This document is intended for energy advice professionals only, and not the consumer

Advisor Factsheet November 2008

Biomass Heating Systems

Key Points

Savings Potential
Table below shows cost and CO2 savings for switching to biomass from off-gas heating systems.
Annual Savings - biomass pellet boiler Typical cost: 5000 - 14,000* SemiMid Terrace Detached detached 220 345 470 5,000 130 2,700 190 2,600 -95 5,000 7,600 180 3,800 265 3,700 -140 7,400 10,000 220 5,000 335 4,800 -185 10,000

Biomass boilers can replace gas, oil or coal burning boilers in your central heating system to provide wholehouse space heating and hot water. Stand-alone stoves can provide space heating for individual rooms, or used with a back boiler to provide hot water. A storage tank can/should be installed to act as a buffer to maximise performance and provide heat at both peak and minimal loads. Can be unsuitable for smaller properties e.g. flats as need space for boiler/stove and to store fuel in a dry, sheltered area. Should also consider how easy it is to carry fuel up to storage area/heating appliance. Fuel costs are broadly comparable to gas at current prices, and cheaper than electric heating/bottled gas. More expensive than mains coal, but has high carbon savings in comparison.

Electric / yr kgCO2/yr Oil / yr kgCO2/yr LPG / yr kgCO2/yr Solid / yr kgCO2/yr

For full price and energy saving assumptions, see accompanying note. Best financial savings achieved in homes heated by electricity or LPG; running costs for biomass systems can be around 120 higher than gas heating. There is always a CO2 saving however, as burning wood is considered to be carbon-neutral. Also, relative changes to savings are due to the different ways in which different fuels have changed price. Coal has not increased significantly in price, whereas biomass fuel has.

*for 15 kW system.

Further Information

HETAS for specialist advice on biomass fuels and installers www.hetas.co.uk Low Carbon Building Programme government renewables grant body Tel: 0800 915 0990 www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk Energy Saving Trust consumer publication Biomass Buyers Guide National Energy Services (NES) can provide some advice to the public www.nef.org.uk/logpile/links.htm

Frequently Asked Questions

What is biomass? Biomass is organic material (plants or animal waste, most commonly wood) of recent origin (i.e. not including fossil fuels). When we talk about biomass as a home heating fuel, we are generally talking about wood, in the form of logs, pellets or chips. Will I need to change my existing heating distribution system? Biomass boilers can be used with existing radiators and underfloor heating, or as part of a warm air heating system. If you currently have electric storage heaters and want to install a biomass boiler, then a new heating distribution system will need to be installed. What controls are available? Boilers and stoves are available with thermostatic temperature controls, programmers and timers as with modern oil/gas boilers. Stoves generally use fans to give an even heating temperature. Will my system give off smoke? A well installed system using high quality dry fuel will usually burn without any visible smoke. What maintenance is needed? Boilers produce typically less than 1% ash, which can be used as a fertiliser in your garden. Some appliances, particularly boilers, have self-cleaning systems built in, or compacting ash-collection pans that need emptying typically once a month. They will need to be swept out regularly. What is typical lifetime of boiler/stove? Biomass appliances will last around 20 years if kept in good repair throughout their life. What size of system will I need? This will depend on your home energy use and current level of insulation better insulation leads to lower energy requirements. A typical 3-bed semi-detached house needs around 15kW, a large detached house may need 20kW or more. Sizing of heating systems should be done by a qualified heating engineer oversizing will increase capital outlay and running costs. Any improvements to insulation should be carried out prior to sizing. How much will fuel cost a year? Fuel costs generally depend on the choice of fuel, distance from your supplier and whether you can buy in large quantities. See savings table for comparison to current fuel. What if I run out of fuel? Some pellet boilers have adjustable settings that will allow them to burn other types of fuel. Can also have gas/oil back up supply or integrated solar thermal panels.

Customer Key Questions

Some key questions to ask when choosing and installing a biomass system:

Is there sufficient storage space for the fuel, and appropriate access to the boiler for loading? Is there a local fuel supplier? Fuel from a good local supplier is often more convenient, and minimises transport emissions. If no local supply is available, some companies are now trading nationally. Ask the installer for a detailed breakdown of the specification and costs of the proposed system and how this has been sized. Is the installer accredited, and a member of a trade organisation? Is the installer a HETAS registered competent person? Do I require planning permission (if an AONB or listed building)? Do I live in a smoke control zone?

Background
Burning biomass does release CO2, but only the amount it absorbed while growing and is therefore considered to be a carbon neutral process. There are some CO2 emissions associated with transporting the biomass fuel to your home. Fuel from a good local supplier is often more convenient, and minimises these transport emissions.

