The History of Pellet Stoves

The pellet stove uses recycled materials for fuel.

A pellet stove is a heating device that burns biomass materials for fuel. The biomass materials, such as sawdust, corn kernels, cherry pits or wood chips, are compressed into small pellets. Stoves that burn recycled materials for fuel are not new inventions, but the modern pellet stove developed from the 1970s oil crisis, when Americans looked for more efficient heating systems.

Early Developments

The idea for the pellet stove was born from the oil drum stoves of the Great Depression and the Pres-to-Log of the 1930s. However, fossil fuels were abundant in the early 20th century so there was no demand for biomass energy systems.

Crisis

The energy crisis of the 1970s caused Americans to look for less expensive and more efficient means of heating homes and businesses. The pellet stove was invented to produce heat as it burned recycled products. Pellet stoves also burn cleanly, producing less carbon dioxide and other by-product wastes into the environment.

Demand

Pellet stoves enjoyed increased sales in the 1980s, but demand declined when natural gas and oil prices eased. A spike in energy costs in 2005 drove Americans to the pellet stove once again, but pellet warehouses couldn't supply the overwhelming demand.

References

• Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security: Alternative Heating Sources
• University of Idaho: Potlatch Corporation, Pres-to-log Division
• Pellet Stoves Guide: Before You Buy Pellet Stoves
• Mother Earth News: Considering a Wood Pellet Stove? Do Your Homework First