the information that pellet boilers, gasification boilers and fireplaces that meet ecodesign standards do not have a significant impact on air pollution. – emphasizes Krzysztof Woźniak.
We need to limit the use of outdated and unecological wood and pellet stoves
As Krzysztof Woźniak, DPE air quality expert, emphasizes, it was necessary to limit the use of only old devices and promote new ones.
The bizarre ban on fuel (and not old devices) forced Krakow’s inhabitants to buy mainly devices powered by fossil natural gas, which got them into further trouble. Further EU taxes (ETS2) will be imposed on gas and ultimately these devices will also be banned for climate protection reasons – notes Krzysztof Woźniak, DPE air quality expert – These restrictions do not apply to woody biomass, which is now also known in the mainstream. It seems that no one outside Krakow can be fooled into a local ban on the use of biomass, and no one from above (through the EU) intends to do so. However, such attempts are constantly being repeated, but it must be remembered that cheap heating of houses with renewable and easily available wood, especially in pieces, is the best way to ensure energy security – sums up the expert.