Geothermal systems are a bit complicated in Canada,

I have been wondering about this. Shouldn't a decent borehole still give good conditions for a ground source heat-pump? If you drill beneath the permafrost and then some, isn't the temperature also pretty stable - at least out of the deep Arctic? Scandinavia doesn't do permafrost, even if further north than Canada, thanks to the Atlantic currents. But it gets cold. Very cold. Easily with a metre of frozen soil. And ground source heat pumps are enormously popular.

..big login corporations harvesting forests like crazy...

Interesting. Here the problem is opposite. Houses are built in wood and firewood consumption in areas averages on 500 kg/capita/year. Apparently Norway uses equivalent to a wood pile 60 cm wide, a metre high and 7200 km long every year for heating. Yet this constitutes only some 12% of forest growth and the total forest volume is increasing dramatically.

In terms of SH3D, what is important though, is that whoever wants to use firewood needs to consider stove/chimney location and wood storage space. A kg of pure wood gives 5,3 kWh. So normal firewood (<20% moisture) in a good stove (80% efficient) should provide 3,3 kWh/kg worth of heating. Nice heating. But some storage space is needed for your SH3D construction [:)].

ok