BIOMASS

Plants absorb carbon-dioxide from the air as they grow. When they die and are burned, carbon-dioxide is released but this balances the CO2 absorbed during growth, so the process is thought to be carbon-neutral.

Open fires have always been a source of heat, closed stoves have improved on efficiency but the system has never been truly renewable until the application of technology to the design of stoves and the processing of suitable raw material. Within the last 5 years Biomass Boilers have been introduced to the UK, previously their use was restricted to countries with copious volumes of suitable small diameter timber, such as Germany and Scandinavian countries.

Modern stoves use Wood Pellets, produced from either the waste product of saw mills and other timber users, or from especially fast-growing species such as willow. The stoves can be electronically controlled and are very efficient in conversion of pellets into useable heat. However many are far too large for single dwelling domestic use.

As far as I can tell the process is not yet at the stage where it would be the system of choice for single family sustainable living:

Wood Pellet boilers are considerably more expensive than Gas Condensing boilers, typically Ł1500-Ł4000
Most Boilers require an electrical input to function - power failure means they stop working
In UK there is not yet a wide network of pellet suppliers
Wood Pellets are at present surprisingly expensive - taken as delivered cost - and need a large dry volume for storage
Only a few pellet boilers are available with a pleasing enough appearance to go in a living area, there are more solely room heaters
Wood Pellet boilers are better suited to communal developments or as district heating, than to single dwellings

LINKS

Biomass Energy Centre: www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk

The Logpile Website: www.ref.org.uk/logpile

Beacon Stoves: www.beacon-stoves.co.uk

Anglia Woodfuels: www.angliawoodfuels.co.uk

Hoval BioLyt boilers: www.hoval.co.uk

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