How feasible are energy crops for home use?
Anyone who can look after a woodlot for “firewood” could establish and manage short-rotation tree crops for home heating. Like native tree species, the energy content of different short-rotation tree crops varies according to their wood density, although the energy content of wood on a dry weight basis is fairly consistent. However, growth rates of individual tree crops, for example, sycamore, sweetgum, hybrid poplar, cottonwood, and willow, will differ according to region and climate. If grown as stands of a single species, tree crops would also require management, e.g., thinning, to maintain a constant source of wood fuel.
