Survey on the Utilization of Fire-Wood Boiler using Woody Biomass in Gangwon Province

This survey was carried out to investigate the utilization situation of fire-wood boiler by the questionnaire and personal interview on rural and mountain households of Gangwon province from 1998 to 2005. The questionnaire include 7 questions on installation, 7 questions on fuel, 3 questions on use, and 3 questions on improvement. Each question was analyzed by percentage to investigate the use situation. This survey indicated that the general problems in use of fire-wood boiler are fuel purchase, collection and transportation, that the development of the household heating boiler using wood-based forming fuel which is cheap, small volume, easy handling, convenient purchase and high heat efficiency could be an alternative to improve the problems and that the continuous expansion of the supply of fire-wood boiler can prevent the devastation of forest through the regulation of imprudent fuel supply. Although the financial aid plan on the installation of fire-wood boiler is in active, many petty households in rural and mountain areas lose a chance to install the fire-wood boiler due to the unsatisfactory information. Thus, it will be desirable for municipal government to prepare the information plan to offer the equal chance and condition to all households in rural and mountain areas and to increase the financial aid for the continuous supply of fire-wood boiler.