What Makes Ethanol Fireplaces Eco-Friendly?

Never before has sustainable living been such a high priority for Australians. As the modern lifestyle evolves, prioritising our health and the environment is becoming more and more important.

Fortunately, advancements in technology have meant that everyday Australians can now lower their home’s carbon footprint by making clever design choices that still fit contemporary aesthetics.

Ethanol fireplaces are a classic example of an eco-friendly fireplace.

Where traditional wood-burning fireplaces were once lauded as the superior heating choice, it has since come to light that this warmth comes at a cost to air quality and the environment. So it’s little wonder that energy-efficient heating options are now stealing the limelight.

Let’s dive into the science behind sustainable home heating.

What Makes Ethanol Fireplaces Environmentally Friendly?

Three things make ethanol fireplaces a far greener alternative: low emissions, efficient design and renewable fuel source. Unlike traditional fireplaces that rely on burning wood, which can contribute to air pollution and deforestation, ethanol fireplaces offer a cleaner alternative.

1. Clean Burning Properties

If you’ve owned traditional fireplaces or even an outdoor fire pit, you’ll know how messy they are. The ash, soot, and smoke can be overwhelming and frustrating to clean up.

Well, an ethanol fireplace produces none of this. As a clean burning fireplace, it emits nothing but heat, steam and very minute amounts of carbon dioxide.

In fact, you can expect almost no odour – a refreshing change from the overwhelming smokiness of woodfires and the plastic burning smell associated with many gas fires. (Learn more about how little ethanol fireplaces smell.)

However, by far the ‘greenest’ trait of this smokeless fireplace is the fact it’s a non-toxic operation.

Wood burning fireplaces can expose you to air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde (plus many others outlined by Better Health Victoria). They also produce high levels of particulate matter (or “particle pollution”) that NSW Health warns can lead to a string of short and long-term health consequences. Some are as severe as a reduced life expectancy and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Think gas fires are safe? Think again. NSW Health reports that the air pollutants produced by gas fires can lead to carbon dioxide (CO2) poisoning, while high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can result in respiratory tract irritation or shortness of breath.

The safe operation of ethanol fireplaces – a cleaning burning option that produces low particulate matter – is therefore one of the best ways to ensure air quality in your home while still keeping it warm, cosy and atmospheric.

2. Energy-Efficient Heating Features

The chimney-free design of an ethanol fireplace not only makes it a cleaner option but actually makes it more heat efficient. That’s because all the heat produced in your living room, for example, is retained rather than released through a vent or flue.

(And you can certainly feel the difference when you visit our showroom – the temperature stays refreshingly consistent, unlike the volatile fluctuations of a wood-burning fireplace.)

Below are the average per-hour outputs of several fire types in British Thermal Units:

• Wood-burning fireplace: 38,000–80,000 BTUs

• Gas fireplaces: 20,000–48,000 BTUs

• Electric fireplace: 1,000–5,000 BTUs

• Bioethanol fireplace: 5,000–20,000 BTUs

As you can see, bioethanol fireplaces actually produce comparably less heat than wood-burning and gas fireplaces. 

But remember that ethanol fireplaces have been specifically designed to provide greater heat efficiency than their more fiery counterparts – 100% of the heat produced stays in the room rather than escapes through a chimney, which is why the above heat ratings can be misleading.

It’s also why our customers often shop for ethanol fireplaces – they’re looking for efficient zone heaters that complement their primary reverse cycle heating.

They have a room in mind, such as a living space, that they want to infuse more warmth and ambience into.

A ventless eco fireplace fits the bill beautifully, not just in homes but in high-end commercial spaces like hotels or restaurants, too.

3. Renewable Fuel Source

What makes ethanol fireplaces far and above the most sustainable heating option is the fact that bioethanol is a carbon neutral and renewable fuel source. As explained by e-NRG.), Australia’s most trusted stockist of bioethanol fuel:

“Bioethanol […] is made by fermenting sugars and starch components of plant by-products (mainly sugarcane and crops like grain) using yeast. It is also made from corn, potatoes, milk, rice, beetroot and, more recently, grapes.”

What makes it sustainable is the combustion process itself, whereby the emissions from bioethanol produce heat, steam and very little carbon dioxide, which is then absorbed by plants and processed by photosynthesis to help the plant grow.

Unlike electric fireplaces that may rely on coal-fired electricity, ethanol fireplaces use a renewable fuel source that is carbon neutral.

To put it simply, when you burn bioethanol fuel to create heat, the byproducts emitted don’t harm the air quality around them like gas and woodsmoke do. Instead, it enriches the natural environment. That’s the beauty of a zero-emission fireplace.

You’ve no doubt heard the phrase ‘fossil fuels’ thrown around when it comes to the increasingly heated renewable energy discussion. As explained by the Smithsonian Institution, fossil fuels are million-year-old compound mixtures made of fossilised plant and animal remnants from millions of years ago.

Sounds ‘natural’, right? Wrong.

While naturally derived, the burning of fossil fuels releases toxic air pollutants, which can, in fact, be deadly. Amnesty International reports that they contributed to 1.2 million deaths in 2020 alone.

We’re treading some pretty heavy water here, but the short of it is that fossil fuels like natural gas, coal and oil aren’t the only option when it comes to heating your home. There are far greener, healthier and cleaner fuel sources out there that give you the option to enjoy a carbon-neutral fireplace.

That’s where bioethanol comes in.

Fuel Type Eco-friendly Comparison

8 Billion Trees is a U.S.-based large-scale tree planting and tree conservation organisation that has clearly articulated the emissions of different fuel types with the below table.

Here’s the real difference though – since bioethanol is derived from plants, which absorb CO₂ while growing, the overall impact is net-zero. Bioethanol has a short carbon cycle which provides a carbon balance due to being ‘closed loop’.

Something like natural gas has a long carbon cycle. This is because fossil fuels don’t regenerate like plants do so their emissions add to the total atmospheric CO₂, which is what increases global warming.

At the end of the day, eco-fuel fireplaces like ethanol fires give you the option to minimise your own residential or commercial carbon footprint.

If you’re in a position to choose and like the idea of introducing an architectural focal point that’s as sustainable as it is beautiful (requires simple installation), ethanol fireplaces are an excellent choice.

See our list of the best ethanol fireplaces.