Biomass Boilers

UK energy prices are very topical at the moment.  Independent experts expect further above inflation rises in energy prices this winter.  If you don't trust the politicians to sort it out the problem then a biomass boiler could be for you. Biomass boilers offer a potential way to reduce your reliance on big energy companies and of keeping a lid on your energy bills.

How do biomass boilers work?
Biomass boilers can be used in place of a standard gas or oil boiler to provide hot water and heating in your home. Biomass boilers work by burning the wood fuel and then storing the heated water produced, which then feeds into the central heating as required.

"Biomass" refers to living or recently living material such as logs, wood pellets or wood chips.  Some biomass boiler types are fuelled by logs but they are more typically fuelled by wood pellets.

How much energy will a biomass boiler generate?
A domestic biomass boiler generates around 15kW of energy.  This is easily enough energy to heat the water and provide central heating throughout a large home.

What are the advantages of biomass boilers?
A biomass boiler is an ideal technology if you do not have access to mains gas.  A biomass boiler can save you nearly £600 a year compared to electric heating.

Are there any constraints?
The main constraint is space.  Wood and wood pellets are cheaper if bought in bulk. However, you will need space to store the material.   Biomass boilers are typically larger than traditional boilers, so will also require more space.

Whist they may save you money on your energy bills, a good biomass boiler is much more expensive to buy than a conventional boiler.

The market for wood fuel is still in its infancy.  The cost and quality of wood and wood pellets can fluctuate greatly.

Biomass boilers need to be manually feed, log burning boilers in particular will require regular 'topping up'.

What consents will I need before fitting a biomass boiler?
Planning permission is not normally needed when installing a biomass boiler in a house if the work is all internal.

Biomass Boilers will have to comply with the Building Regulations.  Your installer should take into account factors such as ventilation, noise and general safety. The installer should be suitably qualified, preferably one who belongs to either the Microgeneration Certification Scheme or a relevant Competent Person Scheme.

How much does a biomass boiler cost?
Biomass boilers are more expensive than traditional boilers. Expect to pay around £10,000 to £12,000 for a good quality, automatic, wood pellet burning biomass boiler.  This price includes installation. Manually fed log boiler systems will usually be cheaper.

Are there any grants or other funding support available to help pay for a biomass boiler?
The Green Deal scheme may be able to help you pay for the upfront costs of the installation through Green Deal financing.  The installation costs will then be paid back over time, with interest, through your electricity bill.

Your new biomass boiler could earn you money under the Government's Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

Summary
• If you do not have access to mains gas and have sufficient space, it is worth considering a biomass boiler.
• You could earn money from your new boiler through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

Further Information
The Energy Saving Trust website provides advice on finding an installer to meet your requirements.  The Energy Saving Trust recommends that a biomass boiler is installed by an MCS (The Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certified installer.


David
www.house-saver.co.uk

Wood burning stoves with back boilers

Wood burning stoves cover a range of technologies, from old fashioned pot belly wood stoves through to state-of-the-art wood pellet burning stoves.   

This Blog focuses on stoves with back boilers, which provide heating and hot water to the home.  Are these systems just a fashionable new technology to show-off to your friends?  Or do they really stack up as a cost effective way of providing energy for your home? What are the pros and cons of the different types?  This Blog helps answer these questions.

How do wood burning stoves with back boilers work?
Wood burning stoves burn logs, wood pellets or wood chips to power central heating and hot water boilers.

The back boiler works in the same way as the traditional back boiler connected to an open fire.

Wood burners typically burn logs, but more sophisticated versions burn wood pellets and will usually feature automatic ignition and pellet feeding systems.

How much energy will a wood burning stove with back boiler generate?
Depending on type of system installed, wood burning stoves with back boilers can be used in support of your existing heating system or, in many cases, to fully power your heating and hot water.  The typical system can generate 10 - 15kW of energy, which is more than enough to provide hot water and heating throughout your home.

Log burners Vs pellet burners

The advantages of log burners:

• Log burning stoves provide a great way to dispose of (and recover energy from) surplus wood and timber.
• If you are lucky enough to have your own wood source you could become self-sufficient in providing heating and hot water to your home.
• Log burners require less maintenance than the more complicated pellet burners.
• Log burners tend to be less expensive than pellet burners. 
• Log burners can provide that special cosy feeling inside, just like the traditional open log fire.
• Contemporary ceramic wood burning stoves can provide an attractive feature in a living room.

The advantages of pellet burners:

• They are more efficient as the wood fuel is drier and denser.
• Wood-pellet stoves provide for greater convenience and control than a log burner, with the majority of pellet burners featuring automatic ignition.
• Pellet burners offer greater control over the temperature of the room in which the stove is situated.
• Pellets are denser than logs, which makes them easier to transport and reduces the amount of storage space needed.
• Pellet burners need to be topped up less often than log burners as they are denser and will usually have an integral hopper.
• Pellet burners are cleaner, produce less ash and are generally easier to look after than log burners.

Are there any constraints with wood burning stoves?

• You will need space to store the wood, logs or pellets.
• The market for wood fuel is still in its infancy in the UK.  The cost and quality of wood fuel can fluctuate greatly.
• Stoves need to be manually fed, log burners in particular will require regular 'topping up'.
• You will either need to upgrade your existing chimney for fume extraction or install a separate flue
• The chimney / flue will require regular cleaning.
• If you are using your own wood source, the wood will need to be "seasoned".  This means it needs to be stored to dry it out (Freshly cut trees have a high moisture content which makes them less suitable as a wood fuel).

What consents will I need before fitting a wood-fuelled heating system?
Planning permission is not normally needed when installing a wood-fuelled heating system in a house if the work is all internal. 

