The Sensor Surge: Why Equipment Engineers Are Adding Sensors Everywhere — and Why the Wood Stove May be Next

MF Fire is the US industry leader in
integrating sensors into wood stoves

Over the last decade equipment engineers have been rapidly adding sensors to cars, HVAC systems, laundry machines, refrigerators and other household appliances. That trend isn’t just about bells and whistles — it’s driven by lower sensor costs, smarter processing at the edge, connectivity, regulatory and efficiency pressures, and real customer value. Below is a concise look at the benefits, the sensor types being deployed, why prices are falling, where the trend is headed, and how this sensor wave will likely soon be more widespread in something old-school: the wood stove.

Sensors have slowly started to enter the wood stove technology space and are catching on in Europe much faster than North America.  In the US, the Baltimore-based MF Fire made an after-market device with funding from the Department of Energy that represents the most sophisticated use of sensors for wood stoves.  At least one big European stove brand, Jotul, with a major footprint in the U.S. are releasing stoves with automated combustion control only in the European market. 

In 2025, Ecodesign suggested that automated combustion control (ACC) should become mandatory on all new stoves, a suggestion that presumably comes from studying the Blauer Engel (Blauer Engel, 2020) certification. This sent a kind of a shockwave through the stove manufacturing industry, and resulted in industry pushback.  The Nordic Ecolabelling system, representing five countries, is considering requiring ACC in new stoves, or other technology innovation. 

According to a 2025 report from Nordic Energy Research, "In Europe, fully automated stoves have been on the market for some time—for example, RIKA (AU) since 2007 (RIKA Rikatronic, 2025) and HWAM (DK) since 2012 (HWAM, 2025)—and are beginning to gain wider recognition amongst consumers and distributors. The Rikatronic technology (now Rikatronic4 as the latest version) was introduced by RIKA of Austria in 2007; it integrates temperature sensors and electronics to control the air supply and advises when another wood log should be put on the fire through a light visible at the front of the fireplace. This seems to be the most advanced technology for a batch fed or manual wood log burner in terms of automating the reloading and ensuring optimum firebox temperatures for reducing emissions."

There are now more than 10 wood stoves with ACC on the market in Europe, with many in the range of US$2,500 - $4,000.  The best selling automated stove in the world may be the Connect 556 made by Contura a major Swedish stove manufacturer.  Once wood stove certification tests become stricter than they are today in the US and Europe, automation is likely to be the safest way to pass the tests.  Otherwise, the inherent variability in combustion in manually operated stoves will not leave any comfortable margin to passing emission tests.  Currently, stove certification labs on both continents have been able to develop the expertise to pass emission tests without hardly any record of stoves failing the test.

European retailers are also starting to advertise the benefits of automated stoves, socializing the technology benefits to consumers, retailers and the wider community concerned about the health impacts of residential wood smoke. But wood stoves still lag far behind other heating and combustion devices when it comes to embracing the adoption of more and more sensors.

It is important to distinguish full automation in wood stoves from partial automation. Full automation means that the stove has no lever for the operator to adjust air flow, unless the onboard computers can override and optimize the stove for emissions, before responding to the user adjustment for more or less heat. With partial automation, the stove still has a lever or handle to adjust airflow, and the stove has some technology to make minor adjustments in air flow.  The bi-metal coils in Blaze King stoves could be considered partial automation, along with the valves in Pacific Energy Neo stoves. Partial automation, often achieved with the need for electricity, appears to only offer minor benefits compared to fully automated stoves.

Without automation, there is
virtually no way to predict the
performance of a stove 
once it leaves the lab.

Air quality agencies in the U.S. – from the EPA, to NESCAUM to state and local agencies – have been focusing on the shortcomings of the certification process and on designing a better testing protocol.  But US institutions are far behind Europe in studying and promoting automation in stoves.

One of the most obvious benefits of ACC is to prevent overnight smoldering along with speeding up the start-up of the stove. But it may be the safety aspects – producing less creosote and safety sensors that offer peace of mind to homeowners (and insurance companies) that will drive innovation.

From 2013 – 2023, the Alliance for Green Heat ran a series of Design Challenges with the Brookhaven National Lab, and funding from NYSERDA, the Department of Energy and Osprey Foundation that sought to accelerate research and production of automation in wood stoves. Some of the contestants, such as MF Fire, have gone on to get that technology into the marketplace with the Fire MAPS Smart Fire Assistant. 

