Technical Note SB66: Emissions and wood pellets

Note:  Pellet burners are not included in the National Environmental Standard as they cannot be tested in accordance with the method specified due to their automatic feed mechanism.  Pellet burners are however, extremely efficient and clean burning.

Further information on the National Environmental Standard for air quality is available from the Ministry for the Environment website

One of the key advantages of wood pellets is the significantly reduced emissions to air on burning.  With poor air quality in a number of New Zealand cities, the clean burn solution that pellets and pellet appliances offer is a major advantage.  The National Environmental Standards (NES) for air quality requires that all wood burners installed on properties less than 2 hectares must have a discharge of less than 1.5 grams of particles for each kilogram of dry wood burnt, and a thermal efficiency at least 65%.