Biomass relates to the burning of wood or other organic material to produce heat. There are two main ways of using wood to produce heat : 

	A standalone stove burning logs or pellets to heat a single room. Some can also be fitted with a back boiler to provide water heating as well.
	A boiler burning pellets, logs or chips connected to a central heating and hot water system.

Most modern Biomass boilers burn wood pellets or chips and have an automatic fuel feeder which refills at regular intervals from fuel storage units called hoppers. Alternatively you can opt for a smaller installation which may need refilling by hand every few days.

Biomass is a low carbon heating option as the carbon dioxide emitted when wood fuel is burned is the same amount that was absorbed by the tree as it was growing. As long as new trees continue to grow in place of those used for fuel, the process is carbon neutral. There are some carbon emissions caused by the cultivation, manufacture and transportation of the fuel, but as long as the fuel is sourced locally, these are much lower than the emissions from fossil fuels.

There are a few key questions to consider before deciding to opt for a Biomass solution :

You will need a large dry area close to the boiler to store your wood. Ideally this should be close to where the wood is delivered to your home- You can buy a Biomass boiler with it's own casing and fuel store which is designed for siting outside of the home.

A specifically designed vent is required for wood fuel appliances, with sufficient air movement for proper operation of the stove. Your existing chimney can be fitted with a lined flue, which is relatively inexpensive.

You may need planning permission  if your flue will extend 1m or more above the height of your roof, or your home is in a Conservation Area or World Heritage Site and you plan to install a flue on the principal elevation visible from a road.

A typical automatically fed boiler for an average home costs around £9,000 including installation and a suitable flue - There are grants and 0% funding packages available for the purchase of Biomass equipment.

Savings in CO2 emissions are significant - up to 9.6 tonnes per year when a wood boiler replaces a solid (coal) fired system.

You will benefit from both a saving in the cost of your fuel bills (unless you are on mains gas), and you will also benefit from payments from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) from April 2011.

According to the government who are setting the tariff levels, the average return from an investment in a biomass boiler via fuel savings and RHI payments will be approximately 8%.

 

 

 

For a no obligation consultation and to see how you can profit from a green energy solution, please contact us.