Comparison of heating types for homes and industrial facilities. Universal boiler for pellets and gas Comparison of gas and pellets

We calculated the cost of obtaining 1 kWh of heat from various types fuel, as well as costs for the entire heating season, plus payback periods for heating systems.

It is generally accepted that the most profitable heating option is main gas. But not everyone can say exactly how quickly its connection will pay for itself, even if a gas pipe is already laid along the border of your site. Therefore, the question “what is cheaper to heat a house” will be very relevant. To answer this, we have prepared two tables and a chart. The first table contains information on the cost of obtaining 1 kWh of heat from various types of fuel at prices at the beginning of 2016. The diagram shows fuel costs for one heating season. And in the second table - the payback period of heating systems in comparison with an electric boiler.

Table of the cost of obtaining thermal energy for heating from various types of fuel

* - taking into account the density of folded chopped wood and the density of the wood itself
** — taking into account efficiency at average temperatures around -5° C, which corresponds to winter near Moscow
***—the average value of tariffs for Moscow Region is taken in proportions of 2/1.

The data in the table is sorted by cost of heat produced when burning each type of fuel, converted to kWh. We deliberately did not sort the list based on boiler efficiency, since there may be variations here. Although the bulk of high-quality boilers for various fuels have an efficiency of 80%. We will also leave aside issues of ease of use of a particular type of fuel. Of course, the most problem-free options here will be electricity, a heat pump, as well as main gas, albeit to a lesser extent. In other cases there will be more trouble.

Next we will calculate heating season cost for the Moscow Region, based on a house with an area of ​​100 m2 insulated according to SNiP. Conventionally, we will assume that it is necessary to actively heat from approximately November to March (150 days a year). Moreover, with an average temperature difference of 25 degrees (we take the average temperature of all five months as -4°C), the total heat loss will be approximately 2.3 kW. Those. You need to spend 55.2 kWh per day to heat such a house. For a season – ~8280 kWh.

Costs per heating season for different types of fuel for an insulated house of 100 m2

The most advantageous views fuels are coal and gas. The most expensive is electricity.

Now let's count payback periods for heating systems for different types of fuel. Let's assume that the house has water heating with an electric boiler with a capacity of 9 kW (15 thousand rubles). Let's take this as basic version. To switch to main gas, you need to replace the boiler (15 thousand rubles), install a chimney (30 thousand rubles) and connect to the main line (from 50 to 400 thousand rubles, for calculations we used 200 thousand). To switch to coal, firewood or pellets, you also need to install a chimney and replace the boiler with an appropriate one (40 thousand rubles for a regular one and ~80 thousand for a boiler with automatic feed), plus prepare a storage room. For liquefied gas, among other things, you will need a gas tank with an installation (190 thousand rubles). And for a heat pump – the system itself with installation (~350 thousand rubles). In this case, we will assume that the owner then carries out the removal of ash and maintenance of the systems independently.

Payback period of various heating systems in comparison with an electric boiler

Everyone should draw conclusions from this table themselves in accordance with their needs and capabilities. Let’s just make a reservation that for houses with a larger area than we took into account, heating with electricity is not applicable, since electric boilers with a power of 10 kW or more already require connection to a three-phase 380 V network. Also, payback calculations will be slightly different for houses with an area of ​​more than 200 m 2.

Important note! All calculations in the article are given without taking into account ventilation losses, which for one reason or another are usually absent in small country houses. If we follow SNiP in this matter, when the air in the room of the configuration in question must be renewed approximately once an hour, then heating costs should approximately triple! But in practice, ventilation, if not forgotten about, is ensured supply valves and vents, which ultimately can increase the costs shown in the diagram by 1.5 times. Accordingly, this will lead to a decrease in the payback period in the table.

If there is a central gas supply, the question of the heating method disappears by itself, since natural gas is the cheapest and most efficient raw material for the heating system. However, in case of its absence, before the owners of private houses and country cottages several questions arise at once: the easier it is to heat a room, which is more expensive – kilowatt propane butane or pellets, which option to choose, etc.

Types of heating of a private house

There are several ways to provide country house warmth in cold weather:

1. Electricity;
2. liquefied gas;
3. pellets;
4. coal and firewood.

For many, price is of paramount importance, so it is advisable to determine at the planning stage what is more expensive: propane butane, pellets, or a kilowatt of electricity.

