Toward a Sustainable Society: The Visitor Center’s Pellet Stove
Winters in Urabandai are known for below-freezing temperatures and a cumulative average of 3 meters of snowfall in the mountains. The Urabandai Visitor Center uses an eco-friendly pellet stove that burns compressed wood chips from sustainable sources to help heat the facility during the colder months.
The chips are derived from three sustainable sources: trees cut down for thinning purposes; pruned branches from living trees; and wood scraps from timber production. Forested areas are thinned so the remaining trees can grow to their full potential, and to reduce fire risk. Pruning weak branches improves the structural integrity of a tree and encourages healthy new growth.
The wood chips are mechanically ground, dried, and compressed into pellets as natural fuel for the stove. Using waste wood for the pellets makes them a better alternative to fossil fuels, which have a larger carbon footprint.