“Is it even legal to burn wood for fuel in most European countries?”
In Germany, yes. The Germans have the best, nmost efficient way to do it too: http://www.rvharvey.com/kachelofen.htm
I’ve always wanted one. You put in the oven, and wire the floor for electric heat. It’s incredibly warm and cheap. Two logs will heat the whole house for a whole day in the winter.
Those kachelofens are pretty neat. I don’t understand why we don’t have them here in the US if they are so efficient at heating a home. I imagine you could build one yourself if you found a book on how to build them.
believe it or don’t but the wood pellets burned in Europe are made in the USA. There is a port handling facility, Savannah i think, that has the ability to load bulk carriers.
I spoke with a representative of the American company that makes the equipment to continuously sample the pellets to ensure they meet the spec.
Good pics. Here is a more comprehensive guide to oven stoves.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2008/12/tile-stoves.html