Why sensors are being added:

• Improved safety: early detection of hazards (overheat, leaks, CO) reduces fire and poisoning risk.
• Energy efficiency and emissions: feedback lets systems run only as hard as needed (modulating burners, variable fans).
• Predictive maintenance: sensors spot component wear and anomalies before failure, lowering downtime and service costs.
• Better user experience: remote monitoring, diagnostics, adaptive settings, and automated schedules.
• Regulatory and reporting needs: emissions, indoor-air-quality (IAQ) monitoring, and energy reporting demand measurement.
• Data-driven product improvement and new services (e.g., subscription performance monitoring).

The use and benefits of sensors are different for each
application based on the risks that application faces.

Common sensor types now used in consumer equipment

• Temperature sensors (thermistors, RTDs, digital temp ICs) — ubiquitous in HVAC and appliances.
• Pressure sensors — used for refrigerant systems, combustion chambers, and airflow measurement.
• Humidity sensors — for IAQ, laundry cycles, and HVAC control.
• Gas sensors (CO, CO2, O2, NOx) — safety and emissions control in furnaces and cookers.
• Particulate sensors (optical/laser) — measuring PM2.5/PM10 for IAQ and emission controls.
• Flow sensors (air and liquid) — ensure correct ventilation, fuel, and coolant flow.
• Vibration and accelerometers — detect mechanical faults in compressors, pumps, motors.
• Current and voltage sensors — monitor electrical health and detect stalled motors or short circuits.
• Optical and camera sensors — visual inspections, flame detection, and product state recognition.
• Position and angle sensors — actuators, dampers, and valve control.

The steady growth in the use of sensors is driven by
safety, consumer appeal and benefits to manufacturers. 

Why sensor prices are falling

• MEMS and semiconductor scaling: MEMS fabrication and CMOS integration drive down unit cost and size.
• High-volume consumer markets: smartphones, wearables, and automotive volumes subsidize production for other markets.
• Integration: multifunction sensor packages combine temperature, pressure, humidity, and motion on a single die, lowering BOM cost.
• Standardization and modularity: off-the-shelf sensor modules and cloud-friendly firmware speed integration and reduce engineering cost.
• Wireless and low-power tech: cheaper connectivity (BLE, LoRaWAN, Thread) reduces installation complexity and cost of retrofits.

Is the trend likely to continue? Yes. Expected drivers:

• Continued unit-cost declines and richer sensor fusion capabilities.
• Edge computing and tiny ML: more intelligence on-device reduces data bandwidth and privacy concerns.
• Stricter efficiency and emissions standards worldwide.
• Growing consumer demand for smart, connected products and services.
• OEMs monetizing data and offering remote service/subscription models.

Expect more sensors per device, tighter integration with controls, and better diagnostics.

HVAC sensors are dominated by temperature sensors, which 
in wood stoves are usually Type K thermocouples that 
typically cost a dollar or two.

Is this trend likely to come to wood stoves? Yes — and in multiple practical ways:

The increased use of sensors in stoves is likely for many reasons, not least of which is that they should make it easier to pass new certification tests in the US and Europe. Automation directly address the IDC’s challenge of consistent, repeatable combustion across varied loads and user behavior. That could make automation an attractive technical route to meet performance targets reliably. However, many manufacturer don't have experience with sensors and will likely want to optimize passive design, secondary combustion, or catalytic systems rather than add electronics.

The biggest hurdle in the short term is that government regulators in the US and European countries often do not have the expertise, resources or clout to overcome resistance by industry to changes leading to improved test methods and stricter emission limits. The US currently has an industry friendly, anti-regulatory administration, which could mean individual states get more involved.

Politics aside, the sensor boom is applicable in wood stoves in obvious ways:

• Combustion efficiency: O2, CO, and temperature sensors can enable feedback-controlled air supplies to keep burn in the optimal stoichiometric window, increasing heat output and reducing fuel use.
• Emissions reduction: particulate sensors (optical) and CO monitors can detect smoldering or incomplete combustion and trigger corrective measures (adjust draft or alert the user), reducing smoke and creosote formation.
• Safety: CO sensors and high-temp cutoffs can warn of dangerous conditions or auto-shutdown linked to ventilation failure.
• Draft and airflow control: pressure or differential-pressure sensors across the stove and flue help manage draft for steadier burns.
• Predictive maintenance: temperature profiles, and smoke signatures can indicate gasket wear, or creosote build-up.
• Remote monitoring and automation: smartphone alerts, remote adjustments to air dampers or blower speeds, and usage logging for fuel optimization.
  
