An introduction to biomass fuel and biomass boilers.
Biomass fuels are used in biomass stoves and biomass boilers to provide hot water and heat in the same way that a gas boiler would. Typical fossil fuels are coal and other resources found in nature and harvested for our own use, although our earth has a limited supply of them. Biomass fuel, on the other hand, is made up of organic material that is suitable for burning, such as wood and crop debris. Many homes and businesses across the UK that do not have access to grid-supplied gas currently use fossil fuels; the british government is trying to convince people to move away from this and switch to biomass fuels.
Fossil fuels dump biomass fuels
The earth’s natural resources are running out and will not last forever, this in turn directly contributes to rising inflation as the process of manufacturing goods becomes a more expensive business. This is basic economics, the demand is staying constant but the supply is going down and therefore the price is going up; finally, we all feel the end result of this in our pocket.
The burning of fossil fuels also contributes to the warming of our planet, so this is not really a good solution for providing something as basic as hot water and heat to people. A better alternative is for those currently using fossil fuels to switch to a biomass boiler. We’ll look at the different types of biomass fuel in a moment, but let’s know that there is a scheme called a “closed carbon cycle”, which means that if we switch to using biomass fuel, then for every part of carbon that is released in our atmosphere, and also if we use wood taken from controlled forestry that supports the closed carbon scheme, then the same amount of carbon spent is returned to the earth through tree planting. This means the same amount of carbon is neutralized and the polluting effect of burning fuel is minimal, if any. This is clearly better for our planet.
How do biomass boilers work?
So what is biomass fuel and how do biomass boilers use it? There are numerous sawmills and places that handle wood and lumber that produce waste material, the same goes for organic crop waste and animal waste. Wood in particular can be crafted in the form of wood logs and wood chips.
All these residues are biomass since they come from organic matter. Most people will use logs and chips to fuel their fire, but one downside to using logs and chips is that they retain moisture; this requires energy from your biomass stove before combustion can take place, so it is particularly efficient and takes longer to release its energy as heat.
Records in particular are also bulky, which means you need a place to store them. A better alternative is to use wood pellets. Wood pellets have their moisture removed and are also compacted into very small cylindrical shapes. For these reasons, they burn at a better rate and are also easier to store.
Many boiler manufacturers now produce their boilers together with a device called a hopper or feed that can automatically store and feed these pellets into the boiler for you. In general, this is more convenient. Other features are also available, such as self-cleaning boilers and temperature controls. Grant Engineering produces boilers that have a patented system called a baffle; this also redirects waste heat back into the combustion chamber, resulting in extreme efficiency.
The UK government and the RHI scheme
In order to entice people to switch to using biomass boilers and fuels instead of fossil fuels, the UK government has announced a plan to help businesses facilitate the switch by providing funding. This is called RHI or Renewable Heat Incentive and is the first of its kind worldwide. Unfortunately, not many business premises took up the offer, so in late 2013 climate change minister Greg Barker announced that the scheme would now be opened to domestic customers as well.
By combining this scheme with other environmentally friendly incentives, such as the Green Deal Scheme, which helps us convert our homes to be more energy efficient, it is clear that the UK government is actively trying to persuade the UK public to go green. more environmentally conscious.
Resume
We all need to be more environmentally conscious if we want to save our planet. If you currently use fossil fuels then you should consider switching to biomass boilers. They’re cheaper to maintain, you can get financial help to get them installed, and they literally don’t cost the earth.