European and international policy interventions of implementing the use of wood fuels in bioenergy sector: a trend analysis and a specific wood fuels' energy application

During the last century, wood fuels exploitation is extensively implemented in European and international levels. Their use is especially effective to support the subsistence level of rural regions, thus strengthening the local economies. In the present study, a systematic presentation of policy interventions is given, regarding the use of wood fuels in bioenergy sector. In addition, the possibility of specific wood fuel types utility, which are prolifically cultivated in the Northern Greece context, is examined as an alternative energy source in the conventional coal-based energy network. This energy application focuses on the successful estimation of the actual energy demand in domestic hot water and space heating applications and consequently on the precise evaluation of energy production from the proposed wood fuels exploitation. Furthermore, the optimum environmental, economic and socioeconomic conditions are evaluated.