  

  

  In the US, the Department of Energy is
  also supporting important automated 
  stove research at Nordica McCarthy's
  lab at Oregon State University

Practical considerations and challenges for wood stoves

Wood stoves present unique challenges because they use a solid fuel with very diverse characters, unlike electricity liquid fuels. In addition:

• Harsh environment: soot, ash, high temperatures and corrosive gases require rugged sensors and protective housings.
• Sensor placement: measuring combustion gases accurately often needs sampling ports or heated lines to the sensor; fouling is a risk.
• Power and connectivity: many stoves are off-grid or in remote cabins; low-power sensors and local edge logic are important. The ability of the stove to work without electricity/sensors is important.
• Cost vs. value: retrofit kits must be affordable and simple; OEM integration at manufacture yields better reliability.
• Certification and safety/regulatory acceptance: devices that influence combustion or safety need testing and standards compliance.
• User behavior: alerts are useful only if users understand and act on them; automation helps and users are learning from all the other sensor interactions in their daily lives.

Jotul says this stove "continually
monitors  temperature  and
automatically  adjusts  air supply  to
optimize combustion — giving cleaner,  more
efficient burning  and reduced emissions."

How this could be deployed

• OEM integration: manufacturers build sensors and control loops into new stoves (best performance and reliability).
• Retrofit modules: compact sensor packs (temp, CO, O2, particulate) with a local controller and optional wireless gateway for older stoves.
• Service-focused models: subscription diagnostics for stoves used in rentals, remote cabins, or commercial premises – or in any stove where the user wants greater peace of mind.
• Simple consumer features: auto-damper control, burn-stage alerts, and CO alarms tied to phone notifications.

Bottom line: Falling sensor costs, smarter edge processing and connectivity are driving a widespread sensor adoption in vehicles and home equipment — and that momentum should continue. Wood stoves are a natural candidate for the next wave of sensor-driven improvements: safer, cleaner, and more efficient burning is technically feasible today, but practical rollout requires rugged sensors, thoughtful placement, simple user interfaces, and standards-compliant designs.

Innovation in stove technology will also be driven by public health concerns. If wood stoves continue to be popular or become more so due to rising heating fuels - electricity, gas and oil - there will likely be more pressure on governments to do a better job at certifying new stoves. However, global warming is making winters warmer, reducing heating bills, which typically reduces the use of wood stoves, which in turn may ease pressure on air regulators.

On America’s 250th birthday, a look at Ben Franklin and wood stoves in 1776

In 1776 in North America the open hearth remained the everyday default for cooking and much domestic heat, but significant innovations were already present and spreading unevenly—concentrated in port towns, shipyards, and wherever foundries, skilled metalworkers, or immigrant masonry traditions existed.

The idea of “closed” or “airtight” wood or cook stoves were far from reality for most Americans, even though they were beginning to emerge and take hold in Europe. Part of the challenge was economic: it was cheaper to build a stone hearth and chimney that to buy a steel stove. But part of the challenge was cultural and emotional: many people believed the open flame was healthier than flames in a closed box.

The man in the middle of these debates was none other than Ben Franklin, one of the core founding fathers of America, who was also an inventor, tinkerer and publisher. To have such a renowned founding father so intimately connected with the lowly wood stove has been a complex legacy. The Alliance for Green Heat has often commented on this complex legacy because those complexities live on today: millions of Americans want an open flame in their living room, just as Ben Franklin did, despite the negative health impact. 