Comparison of home heating costs different types fuel (actual figures may vary)

The use of electricity is perhaps the most in an accessible way in terms of organization. Unlike gas, a cable with supply voltage is supplied to almost every home in our country. However, electric heating also has its disadvantages. Firstly, 1 kilowatt is quite expensive (from 3 rubles). Secondly, not every power transmission line will be able to provide a populated area with the required load.

With proper operation of a standard furnace design, the efficiency will be slightly higher than that of electric heating. However, to create optimal temperature indoors will require a lot of effort. Any stove needs to be regularly filled with firewood or coal, so mornings in such houses are often cold.

Today, the most optimal solutions for organizing a heating system are the use of liquefied hydrocarbon gas (propane-butane) or fuel granules (pellets). Therefore, we will dwell on these options in more detail.

On the left is a gas tank that is filled with LPG; on the right - pellets

Propane-butane and fuel pellets: how to heat with them

Advantages autonomous gasification:

• independent gas supply;
• high efficiency;
• low refueling frequency;
• a warm home at any time;
• hot water.

You will find more articles from our blog on this topic.

The advantages of LPG and gas holder cannot be denied

When wondering what is more expensive – a kilowatt of propane butane or pellets, you need to understand the specifics of using fuel pellets. For their combustion, special solid fuel boilers, which are capable of regulating the supply of fuel and the release of thermal energy. Of course, such equipment costs a lot (from 150,000 rubles), however, its efficiency is an order of magnitude greater than that of a conventional oven. Some models provide not only comfortable conditions indoors, but also to organize hot water supply.

Where is the efficiency higher and what is more expensive - a kilowatt of propane butane or pellets

When burning 1 kg of solid fuel, 5 kW of thermal energy is released, and when burning 1 kg of liquefied gas - 12.8 kW. Coefficient useful action propane-butane is higher than fuel pellets. At the same time, pellets have a lower cost - 7 rubles/kg versus 27 rubles/kg. Simple calculations show that 1 kW of solid fuel costs 1.4 rubles, while the price of a kilowatt of liquefied gas is 2.1 rubles.

As you can see, the cost of thermal energy obtained from a propane-butane mixture is 1.5 times higher. However, when choosing the most suitable heating option, not only the price of fuel is taken into account, but also some operational issues.

And below is a video on the production of pellets:

Comparison of heating systems

The gas storage facility is usually located underground, that is, it does not occupy free space on the site. However, to store pellets it is necessary separate room, in which air humidity must be maintained at a minimum level. In addition, fuel pellets require periodic loading, not as frequent as when using firewood and coal, but human intervention is still necessary. The gas tank is filled no more than 2 times a year, and the rest of the time you simply enjoy the presence of gas in the house and warm rooms.

The video shows the operating principle of a pellet stove:

To summarize, we can say that pellets are beneficial to use in small businesses, especially in the woodworking industry. Firstly, fuel pellets can be made from wood waste and virtually waste-free production can be achieved. Secondly, in such conditions it is not so difficult to find a dry and spacious place to store fuel.

You can fill the tank with high-quality propane-butane at the Promtekhgaz company, which will help ensure uninterrupted gas supply to your enterprise or private home.

You choose between a pellet and propane gas boiler (gas holder).

It is important to compare annual heating costs for each type of fuel in order to make an informed decision on the choice of energy carrier. Your monthly expenses will depend on this.

In addition to cost, other factors influencing the choice of boiler are also important, which are related to the peculiarities of their maintenance.

So, what pitfalls can you expect when choosing a boiler:

1) Permission. The installation of propane boilers requires a special permit because they are explosive.

A pellet boiler does not require a permit for installation because the fuel is not explosive.

2) The cost of pellet and gas boilers, including installation, is approximately the same. The fact is that when installing a gas tank, it will be necessary to hire special equipment to bury the tank in the ground.

3) In both cases you will need to service the boiler. In the case of gas, you will need to change the cylinder, or periodically pump in gas (in the case large volumes). In this case, the pellet boiler must be cleaned periodically (on average once a month - depending on the type of heat exchanger and the quality of the pellets) and the pellets must be poured into the bunker (once every 2 - 20 days, depending on the volume of the bunker and temperature)

4) Propane costs more. IN this moment, the price for heating with propane will be 2 times higher than with pellets. Plus, market trends show that gas is becoming more expensive than pellets.

Heating cost

As previously mentioned, the cost of installing both types of boilers is approximately the same. At the same time, monthly heating costs with propane are approximately 2 times higher.

