Wood Pellet Calorific Value: kWh per kg, MJ per kg, and BTU
Wood pellets deliver 4.6–5.0 kWh/kg. Full unit conversions and what higher heating value vs net calorific value means for your energy calculations.
Calorific value — also called heating value — is the amount of energy released when one kilogram of pellets is fully burned. It's the number that turns tonnes into kWh.
Typical values for ENplus A1
- Net calorific value (NCV): 4.6–5.0 kWh/kg
- In MJ/kg: 16.5–18.0
- In BTU/lb: ~7,100–7,700
- Per tonne: 4,600–5,000 kWh
HHV vs NCV
Higher heating value (HHV) assumes water vapour in the flue gas condenses. Net calorific value (NCV) — the number used in Europe — assumes it does not. NCV is the honest figure for real-world boilers.
Practical use
A house needing 20,000 kWh of heat per winter, with a 92% efficient pellet boiler, will burn: 20,000 / (4.8 × 0.92) ≈ 4.5 tonnes of pellets — roughly 300 bags of 15 kg.
Pellet Industries ships ENplus A1 and industrial biomass pellets worldwide in 15 kg bags, big-bags, and bulk vessel loads.
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