Pellet stoves have become darlings of the green home heating world, in some ways; they’re more efficient and have fewer particle emissions than their wood-burning stove brethren, but they aren’t a perfect solution. Many pellet stoves require electricity, taking them out of service when the power goes out, and pellets and other fuel can be hard to find in all areas.
Wood stoves, on the other hand, burn fuel that is plentiful, and can create heat without electricity. Newer stoves, too, have devices that cut way back on polluting emissions, making them much more efficient than stoves once were.
– by Collin Dunn