As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we should remember that Ben Franklin’s role was far

Franklin's original design.

greater than most of us appreciate. He was the only founding father to sign four of the key documents that enabled us to be the independent country we are today. The declaration of independence in 1776 was just the beginning. We still had to win the war, and Franklin was the architect of our relationship with France, a decisive ally. He was a signatory of the Treaty of the Alliance with France in 1778, the Treaty of Paris in 1783, and finally, the US Constitution in 1787. Not to mention that during this entire period, he kept tinkering on wood stove designs when living here, in London and in Paris. Of all his tinkering, the wood stove was the one he stuck with all of his life, as it was such an important technology.Franklin’s reputation as an inventor of the wood stove is larger than what he actually invented. Nothing that he invented sold well, and nothing really survived other than what was adapted by others. He never even invented a “stove.” He tried to invent a more efficient fireplace but it was a commercial failure because it had a downdraft that didn’t work, filling the room with smoke. The most famous inventor who took the Franklin and adapted the design was David Rittenhouse, who got rid of the downdraft and added folding doors. But because of Franklin’s name and popularity, and because he purposely did not patent the device, the Rittenhouse stove lived on as the Franklin stove and still lives on today.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country, its worth remembering that energy supplies have always been vital for America and it began with wood. In the 1770s wood was the primary domestic fuel in towns and cities. Just like today, prices and availability varied seasonally (higher in winter) and by proximity to woodlands and navigable transport. Urban centers like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York relied on timber brought in by wagon or boat, so haulage/boat freight often added more to the retail price than the raw timber did.

The Revolutionary War also disrupted the firewood trade, provoked requisitions and impressment of

Today, this is the Franklin stove
model, with folding doors and no 
downdraft.

supplies by both armies. Boston’s port closure (1774) and wartime blockades created acute local shortages and relief drives for firewood.

But it was a period of change away from a renewable carbon based fuel and towards non-renewable carbon fuels. By the 1880s–1890s coal (anthracite and bituminous), manufactured gas, and later coke and electricity were displacing cordwood in many cities.

Rapid urban industrialization and expansion of railroads made coal cheaper and more convenient for heating, cooking, and industry. Cities shifted from cordwood toward anthracite/bituminous coal and manufactured gas for lighting/heating; rural households and small towns often remained wood-dependent longer and some still do.

Railroads also helped the firewood trade, enlarging supply regions and smoothing seasonal shortfalls. Where rail access was good, wood prices tended to fall or stabilize; where railroads were absent or local woodlands were depleted, prices rose.

More efficient, closed stoves reduced per-household wood consumption and coal- and gas-burning appliances further cut demand for cordwood in urban homes. The reliance on firewood in the 1700s, and heavy demand through most of the 1800s created devastating deforestation, and our forests didn’t begin to recover until he late 1800s–early 1900s. Full recovery was uneven by region and continued through the mid‑ to late‑20th century.

If we hadn't discovered coal, our forests
would have been cut down far more than 
they were.

Ben Franklin sought to reduce the amount of wood we needed to heat our homes by participating in a process that continues today: how to design cleaner and more efficient stoves that consistently work in the hands of homeowners. Two hundred years later, another prominent figure – President Jimmy Carter – carried forward that legacy by installing modern, efficient wood stoves in the White House, and urging Americans to use them to save energy.

Pellet Market Hits New High as Europe Weighs Its Clean Heat Options

Every year since its debut release in 2007, Bioenergy Europe’s Statistical Report has provided an in-depth overview of the bioenergy sector in the EU27 Member States.  And every year, the Alliance for Green Heat promotes the report because the detail of using pellets for heat is very instructive for North America.  

The report has extensive information about residential and commercial pellet heating trends as well as a section on the pellet stove market, the residential boiler market and the commercial boiler market. 

AGH reproduces part of the free sample report, which is just a fraction of the entire 177-page report.  We urge our readers to buy the full report, or become a member of Bioenergy Europe to get a free copy.

The full report is free to all Bioenergy Europe members. Not a member yet?

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The report is also on sale. Contact the Bioenergy Europe team to get a copy.

Buy it now!

Pellet curious? Get the sample report.

Download the Sample Report

Founded in 1990, Bioenergy Europe is a non-profit, Brussels-based international organization bringing together over 40 associations and 120 companies, as well as academia and research institutes from across Europe.

Excerpts of the report:

Across Europe, pellet appliances provide renewable heating to more than 6.5 million households.

The pellet sector always likes a cold winter and the 2025 – 2026 heating season generously gave us one after all. Stocks that had accumulated along the supply chain – sometimes from 2022 and 2023 – finally ran out and this led to a boost in production across several

European markets: a nice contrast from the situation in the last two years. Sometimes, too much of a good thing can be stressing as well and tensions were felt around February 2026, when supply dried up and prices took an upward trend. In some countries, the situation was such that the pellet sector was brought back into the media spotlight (probably for the first time since 2022), but thankfully the tension was short-lived as temperatures rose and spring came. Although nobody would call this a “crisis”, it highlighted that the supply and demand gap for pellets is not always comfortably wide on the supply side.

