Environmental sustainability and financial feasibility evaluation of woodfuel biomass used for a potential replacement of conventional space heating sources. Part I: a Greek case study

The issue of the introduction of new environmental friendly and economical fuels to the everyday energy-consuming human activities is controversial and imperative. The recent European legislation, relative to the introduction of biofuels at local and national levels, is conformed to the above direction. The present study is driven to the wider implementation of biofuels, by applying the high heating value Woodfuel that is prolifically cultivated in the Northern Greece context. The administrative tool of the present study is the application of the RETScreen International software developed by Natural Resources Canada. The software methodology is oriented to simulate space heating of houses and domestic water heating by providing a rough and costless initial estimation of the proposed energy projects with very promising results, relevant to its financial feasibility and environmental sustainability.