Certainly, exact numbers depend on the cost of fuel in your specific region.

An example of a comparison of heating payback - a 100 kW boiler

Pellet heating / Gas holder

Boiler cost: RUB 300,000. / 50,000 rub.

Cost of installation of the boiler room and heating system: RUB 10,000. / 10,000 rub. + 50,000 rub. (additional installation costs: permit, canister installation)

Total turnkey installation: RUB 310,000. / 110,000 rub.

Fuel cost per year: RUB 372,890. / RUB 1,954,960

1st year total expenses: RUB 682,890. / RUB 2,064,960

3rd year total expenses: RUB 1,428,670. / RUB 5,974,880

5th year total expenses: RUB 2,174,450. / RUB 9,884,800

Thus, after 5 years, the benefit from heating with pellets is 7,710,350 rubles.

Easily. We can make a calculation specifically for you.

Having answered basic questions (area, ceiling height, required indoor temperature, etc.), we will calculate for you:

Required boiler power;

Comparison of heating costs using pellets, propane and other types of fuel;

Payback period for heating using pellets compared to propane.

What type of fuel is preferable for heating a country house in winter?

Recently entered the market the new kind raw materials for autonomous heating systems - pellets. What are the convenience and benefits of this type of fuel? In this article you will find a comparison of pellets with gas - the cheapest and most accessible fuel at the moment. The purpose of the article is not to convince the reader of the optimality of one option and the unacceptability of another. The main task is to provide information about the advantages and disadvantages of both methods, so that the reader can make a choice taking into account his requirements and conditions.

Many owners of country houses are faced with a choice: install a heating gas or solid fuel boiler or connect to an existing main gas pipe. Heating boilers are presented on the market in a very wide range, but the most economical to operate (but not at the price of the boiler itself) are solid fuel boilers that use pellets - wood pellets - as fuel.

Let's compare two competing methods of heating a country house. The first is to connect the house to the existing main gas line. The second is to install a pellet boiler.

CONNECTION

Work to connect to the existing highway includes the following scope:

Preparation of documentation (it is necessary to agree on the gasification project, pass inspections by the relevant structures);

Purchase and lay pipes (if necessary, purchase and install a step-down station);

Spend in the house construction works(prepare a place for equipment, cut in a pipe, paint chimneys);

Buy additional gas equipment(taps, meters, couplings, etc.);

Install the boiler and connect it to the gas supply system;

Pressure test the pipeline;

Pay for the fact of connection.

Most of the work and calculations are carried out by invited gas trust specialists.

The process also involves gas service employees, employees of the fire service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who carry out inspections of the chimney and grounding, and construction workers who dig trenches for pipes.

Knowing the prices in a particular region, you can calculate the estimated cost of the entire range of work. In the Moscow region, the process of connecting to a main pipe at a distance of up to 100 meters will cost approximately 5 thousand. (this includes the purchase of a step-down station). If no one has made connections in the cottage village before you, then in the future, with an increase in the number of users connected as part of this gasification project, you will be able to partially recover your costs.

Pellets

The cost of equipping a place to place a boiler is comparable to that of a gas boiler (preparing chimneys, carrying out fire safety measures).

However, it is possible to install and connect the boiler without the participation of external specialists.

Pellet consumption per 10 kW boiler - 2 kg/hour or about two bags (50 kg) of pellets per day, respectively, about 1.5 tons of pellets are needed for a month. Buying pellets every day or even every week is too troublesome. It is convenient to purchase fuel at least once a month. Therefore, a certain supply of pellets needs to be stored somewhere. To store such a stock, you can use a special container. It is quite voluminous and takes up space, but given the biological inactivity of pellets, in the summer this storage can be used for other purposes.

Direct moistening of pellets during storage is not allowed, however, storing them in winter simply under a canopy will also not improve the quality of the fuel.

SAFETY

Although this happens quite rarely, the danger of a gas leak always exists.

Pellets

IN currently this type of fuel is the safest.

COST OF EQUIPMENT

The price of a gas boiler with the necessary automation ranges around 1.5-2 thousand.

To save money, you can buy separately gas burner and equip your existing boiler with it. It will be much cheaper than buying a boiler.

Pellets

Solid fuel pellet boilers with an operating power of 15-20 kW cost from 4 thousand.e. It is also possible to purchase a pellet burner and install it in an existing solid fuel boiler. In this case, you can get by with 3-4 thousand USD.

