Wood burning boilers: the other renewable energy source

What springs to mind when you think of renewable energy? Solar power? Wind farms? Chances are that last one didn’t even come up, yet log and wood pellet boilers are one of the simplest ways in which you can manage rising energy costs and help save the environment. What is it? Wood fuelled heating is a biomass system which burns logs, pellets or chips to power a central heating or hot water boiler. Unlike a wood burning stove which heats only one room, a wood burning boiler is connected directly to your central heating and hot water system, like a gas boiler would be. How can burning wood help the environment? When you fire up a wood boiler, the carbon dioxide released by the process is merely the same amount as if the plant had died and decomposed naturally. Think of it as stored solar energy which will not contribute to rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. What’s the difference between a wood burning boiler and a pellet boiler? Wood pellets are made from processed wood like old sawdust, wood shavings or forestry residue. They are a relatively new fuel on the UK market, designed to strict regulations with a low moisture content making wood pellet boilers a good choice. Wood burning boilers, on the other hand, are fuelled by wood logs. Typically, wood burning boilers have to be manually fed but a lot of boilers which burn pellets are automatic. You may also have heard of wood chip burning boilers: these are much larger and generally only suitable to heat large buildings or groups of houses. Will burning wood or pellets make my house smell smoky? No, boilers which burn wood or pellets incorporate very sophisticated technology, designed to release only a pleasant woody smell in the small area around the boiler. If you did see any smoke coming from the boiler’s flue, it is likely to only be water vapour released during the process. How much can I save? According to the Energy Saving Trust, Wood burning boilers could save you up to £600 a year compared to electrical heating – but the real benefit here is to the environment. The expected carbon dioxide saving of a wood burning boiler compared to a gas boiler is three tonnes every year. The UK government is currently running a renewable heat incentive scheme for eco boilers installed in commercial properties. Each MCS accredited boiler which is installed by an MCS installer will qualify for a one-off payment of £1250. Ruth Dawson.