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Biomass Boilers
 Biomass is biological material derived from living, or recently living
organisms. In the context of biomass for energy this often used to mean
plant based material, but biomass can equally apply to both animal and
vegetable derived material. The vital difference between biomass and
fossil fuels is one of time scale.
Biomass takes carbon out of the atmosphere while it is
growing, and returns it as it is burned. If it is managed on a sustainable
basis, biomass is harvested as part of a constantly replenished crop. This
is either during woodland or arboriculture management, coppicing or as
part of a continuous programme of replanting with the new growth taking
CO² from the atmosphere at the same time as it is released by combustion
of the previous harvest. This maintains a closed carbon cycle with no net
increases in atmospheric CO² levels.
(a) As trees in the energy
plantation grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
(b) During photosynthesis the trees store carbon in their woody
tissue and oxygen is released back to the atmosphere.
(c) At harvest, woodfuel is transported from the plantation to the
heat or power generating plant.
(d) As the wood is burned at the heat or power generating plant the
carbon stored in the woody tissue combines with oxygen to produce carbon
dioxide, this is emitted back to the atmosphere in the exhaust gases.
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Fuel Costs per kWh
| Fuel |
Price per unit |
Kwh per unit |
Pence per kWh |
Wood Chips
(30%MC) |
£70 per tonne |
3,500 kWh/t |
2.0p/kWh |
| Wood Pellets |
£170 per tonne |
4,800 kWh/t |
3.5p/kWh |
| Natural Gas |
3.0p/kWh |
1 |
3.0p/kWh |
| Heating Oil |
60p per litre |
10.2 kWh/ltr |
5.9p/kWh |
| LPG
(Bulk) |
41p per litre |
5.8 kWh/ltr |
7.1p/kWh |
| Electricity |
10.0p/kWh |
1 |
10.0p/kWh |
Facts and figures taken from Biomass
Energy Centre
www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk
Prices for bulk purchase of fuels at domestic or small industrial scale,
June 2008 |
N.B. These prices are intended for guidance only. All
prices are prone to significant variation with geographical region, order
quantities, overall contract size and duration, delivery distance and
time, etc. Woodfuels in particular are available at prices both
significantly above and below those quoted, and bulk prices will be
subject to a minimum delivery size of perhaps 3-5 tonnes. Wood pellets
bought in bags will be significantly more expensive than those bought in
bulk.
Domestic Wood Pellet
Stoves
Ariterm (heat only) EKE -
download here
Ariterm (heat only) NEP -
download here
En-Tech (heat and hot water) -
download here
Domestic Biomass Boilers (Pellet,
Woodchip & Log)
Ariterm wood pellet boilers 20kw -
download here
Ariterm wood pellet boilers 30kw -
download here
Ariterm wood pellet boilers 50kw -
download here
En-Tech wood pellet boilers 10 - 50 kw -
download here
Ariterm 20kw log and pellet combo boiler -
download here
Ariterm Vedo 30kw log boiler -
download here
Nordic Bioenergy OPOP pellet boilers from 16 kw to 120 kw -
download here
Commercial Biomass
Products (Woodchip & Pellet)
En-Tech pellet boilers from 90 - 500
kw -
download here
ETA woodchip boilers from 20 kw - 200 kw - download here
Wood and Pellet Questions and Answers
Pellet Burning Fires
Q: What is the main advantage of a pellet stove over a wood burning stove?
A: Independence. A pellet stove can operate for several hours without
reloading. It may be programmed to come on and turn off, and may be
controlled remotely by telephone. Q: I don’t have a flue; can I install a fireplace or a stove in any case?
A: You can
install a pellet stove with a forced wall outlet, in compliance with the
laws in
force Q: Can I use any other fuels in pellet stoves (wood, organic waste, etc)?
A: No,
anything burnt other than pellets may damage the operation of the stove
Q: Do I always have to use the same type of pellet?
A: It is advisable so
that the settings remain correct. Since pellets are highly variable, in certain
cases the
stove settings would need changing Q: Do I need to take particular precautions when storing pellets?
A: It is
enough
to keep the sacks in a dry place Q: In the case of pellet stoves, do I need to have the parameters set and
first
ignition carried out by an expert technician?
A: It is highly advisable to
ensure
the stove is set-up correctly by an accredited installer. This will also
validate the
Guarantee Q: What routine maintenance should be carried out on a pellet stove?
A: As
advised in the technical specifications, which you are recommended to read
carefully, you should: - Clean every day (for a few minutes when the stove
is
cold) by vacuuming the combustion chamber; also vacuum the hole in the
combustion chamber where the superheated air enters - empty the ash pan if
necessary. Wood Burning Fires
Q: What type of wood should I use in my fireplace?
A: Dry wood with a
moisture
content of about the 20% and about 2 years of seasoning.
Q: Can two fires be connected to the same flue?
A: No, each fire, whether
it be
a stove or a fireplace, must have a its own flue.
Q: When installing a stove, do I have to leave a certain distance between
it and
the walls?
A: Yes. There has to be a minimum safety distance between the
sides
and back of the stove and even averagely flammable materials (see
specifications). Q: What are the main rules to follow when installing a fire or preparing
connections for a future installation?
A: It is important to consider
fires, from the
air intake to the chimney pot, as completely independent of other
installations
(wall boilers, heat pumps, air conditioners, extractor fans, etc.) In
practice every
fire must have its own air intake, flue and chimney which do not interfere
with
other systems |