Energy Source: German community fights energy costs with wood

Wood Could Be German Answer to Soaring Energy Prices
In search for alternatives to heating with gas, Germans are increasingly turning to wood. Wood-burning stoves are subsidized by the government, but experts warn of serious health repercussions.
Germany is one of Europe’s most densely forested countries, and soaring oil and gas prices are leading more households to switch to modern wood-burning heating systems, Germany’s forest owners’ association says.
Heating systems fuelled by wood pellets have been installed in 70,000 German buildings in recent years. The technology — which is more expensive than oil or gas burners — is subsidized by the German government.
Nearly half of all homes in Germany are heated with gas. Ever since Russia started waging war in Ukraine, however, supplies of the fuel have become unreliable. The price has jumped and supply cuts through the strategically important Nord Stream 1 pipeline remain unsolved.
Demand has increased by 30 to 40%, said Alexis Gula, head of Germany’s Association of Chimney Sweeps (ZIV). Customers of his business near Stuttgart tell him why they’re turning to wood for heating.