On the front of the pellet appliances, the political discussions on the revision of the Ecodesign

Regulation appear to be frozen for now. The market situation shows recovery of sales for pellet boilers and stoves in 2025, although the numbers remain well below the historical highs of 2021-2022 and the situation in 2023-2024 has been generally very bad. But there are two main trends worth discussing briefly. The first is that the situation in the pellet stoves market looks somewhat better than the pellet boiler market. Buyers of pellet stoves range from high-income households who want an impressive fire in a beautiful appliance in their living room, to low-income households who prioritize cost savings, so creating a uniform narrative and explanations as to this is not straightforward. But on the whole, it seems that pellet stoves work well with the wider electrification trend in heating and are deployed more and more as a complementary heating system to heat pumps. The second trend concerns the pellet boilers and their connection with subsidies for their purchase. As more expensive investments overall, pellet boiler sales boom when there is good support for their purchase – as has been the case in the last years in Austria and Poland.

We already know that the new-bridging mechanism for Drax (progress has been made for Lynemouth as well) is expected to roughly half the UK demand.

As illustrated in Figure 4, this total is split between large-scale uses, which account for 58% of demand (~30,1 million tonnes), and small-scale heating applications, which make up the remaining 42% (~21,5 million tonnes).

Europe remains by far the world's largest pellet consuming region, representing 70% of global demand when industrial and small-scale uses are combined. European small-scale heat alone accounts for 37% of total consumption, reflecting the continued importance of wood pellets in residential and commercial heating across the continent. European industrial use, primarily

power generation and combined heat and power, contributes a further 33%.

[editor: this chart shows pellet stove sales in the Republic of Serbia (RS),  Czechia (CZ), Austria (AT) and Poland (PL). Other countries with high levels of installed units such as Germany, France and Italy and not included here.]

At the same time, the intersection between the premium and industrial pellet markets could

become one of the most delicate issues in the coming years. The revision of support schemes for large Northern European plants may release significant pellet volumes currently destined for industrial use, making them available to other markets, including the residential one. However, the actual magnitude of this phenomenon remains difficult to assess.

In previous years, pellets were perceived in many European markets as the leading renewable option for residential heating, before strong competition emerged among different renewable technologies, including heat pumps, which are now slowing down in several national markets. As a result, uncertainty remains high among consumers regarding which technology can truly guarantee the most reliable and cost-effective solution in the medium term.

[Editor: "Derived heat is a well-known term in Europe and comes from waste heat from making electricity from fossil fuel, or from biomass.  Once generated, derived heat is piped through a network—commonly known as a district heating grid—as hot water or steam to warm spaces (residential and commercial) and support industrial process. Derived heat makes up about 5% to 9% of final household energy consumption across the EU, though usage varies wildly by location. It is highly popular in Northern European and Nordic countries; for example, it covers more than half of water and space heating needs in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.]

 Country abbreviations:

The ENplus® certification scheme ensures wood pellet quality for pellet professionals and end-users over the entire supply chain (i.e. from production to end-user delivery). The certification has been active for almost 15 years now and is governed and managed by Bioenergy Europe (through its network - the European Pellet Council)

ENplus® continues to invest significant resources in fraud management. In 2025, the scheme management team has further strengthened the scheme’s blacklist database by identifying fraudulent entities alongside misleading websites and contact details that users should avoid. As of May 2026, ENplus® has successfully detected and resolved a total of 1.470 fraud cases – an achievement that underlines the scheme’s ongoing commitment to preserving its integrity and protecting its users.

Bioenergy Europe

Place du Champ de Mars 2A

1050 Brussels

T : +32 2 318 41 00

info@bioenergyeurope.org

Spain: A Comeback for Wood and Pellet Heating

World events are shaping remote, rural villages

I recently took a trip to Spain with my wife to walk the Camino Primitivo, a Christian pilgrim route connecting small towns in the far northwest corner of the country. I wasn’t looking for wood or pellet stoves—but there were so many that I couldn’t help but start paying attention, given my day job. In one town, Tineo, nearly every store and restaurant had a pellet stove, and they all looked brand new.

