The Influence of Heating Degree Days on Fuelwood Consumption in Households in Selected Countries of Central and Southeastern Europe

Serbia is one of the few European countries that does not keep official statistics and does not have data on heating degree days. A heating degree day (HDD) represents a measure to quantify the energy needs for heating a building. In order to create a database, six meteorological stations in Serbia had been selected, for which the heating degree days were calculated for every year in the period 2010-2018. The months with the highest values of heating degree days were also determined for each year of the analyzed period. In addition to the annual level, heating degree days in the heating seasons over the analyzed period were calculated for the six selected stations, as well as the length and the average air temperature of each heating season. In Serbia, heating season officially lasts from October 15 to April 15. To determine the influence of the calculated annual heating degree days on fuelwood consumption in households in Serbia, over the period 2010-2018, multiple econometric models were formulated. The influence of the annual values of heating degree days on fuelwood consumption for household space heating in Slovenia and Croatia was analyzed, as well. The analysis of energy consumption in the households of the selected countries showed that wood fuels are mostly used for heating, primarily fuelwood. This is the reason why this type of fuel was selected for the research.

Comparative Analysis of Wood Fuels Consumption in Households in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Analysis of the consumption of wood energy from wood-based fuels in households in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the main purpose of this paper. A survey on wood fuel consumption was first conducted using the Wood fuel Integrated Supply/Demand Overview Mapping (WISDOM) methodology of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). These results were compared to the results published by official statistics. The survey was conducted in ten cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely in 5,475 households, 2,669 urban and 2,806 other households. The results of the research showed that wood fuels were used in 516,334 or 71.59% of the total number of households. Firewood was used in 497,139 households or in 96.28% in relation to the total number of households in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina that used wood fuels. The surrounding countries showed similar trends. The estimated consumption of firewood in households using the WISDOM methodology is 4.10 (when compared to the official statistical data on total felled timber in and outside public and private forests) to 4.93 times higher than the official statistical data (when compared to the official statistical data on the sale of firewood in state forests), i.e. 4.52 times higher in average. This research indicates the need to apply a new methodological approach for the collection and analysis of data on the consumption of wood fuels in households for energy purposes. Some of the shortcomings of the existing official statistics are the neglect of statistically unregistered production of firewood from private forests and from areas not categorized as forests and forest land, as well as incomplete coverage in terms of conducting a survey on consumption of all categories of wood fuels and all major consumer categories. All the aforementioned, in addition to the economic consequences, has a negative impact on the fulfilment of commitments arising from international agreements in terms of the share of energy from renewable sources and greenhouse gas emissions in total energy consumption in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, incomplete knowledge of the realistic supply and consumption of wood fuels can affect the reliability of planning documents in forestry, with many negative consequences for sustainability of a complex forest ecosystem.

Wood Fuel Procurement to Bioenergy Facilities: Analysis of Moisture Content Variability and Optimal Sampling Strategy

Moisture content is the most relevant quality parameter for wood fuels. Effective and fast determination of moisture of incoming feedstock is essential in the management of bioenergy facilities. The availability of fast and reliable moisture meters based on innovative technologies simplifies this task. However, in Mediterranean conditions the inherent variability of wood fuels calls for a careful sampling strategy if representative results are required while facing acceptable analytic costs. The present study is aimed at measuring the fuel heterogeneity and defining accordingly the appropriate number of samples to be analyzed in order to get reliable moisture-content results. A total of 70 truckloads (about 2270 t of woodchips) were sampled during commercial operations in two different seasons. Five samples were collected from each load and measured with standard method and magnetic resonance gauge. Results show that the variability of moisture content is influenced by mixing of species and storage of biomass. Heterogeneity can vary greatly also within single truckloads, to the point that three samples are needed to achieve about 90% of estimates within the desired precision limits. In the case of larger lots, such as barge or ship loads, 20 samples can provide sufficient precision in most scenarios.

Wood fuels consumption in households in the Republic of Srpska: A comparative analysis of the wisdom methodology and official statistics

The paper presents the results of a research on wood fuels used for heating in households in the Republic of Srpska (RS). The main objective of this research was to determine the real consumption of wood fuels in households in the Republic of Srpska using the internationally recognized WISDOM methodology, as well as to compare the obtained results with the official statistical data. In order to conduct the research and obtain a relevant sample, the Republic of Srpska was divided into six mesoregions. The research was conducted in 3,149 households, namely 1,380 urban and 1,769 other households. The results indicated that firewood and other wood fuels were used in 334,761 households. Analyzing the differences between the results obtained using the WISDOM methodology and the official statistical data for the Republic of Srpska, it can be concluded that the consumption of firewood was on average 3.41 times higher compared to the official statistical data. Results of similar research projects implemented in the surrounding countries showed similar trends. The paper suggests the necessity of adopting a new approach and comprehensive research in surveys conducted by official institutions.