EXPLOITATION

Maintenance, cleaning, checking and adjustment of the gas boiler must be carried out once a year. Main gas meets all standards, the quality of the fuel remains unchanged.

Pellets

You need to clean and throw away the ash once every 2 weeks, the frequency of cleaning the burner depends on the quality of the pellets, but not less often once every 2 months. Once a year it is necessary to carry out a complete cleaning with removal decorative panels. The regularity of cleaning work depends on the quality of the fuel, which varies depending on the raw materials used by the manufacturer, production technology, storage conditions and transportation of pellets, etc. In Russia there is no uniform standard of requirements for this type of fuel.

ECOLOGY

The gas has a smell, which not everyone likes. During combustion, CO is formed in significant quantities.

Combustion is accompanied by the smell of burning wood logs. CO emissions are significantly lower than when burning gas.

HEATING COST

High thermal productivity of gas - 33 MJ/cubic meter (7500 Kcal/cubic meter)

The price of 1 thousand cubic meters of gas is 1200 rubles

Pellets

The heating performance of pellets is lower than that of gas and depends on their quality. Reaches 19 MJ/kg (4500 Kcal/kg)

The average price of 1 ton of pellets is about 3,000 rubles

Cost calculations

If 1 thousand cubic meters of gas is needed to heat a room, then, accordingly, to heat the same area, 1.73 tons of pellets will be required. In monetary terms, 1,200 rubles versus 7,000 rubles (the difference is 5 times).

Seasonal heating costs depend on the area of ​​the room, the quality of insulation, and the difference in temperature between the external and internal air. To calculate the power of boilers there is different techniques. To make a rough estimate, you need to remember: by 100 square meters the heated area needs 10 kW (with an average seasonal temperature difference of 40 degrees Celsius: -20 external air and +20 internal).

OTHER BENEFITS

Convenient to use. Can be connected gas stove for cooking food. You don't have to worry about purchasing, storing and loading fuel.

Pellets

Certain autonomy (however, keep in mind that pellet boilers run on electricity).

Pellets can also be used in other ways: for example, as an absorbent for technical oil leaks.

PROSPECTS

The cost of gas on the domestic market is 50 USD. for 1000, and on the outside it is five times higher - 250 USD. In this regard, there is a possibility that the price on the domestic market will tend to the world price, as was the case with gasoline.

At the same time, the gasification program for villages and villages is actively continuing, constantly expanding the regions of use of gas boilers with lower connection costs.

Pellets

The cost most likely will not change significantly, despite the fact that large volumes of pellets are exported, but the number of production of this type of fuel is also growing, since this is a rather promising direction.

Pellets - enough new technology, perhaps it will be improved, which will affect the cost and overall efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

Both gas and pellet boilers have their own undeniable advantages and cons. The final result depends on how a particular consumer views the specific qualities of the fuel. For some, the environmental friendliness of the boiler is important, while others try to communicate minimally with representatives of various bureaucratic structures.

The costs of connecting to the main gas line (with some restrictions: distance to the nearest main line, relations with representatives of the gas trust, etc.) and installing a gas boiler are one and a half to two times higher than the costs of installing a solid fuel pellet boiler of the corresponding power.

However, using gas to heat your home is several times more economical than using pellets as fuel.

The boiler is not installed for a year or two, so if the savings in operating the boiler compensate for the high cost of its installation, then in this case you should opt for a gas boiler. Otherwise, it is more logical to choose a pellet boiler.

To heat Vacation home, dacha or cottage, you need fuel. It’s good if it is possible to connect to a gas pipeline. What to do if it is not there? Let's try to understand the pros and cons of other heating methods.

Heating with electricity

High price. If natural gas is the cheapest source of energy, then electricity is, if not the most expensive, then one of the most expensive. One kilowatt-hour of electricity will cost . For comparison, a kilowatt-hour of natural gas costs , and propane-butane costs . Over the course of a year, this difference can result in tens and hundreds of thousands of rubles in additional expenses.

Insufficient selection. The general availability of electricity (unlike natural gas, it really is everywhere) does not mean that there will be enough energy to heat an entire country house. Not every suburban electrical network can handle the power consumed by the heating system. If the network fails, solving this problem is almost as difficult as installing a gas pipeline.

Disadvantages of electric heating

• High price.
• Voltage drop in the network in cold weather.
• Insufficient electricity output.