As I started talking to people and doing a bit of reading, an interesting story emerged. The invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves through European energy markets that are still reverberating today. Then came the bombing of Iran and closure of the Straits of Hormuz. The result: Spain is now offering more incentives for homes and businesses to switch to pellet stoves and boilers.

Along the Camino, pellet stoves showed up everywhere, each in its own context. In one hotel lobby, a stove had a large handwritten note: “Do not touch.” In a general store, one was surrounded by a small safety fence. In an upscale eatery, the pellet stove was part of a carefully curated retro aesthetic. They clearly add a sense of coziness—but like everywhere else, the real driver is economics.

We saw several Italian models, but the most common seemed to be made in Galicia in Northwest Spain by Ecoforest. One popular model, the Bolonia, is strikingly slim—designed to fit even in a hallway. Ecoforest also makes heat pumps, and with smart thermostat software, the two types of heaters can switch back and forth depending on outdoor temperatures and heating needs.

In Spain, incentives are often targeted at towns with fewer than 5,000 residents, part of a broader effort to combat rural depopulation and support areas without access to natural gas networks. These programs align with European Union funding frameworks aimed at sparsely populated and economically disadvantaged regions, with some funding coming directly from the EU.

Incentives are handled regionally, not nationally, and usually involve documentation from both a qualified installer and a local permit.  When an existing stove is simply swapped out for a new one, there is less paperwork to access incentives, but DIY installs are rare whether incentives are involved or not. Professional installation is required and stoves must be registered with the local authority.  The trail we walked went through two regions - Galicia and Asturias - and both have generous subsidies but Galicia's  are even more generous leading to a greater use of pellet heating.  In some provinces, subsidies are more if you are reducing reliance on coal or oil, and less for electricity. In others, household income may have more of an impact, and residing in a rural area or small town almost always increases the amount. Both equipment cost and installation are covered with total costs usually coming to 3,000 - 5,000 Euros ($3,500 0 $5,800 US). and the incentive usually between 30 - 50%.

Cordwood heating

Cordwood heating is still more common than pellet heating, though it receives few if any incentives. A few things stood out to me. Firewood lengths were often surprisingly short—frequently just 8–10 inches, and rarely more than 14–16 inches. Wood was almost always stored under a roof, and much of it looked like it had been seasoning for several years.

That suggested a mature, long-standing wood heating culture where the importance of properly dried wood is well understood. Interestingly, the shorter log lengths didn’t seem tied to stove size. Many older rural stoves are sized more like U.S. stoves and bear little resemblance to the more modern, sleek, vertically oriented European models.

One rural restaurant along the trail—also offering a few guest rooms—used a wood-fired cookstove that piped hot water upstairs. While I was there, the good-natured cook was cursing the stove, which had just started leaking. It was a reminder that these hot water systems can lead, and also they ca be fixed by the owner. 

Spain, like the rest of Europe, has at least a 3,000-year head start on wood heating and forest harvesting. We saw countless stone homes that looked 500 years old, many with equally old chimneys still in use. That long history is also visible in the landscape: massive trees continue to be coppiced, a practice where branches are cut regularly for fuel and allowed to regrow—a system still actively used today.

Heavy deforestation began during Roman times about 2,000 years ago and peaked between 1850 and 1920, much like in the United States. But the legacy of that history feels more visible in Spain. Unlike the U.S., where large natural forests remain, many of the forests we saw appeared to be plantations, and not always managed sustainably.

As in the U.S., most wood demand is driven by construction, not firewood. Firewood use is relatively small by comparison.

National heating trends

Reliable data on how many Spanish homes use wood or pellet heating is hard to pin down, but most estimates suggest that 15–20% of homes use wood or pellets as a primary or secondary heating source. Up to 5% may rely on it as their primary fuel.

Spain is less densely populated than countries like France, Germany, or Italy, but it is also warmer, and wood and pellet heating are less established. Unlike Austria, France, Germany, and Italy, Spain has not historically provided strong incentives for pellet stoves and boilers—though that is now changing.

Global energy disruptions are shifting the equation. Locally sourced, renewable energy is becoming more attractive compared to fossil fuels that must travel long distances. This provides not only more stable prices, but a healthy diversity of local sources of electricity.

Spain’s population is about 49 million—roughly 10 million more than California—and rural depopulation is a significant issue. Energy policy is increasingly being used as a tool to support small-town economies.

