Energy crisis: how much will it cost to convert schools to wood heating?

Amid the energy crisis that is so rapidly approaching Europe and Hungary, the Interior Ministry has asked educational institutions to immediately assess the feasibility of switching from gas to wood-burning by purchasing stoves. Of course, this is a fundamental change that poses numerous challenges.

Switch to wood heating

As we have reported before, the Interior Ministry would save money on the heating of schools. Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds, it is intstructing educational institutions to start purchasing stoves as soon as possible. But would switching from gas heating to wood heating really be cheaper and more cost-efficient?

To make the switch, schools would need to assess where wood-burning boilers can be used.They would need a specialist to design the chimney and heating system. On top of these, there are still many other tasks schools have to consider. The Szeged municipality and the city newspaper looked at how much all this would cost, Szeged.hu reports.

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According to the experts, it is difficult to imagine converting domestic educational and public institutions to wood heating. They believe that the government should have worked out a strategy to solve the gas supply problem earlier, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu writes. Still, they have done the calculations. The results are not brightest.

The numbers

In Szeged, the smallest school that needs heating is 1,385 square metres, but there are also institutions with a floor area of 9,900 square metres. Classrooms vary in size, averaging 20-25 square metres, with ceilings of 3.6 metres and often poor insulation.

They would need eight months to obtain a mixed-fuel boiler. There is a problem with the supply of spare parts, which slows down production. The cost of conversion depends on the building and the price will rise as demand increases, so the final price is merely a guess.

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According to the newspaper 10,000 tonnes of wood per month may be needed to provide minimum heating for Szeged’s educational institutions. Firewood is also a scarce commodity, but its price in Szeged is already HUF 8-9000 (EUR 20.13-22.65) per hundred kilograms. In a city of this size, firewood alone would cost at least HUF 480-500 million (EUR 1.21-1.26 million), but the amount could reach even HUF 800 million (EUR 2 million).

Conclusion

As can be seen, no matter how much the government thinks that switching from gas heating to wood heating would be a great idea – especially starting with schools and public institutions –, the costs would not at all be low. There are certainly many more things to consider before making this move.

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Source: szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, Szeged.hu, DNH

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2 Comments

Caritas : says:

04/08/2022 at 09:14

DOES Cost – have an OVER-powering point of Consideration, in the theme of this article ???
Millions of us – present day living Hungarians, center on Primary years of Education – born post 1945, we where SCHOOLED – in FREEZER Boxes.
Winter months – the “getting” to and from School, a daily challenge, but a character building for later life exercise.
Teachers – in winter months – educating us – wrapped – dressed in HEAVY over-coats & head gear.
We in our MILLIONS – the “little ones” – gifts to this World, through the Miracle of Life – the un-conditional Love of God, dressed in clothing & footwear, likened to our EDUCATORS – centered on – hoprfully, remaining WARM and literally not freeze to death at our desks.
Hungarians – in our MILLIONS – post 1945 – REMEMBER – what honestly – we suffered & endured.
My commentory – relates to 20th Century – yes 20th Century Hungary.

Hungary – we Move forward to 2022 and into the 21st century – and the REVOLTING or In-humane – “guts” of this article, just REVOLTS me.

Cardinal Peter Erdo – Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church of Hungary and “other” titles bestoyed on HIM, again it is REQUESTED of YOU, pick up the CROSS – led from the FRONT, placing the Holy Roman Catholic Church of Hungary – under your Cardinalship – at the forefront – in OBJECTION – to the keeping of our “little ones” warm in there “places of learning”.
Cardinal Erdo – “off the couch” – come out AGAIN we Pray & ASK – get out of that “Palace of Residence” – of SPLENDOUR and OPULANCE – warmth and tempered air – whats the Theomostat set at, as the MAJORITY of Hungarians, representing 43% of the 9.6 million of us, that are baptised into the Holy Roman Catholic Church – SWELTER – could be said – “burn up” – in this agonizing Heat wave, sweeping Hungary at this time.
Cardinal Erdo – you may be granted the title, through your Cardinal ship, as a “Prince” of the Universal Church – the Holy Roman Catholic Church – BUT it DOES not give YOU rights – to remain seated nor silent, taking a “sit on the fence” postion, exhibiting a position, to avoid stay away from INVOLVING Church – the Holy Roman Catholic Church – with the dictatorial agenda/style – acted out by the present Hungarian Government.
Cardinal Erdo – the respect over decades you have RIGHTFULLY afforded – your FAVOURED – Pontiff being – Saint Pope John Paul 11 – who led, took up numerous CROSSES throughout his PONTIFICATE – you can’t AVOID – a MAJOR biblical term and expression used throughout Saint Pope John Paul 11 earthly life :
“Be Not Affraid”.
Zebedee says:

04/08/2022 at 13:54

“Even wood-burning stoves meeting the new “ecodesign” standard still emit 750 times more tiny particles than a modern HGV truck, another study found, while wood burners also triple the level of harmful pollution inside homes and should be sold with a health warning, according to scientists.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/15/wood-burners-emit-more-particle-pollution-than-traffic-uk-data-shows