Heating with liquefied gas

Propane-butane is a liquefied gas that is used to fuel gas-powered cars and well-known “dacha” cars. gas cylinders Red. He gives best combination prices and comfort after natural gas.

For autonomous heating of a private house with gas, it is necessary to install an underground gas tank on the site. One gas tank holds several thousand liters of liquefied gas. This volume is enough to heat the house for many months. When the gas tank is empty (this happens once or twice a year), it will be replenished by special refueling vehicles.

Low price. Propane-butane is one and a half to two times cheaper than electricity or diesel fuel: per kWh versus electricity and diesel fuel.

In practice, this means the difference between how much it costs to heat 100 square meters with liquefied gas for a year and the much more significant amount that would have to be paid when using diesel fuel.

Convenience. Like natural gas or electricity, propane-butane is supplied to heating system without human intervention. This is not firewood or coal that needs to be thrown in several times a day. Liquefied gas does not require regular loading and constant supervision. The gas holder needs to be refilled once or twice a year, and this is done by a professional, not the homeowner. In winter, snow may need to be cleared so that the gas station can access the site. This is the worst thing that can happen.

Doesn't take up space. The gas tank is located underground. You can walk on it, herbaceous plants and even bushes can grow over it. During operation the system gas heating does not emit a noticeable odor. There is no comparison with firewood, coal, pellets or diesel fuel, the storage of which will have to waste space on the site or in the house.

Disadvantages of heating with liquefied gas

Heating with diesel fuel

For heating with diesel fuel, you will also need a tank, and the costs of its installation will be comparable to the costs of autonomous gasification Houses. At the same time, unlike propane-butane, diesel fuel cannot be called cheap.

High price. Diesel fuel is the most expensive source of energy used for autonomous heating of a private home. A kilowatt-hour of diesel fuel costs . Even electricity is a little cheaper. It may not be easy to spend more on heating.

Unpleasant smell. This is an inevitable property of diesel fuel. A strong smell will follow the unfortunate owner of a diesel fuel tank everywhere. The house will smell like a garage, and the area will smell like a working tractor, and nothing can be done about it.

Problems when using low-quality fuel. Using low-quality diesel fuel can lead to serious damage heating equipment. Those who use liquefied gas and AvtonomGaz gas tanks do not have such a problem: the quality of propane-butane does not affect its consumer properties.

Disadvantages of heating with diesel fuel

• High price.
• Sometimes you have to clear snow for winter delivery.
• Strong odor in the house and area.
• Use of storage space.

Heating with coal or wood

Wood and coal share the same disadvantages. They require very frequent loading (so often that a large house may need a stoker), require regular ash cleaning, and their storage takes up a fair amount of space on the property. In addition, they also emit a strong odor.

Coal is not particularly better in this regard. It must be loaded into the heating system two to three times a day, that is, a little less often than firewood. As a result, the cost of time (and, accordingly, money if you have to pay the stoker) turns out to be slightly less than when using firewood, but the difference is insignificant: for heating a house of 100 square meters, taking into account the payment of the stoker.

In fairness, it should be noted that this problem has a partial solution. There are special boilers with a bunker into which coal is filled not several times a day, but only once every three to four days. This is a significant improvement over refueling every few hours, but compared to propane-butane or even diesel fuel it looks rather pale.

Warehouse space. The peculiarity of firewood is the need for a large room for storage and drying. To avoid wasting up to 40% of energy on moisture evaporation, they must be dried for three years. A large room will occupy a portion of the site that could otherwise be filled with more useful application. Coal storage also requires a significant area.

Danger of poisoning. An unpleasant odor is a constant companion of any type of solid fuel, but in this case we can talk about a threat not only to the sense of smell, but also to life. If the boiler room is located directly in the house, when using solid fuels, the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning cannot be completely eliminated.

Disadvantages of heating with wood or coal

Fuel pellets made from peat and wood waste, differ from firewood more high density and calorific value. This is the most profitable and comfortable solid fuel, but all its advantages outweigh the already familiar disadvantages: the need for frequent loading, a strong smell, a large storage room for bags of pellets.

Low price. Pellets are surprisingly cheap: only kWh. If you didn't have to spend so much time loading, they would become the cheapest type of fuel. But you still have to spend time, albeit less than when using coal or firewood. Loading of pellets should be done at least once a week, and taking into account the labor of the stoker, this type of fuel can be considered average in cost, but by no means the cheapest: for heating one hundred square meters during the year.

Disadvantages of heating with pellets