Most of Spain has relatively mild winters, and about 30% of homes lack central heating. As in Italy, this makes pellet stoves a practical option for  heating the core of the house rather than whole-home systems. In the colder, mountainous northern regions—which are also more forested—winters are harsher, and in some areas up to a third of homes still use wood or pellets.

Spain produces, exports and imports wood pellets which are almost entirely used for small and large heating systems. Many pellet plants are co-located with sawmills or carpentry shops. In some regions, biomass boilers also burn olive pits, nut shells, and, to a lesser extent, sunflower husks. Most pellet production happens in rural areas, so incentives for pellet heating also function as support for local businesses.

Electric rates and pellet heating

One newer incentive for pellet stoves comes from electricity pricing. Under Spain’s tariff structure, electricity is most expensive during peak hours—typically 10am–2pm and 6pm–10pm on weekdays. Heat pumps are very popular, so this creates an opportunity: households can rely more on pellet stoves during those expensive hours and when temperatures drop below freezing.

At the same time, broader trends are shifting. Since 2022, electricity prices in Spain and much of Europe have stabilized or declined, while pellet prices have risen.

Where we were hiking, in the mountainous northwest, wind turbines were everywhere. The expansion of wind energy there—and solar in the south—has helped bring electricity prices down. As a result, Spain now has some of the lowest electricity rates in Europe.

 

Conclusion

If you enjoy hiking, I highly recommend the Camino Primitivo—or any of the caminos in Spain. You pass

through stunning countryside and small towns, stay in affordable local inns, and can even have your luggage transported each day between accommodations.

Along the way, you don’t just see beautiful landscapes—you also witness thousands of years of human history, including the evolution of how people heat their homes. And that history is still unfolding, as Spain begins to embrace a new generation of pellet heating.

Further reading

 

Spanish Energy Efficiency Grants in 2025

How Spaniards Can Get a Subsidy to Replace an Old Boiler

Subsidies to fund the energy transition

USDA Spanish Wood Pellet Market Outlook 2023

Rules for Wood Burners in Spain

Spain Sees Increase in Pellet Fuel Market

Ecoforest celebrates 30 years of innovation in sustainable HVAC equipment

 

The Pellet Stove Industry: Stuck—or Ready to Break Through?

A conversation with Scott Williamson

Scott Williamson, a veteran pellet
stove technician

The pellet stove industry has long occupied a middle ground—promising, practical, and often economical—yet never quite breaking into the mainstream. To understand why, I spoke with Scott Williamson, a technician who has spent decades installing, repairing, and troubleshooting pellet stoves across New England.

Scott lives in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and runs Pellet-Stove-Service.com, serving primarily southeastern Massachusetts. Over the course of his career, he has worked on tens of thousands of stoves across a wide range of brands, installations, and real-world conditions—giving him a ground-level view of how these systems perform outside of ideal conditions.

He got into the business in an unconventional way: “My mother-in-law bought a used pellet stove but couldn’t find anyone willing to service it. I had tools, I was available, and I was dating their daughter at the time. I had never even heard of a pellet stove, but I somehow fixed it. The family owned a breakfast diner and started telling customers I could fix their pellet stoves. That’s how I got started. Three years later, I was so busy I had to quit my day job.”

By 2019, nearly 20 years later, his company had performed over 20,000 service calls across New England.

Scott also runs the Facebook group Pellet Stove Troubleshooting & Repair, which has nearly 17,000 members and functions as a real-time knowledge base where technicians and experienced owners work through real-world problems every day.

What’s Holding Pellet Stoves Back?

The biggest factor has been relatively low oil and gas prices. If that changes—like if the Strait of Hormuz situation affects supply—you could see pellet stoves rebound quickly.

Electricity is becoming a bigger part of the equation. My electric bill last month was $500, and that’s not unusual. People relying on heat pumps in higher-rate states may start to feel that more over time.

There’s also a perception problem that hasn’t gone away. A lot of people don’t distinguish pellet stoves from wood stoves. They assume they produce a lot of smoke, and they get lumped into the same EPA, non-profit or media reports that are critical of wood burning.

 

Do Poor-Quality Stoves Hurt the Industry?

I don’t see stove quality as the main issue. It’s more about installation and maintenance. The core technology works—but it’s sensitive to real-world conditions.

