Grants

Isn't there a lot of smoke? What If I live in a smokeless zone?

Wood fuel boilers typically run at very high efficiencies (90%+) this means that the fuel is converted into heat very effectively and very few smoke particles are produced. In a properly installed and fuelled boiler most of what comes out of the chimney is steam.

The vast majority of wood fuelled boilers are fine to install in smoke free areas. Legally though they need to be on a certified list held by the council. Boilers which do not appear on this list are not legal to install at the moment, though councils are able to make one off exemptions. There are also recommendations that have been submitted for the law to be changed. So watch this space!

Are there any grants available?
Grants are available to install biomass boilers. Different grants are available depending on your solar panel installation situation. Contact us for more information or look at out links page

What about the ash? Will I be emptying it all the time?
Wood fuelled boilers typically produce less than 1% ash (it is often much less than this). In real terms on a small-medium sized system this means emptying a bucket once every two weeks or so. Wood ash isn't hazardous waste, in fact it is a low nitrogen fertiliser so instead of throwing it away you can put it on the roses!

What about planning permission?
Planning permission depends greatly on your location, though the benefits of a biomass system mean that is easier to get permission than many other renewable systems.

Wood fuelled boilers can be sited outside the building they serve and connected either to one or several buildings by a hot water main.

If boilers are installed within a building, the existing chimney can often be used instead of erecting a new one. If done correctly then the impact on the outside of the building is negligible. This means that wood fuelled systems are often a really good option for listed buildings.