Biomass boilers - the facts

As it becomes progressively more vital that we look after the planet and keep close track of our carbon emissions, savvy home-owners have begun to look into alternative sources of energy such as biomass boilers. The rising price of gas and oil are only a sign of a greater problem; that we're running out of fossil fuel and cannot carry on and rely on them. Biomass boilers are one potential change that we can make to our everyday lives, and with government-sponsored incentives they may be becoming increasingly realistic.

A Bit of Background

Put simply, biomass is living or recently living materials which can be burned for energy - unlike the long-dead animals that make up our coal, oil and natural gases. Because of their large size, the very last few decades of biomass boiler use have been in large buildings like supermarkets and rural areas where gas lines might not reach, although they are being seen more and more in domestic properties thanks to a decrease in price and concern for the environment.

Eco-friendly

The fuel for biomass boilers is regarded as carbon neutral, which means that virtually no carbon emissions are produced off their burning in contrast to the results of planting trees, being a living tree producing fractional co2 will absorb roughly the same amount of harmful gases that burning the product would produce. The efficiency of biomass boilers can be around 94%, and in some products from Grant Engineering in the UK and Ireland their patented turbulator baffle system recycles an additional 20% of the heat which would usually be wasted. Grant UK's biomass boilers even have their own patented turbulator baffle system which recycles waste heat back into the machine, and have up to 94% efficiency.

Time for you to Make the Change?

Aside from the environmental factors at play, there are more things that may attract you to installing a biomass boilers. While they could be quite expensive to buy and install, you can save as much as £80 per year on bills when compared with a gas heater, and over £500 when replacing an electric home heating system. The biomass fuel is less expensive than fossil alternatives, and in case you try to buy from local or at least national sources they cause almost no damage to environmental surroundings to produce, pack and send. As with all things, it is less costly to buy the pellets in large quantities bags of countless tonnes, although that will be much easier for businesses and big homesteads which have the accessible space.

The downside to biomass boilers

Unfortunately the recognition of biomass boilers has become a long time coming, and you may still find some complaints about the system which are being addressed. One of the biggest of such is the size of the machine, which can be significantly bigger than gas or electric heaters, and the extra space that is needed for your fuel; right now this discourages small households from getting involved, although smaller designs are being produced all the time. The cost of the device and its installation can cost anywhere between £14,000 and £19,000, an intimidating price, although the UK government's Renewable Heat Incentive is beginning to reduce this cost and the cost of any future maintenance. Another issue has been with maintenance of the machines, especially where log-burning boilers are involved, but if the time commitment is prohibitive for you many new pellet-burning biomass boilers from companies like Grant have self-cleaning and feeding mechanisms, with only an annual check needed.

Consider a biomass boiler to get an investment

A boiler isn't this year's energy bills, it's for life - so you may have to pay greater than you would have liked in upfront costs. However if you notice the biomass boiler being a life-long investment you will see that with regards to maintenance and fuel costs, you will cut costs in the long term, especially as gas prices continue to sky-rocket. Most wood pellet burning boilers need very occasional check-ups that can take away any maintenance stress and can decrease the costs of having a technician visit your house. We all have a responsibility to care about the environment, and when helpful solutions can help you save money in the long-run it's really a no-brainer.