A 101 With Regards To Biomass Boilers

By Author: Pat War
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Today, it is becoming a lot more important that we reduce our carbon emissions, treat the planet earth better and think about renewable sources of energy - like biomass boilers - if we plan on possessing a green future. The combination of any concern around greenhouse gases and their influence on the environment in addition to rapidly depleting supplies of fossil fuels have encouraged the UK government to sponsor schemes like the Renewable Heat Initiative, which helps with all the costs of putting in environmentally friendly products such as biomass boilers.

A Bit of Background

The fossil fuels we use - coal, oil or natural gases - are made of long dead animals and plant matter, compressed over thousands of years, while biomass is made of living or at least recently living materials. Logs, chips or wooden pellets can be used for burning in one of those, although logs and chips tend to have relatively high moisture levels in comparison with wooden pellets which means they take more energy to ignite combustion. They have been used in ...
... rural areas for quite some time, but as costs decrease and incentives are exploited, more and more homes are choosing to install their own biomass boiler.

Good for the entire world

The fuel for biomass boilers is recognized as carbon neutral, which means that virtually no carbon emissions are produced using their burning in comparison with the results of planting trees, being a living tree producing fractional co2 will absorb roughly the same amount of harmful gases that burning the merchandise would produce. Wooden pellets are the most popular form of biomass fuel, mostly as the alternative of wood logs and chips retain moisture, therefore needing more heat to begin the combustion process. Grant UK's biomass boilers even have their very own patented turbulator baffle system which recycles waste heat back into the machine, and have up to 94% efficiency.

Why Biomass?

The biggest motivating factor for producing the switch is almost certainly the environmental considerations, although there are bonuses. The initial cost may take you aback in the beginning although the savings are long term, with £80 a year saved when replacing a gas heater and as much as £650 in comparison with an electric house heater! The wooden pellets themselves take almost no to produce, only costing significant amounts of money and environmental damage if imported from another country, but with an increasing interest in this fuel source more and more local companies are producing the merchandise. These are more often than not cheaper to get in tonnes rather than single bags, although a shed or garage may be required for storage!

Biomass boilers do you their problems

Unfortunately the buzz of biomass boilers is a long time coming, and you may still find some complaints about the system which are being addressed. Firstly, they need a somewhat large amount of space, often requiring their own utility room, whilst the fuel itself can also occupy a substantial amount of room - luckily, boiler companies are working on making the devices smaller and easier to put in. The installation cost is another factor which can dissuade potential buyers, although government schemes like the Renewable Heat Incentive are ensuring this becomes less of a problem. Log and chip burning machines have received an unsatisfactory reputation for needing to be cleaned regularly, but Grant UK and Ireland's boilers need just one check a year since the auto-feeding and cleaning systems take most of the work off your hands.

Log and chip burning machines have obtained a bad reputation for needing to be cleaned regularly, but Grant UK and Ireland's boilers need just one single check annually as the auto-feeding and cleaning systems take most of the work off your hands.

Consider a biomass boiler to become an investment

A boiler isn't this year's energy bills, it's for life - so you might need to pay more than you would have liked in upfront costs. However if you notice the biomass boiler as being a life-long investment you will see that when it comes to maintenance and fuel costs, you will spend less in the long term, especially as gas prices carry on and sky-rocket. They also require slightly more effort to maintain, although there are many models available now which only need occasional check-ups. For an eco friendly long-term heating solution, you just can't beat the carbon-neutral power of biomass.