Log boilers

Typically range from 5-50kW, generally cheaper than wood/chip boilers. Need to be loaded with fuel by hand every 1-3 days (although this depends on numerous factors), which takes 10-15 mins. This requires ready access and can involve a certain amount of dust/dirt. Achieve the best efficiency by fitting a log boiler with an accumulator/buffer tank to store heat as high temperature hot water, which is then used for heating and hot water as and when required.

Different Technologies
Essentially, there are two ways in which biomass technology can provide heat for a home. A biomass boiler can replace the conventional boiler in a wet heating system, providing heat and hot water for the whole home. A biomass stove acts as a single room heater, sometimes with a back boiler to provide hot water. All boilers and stoves require a flue, which can be fitted inside an existing chimney. This must be highly insulated to prevent condensation of flue gases. The three main fuels which can be used with a fuel system are wood logs, wood pellets and wood chips. Storing the heat produced eg as hot water, for later use with a thermal storage device can improve the efficiency of a biomass system.

Combination boilers

Not to be confused with a gas or oil combination boilers. These have adjustable control settings which allow them to burn more than one type of fuel.

Biomass stoves

Both log and pellet stoves are available pellet stoves provide automatic metering and feeding of pellets from an integrated storage space, while log stoves are generally loaded by hand. Efficiencies range from 60-90% - typically 70%. Higher output stoves can be used with a back boiler to provide hot water as well as heating. Ideal for refurbishing older buildings with functioning chimney as cheaper alternative to installing central heating. Generally lit by electronic ignition. Typical cost around 3,700 , may be higher for higher output systems used with back burners.
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Biomass boilers

Pellet boilers

Typically consist of a boiler unit and separate pellet store, and range from 5-50kW. Pellets o Generally fed automatically straight from store/silo into boiler, allowing flexibility in distance between boiler and store. o Can be stored indoors or outdoors in smaller tanks (approx 1 week supply), or larger silos/underground tanks/fabric bag system to allow longer times between fuel deliveries (up to a year supply). o Can be blown pneumatically directly into the store (no handling required but requires vehicle access) or supplied in bags to be poured manually into the store (can be dusty).

Thermal storage devices

Integrated heat storage (accumulator) tank

The boiler or stove heats water to around 90 in a highly insulated tank, rather than directly providing heating. This can then be drawn off for heating and hot water as required. Increases efficiency of the system as the boiler or stove doesnt have to be turned down to lower (and less efficient) settings to match heating demand. Also, can be used to integrate solar water heating, to back up the system during peak demand, and provide hot water during the summer months.

Average cost of stove from LCBP

Stand-alone ceramic heated

Ceramic material absorbs heat from the burning fuel and releases it into the room over a long period of time - a 2-hour burning period can provide heat for up to 24 hours. Heat output cannot be adjusted.

Wood fuels All wood fuels need to be kept dry

Wood logs How made? Advantages Obtained directly Low cost fuel supply can be supplemented by home garden wood waste (dried prior to use) Wood pellets Dried and compressed industrial wood waste Denser and drier than chips/logs Uniform size leads to efficient burning Produce least ash Require least storage area Suitable for use in systems with automatic feeding and ignition Most expensive of 3 fuels highest manufacturing costs Wood chips Chipped from forest or garden waste Suitable for farms/estates with supply of available wood and large storage area. Easier to handle and burn more readily than logs, and cheaper than pellets Relatively bulky Can be difficult to guarantee uniformity of size needed for efficient combustion Delivery to small storage areas can be difficult Higher prices for automatic feed boilers /stoves Around 1.9p/kWh (SAP 2005)

Disadvantages

Generally highest moisture content (reduces efficiency) Bulky, can be difficult to handle, large storage space required Generally need to be loaded into boiler/ stove manually

Typical cost per kWh heat produced

Around 2.61p/kWh (SAP 2005)

Around 4.86p/kWh (bulk supply in bags for primary heating) (Sutherlands)

Compliance

All boiler and stove installations must comply with safety and building regulations. Smokeless zones: exempted appliances required if live in a smoke control zone. See www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk for further advice. Planning: If the building is listed or in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), then customer will need to check with their local councils planning department before a flue is fitted. We recommend that an accredited installer / HETAS (www.hetas.org.uk) registered competent person is sought. If a HETAS registered competent person is not used, customer should contact building control department of their local council to check the installation.

Energy Saving Trust, 21 Dartmouth Street, London SW1H 9BP, Tel 0845 602 1425 www.energysavingtrust.org.uk KS6.1 Energy Saving Trust November 2008. E&OE