Research: Biomass Pellet Machine

Opening this issue as a placeholder to close tabs on my laptop. ⏳

One of the most energy efficient/effective ways of heating a tiny house in the dead of the winter
when there is limited sun light for solar energy is a biomass pellet oven (fireplace).

https://www.leroymerlin.pt/Produtos/Aquecimento-e-Climatizacao/Aquecimento-pellets-e-lenha/Salamandras-pellets/WPR_REF_82039639

> **Note**: More research on the pellet oven/fireplace is required. (there are definitely cheaper options!)

The problem of biomass pellets is the **price**:
https://www.deco.proteste.pt/comunidades/energias-renovaveis/aquecer-o-ar-e-climatizar/conversation/10260/preco-dos-pellets-a-disparar

Basically 2 years ago a **`15kg`** bag used to cost **`€4`** (I suspect an introductory market-share grabbing price) and now costs **`€7`** ...

But given how much biomass we would have on the land https://github.com/dwyl/phase-three/issues/116

we could probably make a few hundred kilos of pellets ourselves each year just from wood chips, leaves and fallen branches.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000562889051.html

One of the other major advantages of a biomass compactor

Free And Virtually Unlimited Fuel To Heat Your Home: https://youtu.be/2aLZ88_DZz8
[](https://youtu.be/2aLZ88_DZz8)

> **Note**: I don't think we would _sell_ the pellets we make commercially. There are already plenty of sellers.
The idea would just be to make enough for _us_ and the Tiny Houses on our land.

# How?

The idea would be to collect all the "woody" biomass on the land during the autumn
when the leaves/branches fall and annual crops are harvested e.g. corn 🌽
run it through a wood chipper to reduce the size of each particle
then compact it into pellets using a biomass compactor.

Store the resulting pellets in a dry place e.g: Greenhouse https://github.com/dwyl/phase-three/issues/130
and then steadily use it throughout the winter while putting the ash on the compost heap.