If the installation requires a flue outside it will not need planning permission if the conditions outlined below are met:

• Flues on the rear or side elevation of the building are allowed to a maximum of one metre above the highest part of the roof.
• If the building is listed or in a designated area it is advisable to check with your local planning authority before a flue is fitted. Listed Building Consent is also likely to be needed for internal alterations.
• In a conservation area or in a World Heritage site the flue should not be fitted on the principal or side elevation if it would be visible from a highway.

Wood burning stoves will have to comply with the Building Regulations.  Your installer should take into account factors such as ventilation, noise and general safety. The installer should be suitably qualified, preferably one who belongs to either the Microgeneration Certification Scheme or a relevant Competent Person Scheme.

How much does a wood burning stove with back boiler cost?
Expect to pay upwards of £4,000 for a good quality, pellet burning wood burner with back boiler. This typical cost includes installation and the cost of basic upgrades required to your existing chimney or the cost of installing a flue.

Wood pellets will cost up to £200 per tonne.  Expect to burn at least 10 tonnes of pellets a year.

For log burners, the price of logs fluctuates widely, but you may be in the fortunate position of being able to source your wood fuel for free.

Wood burners are viewed by many energy analysts as a smart long term investment.  Using local wood fuel to heat your home will reduce your reliance on oil, gas and electricity, prices of which are projected to continue to rise over the coming years.

Are there any grants or other funding support available to help pay for wood burning stoves with back boilers?
The Green Deal scheme may be able to help you pay for the upfront costs of the installation through Green Deal financing.  The installation costs will then be paid back over time, with interest,  through your electricity bill.

Your wood burning stove with back boiler could earn you money under the Government's Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

Summary

• If you have a reliable, local log, wood chip or wood pellet supplier, or even better, if you have you own wood supply and space where the wood can be dried out, then a wood burning stove with back boiler could dramatically reduce your energy bills.
• Your wood burning stove with back boiler could earn you money through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.
• A top tip from the Energy Saving Trust website is that a wood burning stove with back boiler and solar heating are a great combination as the stove can heat your home and provide hot water in winter and the solar can heat your hot water in the summer when no central heating is required.

David
www.house-saver.co.uk

Renting of Driveways

One of today's news headlines features Eric Pickle's (the Local Government Minister) bid to "takes on town halls' new driveway tax".

Some Councils are requiring residents to submit a planning application, along with a £385 fee, before they can rent out their driveways.  Eric Pickles has branded this requirement as a "driveway tax".

This is a classic case of Government rules and regulations having not quite caught up with this exciting new world we are living in.

Specialist websites are popping up all the time to help householders earn some extra money from their property and possessions.  Householders can now rent out pretty much anything from their lawnmower to their garden shed for storage space.

This is good news for householders (a source of extra cash at a time of stagnant wages) and good news for the people that rent (more flexibility and more choice).

We just need to wait for the rules and regulations to catch up.

Find out more on the Government's new guidelines for householders seeking to rent out their driveways and parking spaces at www.gov.uk.

David
www.house-saver.co.uk

Micro CHP (micro combined heat and power)

This week I will be reviewing micro CHP systems (also known as cogeneration systems or micro combined heat and power systems) as a cost effective way of providing energy for your home.

Whilst not strictly a renewable energy generation installation, these systems deserve attention as they are highly efficient and can substantially reduce your energy costs.  Industry experts expect micro-CHP systems to replace the humble domestic boiler and become the norm in our homes over the coming years.

How does micro CHP work?
Using gas or LPG as a fuel, micro CHP installations provide both heat and electricity for your home.  Micro CHP installations look just like normal boilers. However, unlike ordinary boilers they will generate electricity at the same time as heating the water.

How much energy will a micro CHP system generate?

The actual amount of electricity generated will depend on how long the installation is set to run.  Typical set-ups will generate up to 1kW of electricity.

What are the advantages of micro CHP?

• The installations will deliver both heat and electric power.
• You will be paid for the electricity you generate from the installation under the Government's Feed in Tariff Scheme.
• Any electricity you generate and do not use can also be sold back to the Grid through the Feed in Tariff Scheme.  
• Micro CHP systems are straight-forward and non-intrusive to install and do not take up much space (make sure you use an approved installer).

Are there any constraints?

• Micro CHP installations can be inefficient if they are only being used for short periods.
• There are a number of technologies on the market, some of which are unproven.

What consents will I need?
The installation of micro CHP is usually considered to be "permitted development", which means that planning permission is not required subject to certain conditions and exclusions.  However, if the installation requires an outside flue, depending on the size and location of the flue, it may require planning permission. Check out the Planning Portal Website for further advice.

Micro CHP systems will have to comply with the Building Regulations.

How much does a micro CHP system cost?
Expect to pay at least £5,000 to £6,000 (including installation costs).  Make sure you use an approved installer.

Are there any grants or other funding support available?
The Green Deal scheme may be able to help you pay for the upfront costs of the installation through Green Deal financing.  The installation costs will then be paid back over time, with interest, through your electricity bill.

Micro CHP systems qualify for 10 years of tariff payments from the Government under the Feed in Tariff (TIF) Scheme.  Find out the current tariff payment rates at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Summary

• If your old boiler is coming to the end of its life, it is worth considering replacing the boiler with a micro-CHP installation.  
• CHP systems are straight forward and non-intrusive to install (but make sure you use an approved installer)  
• You can earn money from your CHP installation for any unused electricity that is fed back into the Grid under the Government under the Feed in Tariff (TIF) Scheme.

Further Information
For further information and for details of approved installers check out www.microgenerationcertification.org


David
www.house-saver.co.uk