Pellet stoves run great under ideal conditions. But over time—especially as they get dirty—they lose efficiency. The combustion isn’t as clean, and performance drops off.

From a field perspective:

· About 5 out of 100 customers will have repair issues in each winter

· Of those, maybe 2 are more serious or expensive

Some manufacturers have introduced temperature-based feedback systems that adjust combustion automatically, keeping the combustion cleaner—but those features are still far from universal. If every stove had that kind of feedback, you’d see a lot fewer complaints.

Is the Service Sector Keeping Up?

No—and that’s one of the biggest problems. Many dealers prioritize selling stoves over servicing them.

That’s backwards. Service is what keeps customers. It’s where the long-term money is. It’s the same as cars—dealerships don’t stay in business on sales. They stay in business because they service those cars for years.

There’s also a structural problem with pricing. Service calls under $200 are common—but they’re not sustainable. Between travel time, diagnostics, and repairs, you’re burning yourself out. You really need to be closer to $300 to make it work.

At the same time, there aren’t enough experienced technicians—and many aren’t using technology effectively to run their businesses.

In my case, I stepped away from service for four years to work for a pellet parts supplier. A technician in the next town took over most of my accounts. He does a good job and he is a good guy. At this point, there’s no real reason for customers to leave him and come back to me.

How Important is NFI Certification?

NFI training is good—but it’s just a starting point. The bigger issue is that it doesn’t carry much weight in the real world:

· Not required by most states

· Limited consumer awareness

· No real incentive to maintain it

In 25 years, no customer has ever asked me if I’m NFI-certified. By contrast, licensing requirements are more meaningful.

In Massachusetts and most of New England, you need a state-issued HVAC license to install stoves. The test is tough, and you need to work under someone who already has it. It’s a barrier to entry—but after that, it’s mostly just maintaining it.

Pellet Supply and Quality

I don’t see pellet shortages as a major issue. Most problems are seasonal. At the end of the season, stores stop restocking and people can’t find pellets—but that’s usually because they waited too long. Pellet quality is a bit of an issue, but over time, most users figure out what works best in their stove.

Hidden Barriers: The Psychology of Use

One of the biggest challenges has less to do with technology and more to do with how people experience pellet heating.

Pellets have too many touchpoints. You’re buying fuel, you’re cleaning the stove, you’re dealing with maintenance. Even when pellets are cheaper overall, the frequent interaction creates friction. It feels like you’re always paying for something.

By contrast, oil and gas systems require far less interaction. They just run. There are fewer touchpoints, so it feels easier—even if it’s more expensive.

Why Pellet Stoves Struggle in New Homes

New homes aren’t designed with pellet stoves in mind. Masonry chimneys are disappearing, and pellet systems are rarely part of new construction.

Mobility also plays a role. People move more often now. The more owners a pellet stove has, the more likely it is to develop problems over time.  Lastly, some new homes are sealed tight, and pellet stoves have a hard time lighting.  If you open a nearby window just a crack, the stove lights right up.  So, those homes need outdoor air kits, that bring fresh outdoor air right into the stove, or right to the base of the stove.

 

A Better Model: Simplifying the System

Someone should simplify both the customer experience and the business model behind it. You could offer the stove, fuel, and service all in one monthly package—what I’d call ‘hassle-free heat.’ Repairs would be included.

For customers, that means predictable costs, fewer decisions and less uncertainty

For providers, it creates efficiency. Instead of dealing with dozens of stove models, you focus on one or two. Same parts, same training, same repair process.

Instead of stocking 500 SKUs, you might only need 15 or 20. And your technicians don’t need to know how to fix everything—they just need to be good at a few systems.

 

Are Heat Pumps a Threat?

They can be—but they can also work well together.  Pellet stoves and heat pumps are actually very complementary.

Use a heat pump for moderate temperatures, and a pellet stove when it gets really cold. Both are space heaters, and they can work in different parts of the house.  A lot will depend on electricity pricing. Electric rates can rise faster than pellet prices. That’s going to matter.

 

Outlook: Strong Fundamentals, Missing System

I wouldn’t call myself optimistic or pessimistic. The fundamentals are there—the fuel works, the technology works. What’s missing is everything around it:

· Reliable service infrastructure

· Better training pathways

· More standardization

· A simpler customer experience

If the industry can get those things right—and if energy prices push people to look for alternatives—there’s a lot of room for growth.