Installing a Biomass heating system is considered to be one of the best ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your home or commercial property.
Biomass fuel from wood has what is known as a ‘closed carbon cycle’. This cycle achieves a carbon-neutral way of creating heat. During its life, a tree will absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and release oxygen back. When the trees are harvested and burned, they only release back into the atmosphere the amount of CO2 that they absorb.
From an economic and environmental point of view wood is the ideal fuel – whether in the form of firewood, pellets, or wood chips. Fuel in the form of pellets and wood chips can be transported fully automatically from the fuel store to the boiler. Combustion is controlled according to the amount of heat that is required and is available according to the times and temperatures set using the controller.
HEATING THE TRADITIONAL WAY
Heating with firewood already has a long tradition. Locally sourced firewood comes as one metre long logs or cut into 25, 30 or 50 cm lengths as ready-to-burn firewood. Modern firewood heating systems provide optimal combustion and low emissions. The water content of the wood used for heating should be as low as possible and should not exceed 20 – 30 percent.
FUEL OF THE FUTURE
Wood pellets are made of natural wood. The large volumes of wood shavings and sawdust generated by the wood-processing industry are compacted and pelleted without being treated beforehand. Pellets have a high energy output and are easy to deliver and store. These are just some of the advantages that make pellets the perfect fuel for fully automatic heating systems.
Wood pellets are readily available and uniform in size and shape, Pellets also require less physical space (3.2MWh/m3) than wood chips. They are free-flowing and easily delivered into the store and as a result, they make the perfect fuel for a fully automated system and produce less ash (0.1% by weight).
energy from local woodland and forests
Wood chips are a local and environmentally-friendly fuel which is not subject to the crises and fluctuations of the market. Furthermore, wood chip production provides jobs for local residents. That is why wood chip is an ideal fuel, not just from an economic perspective but also from an environmental point of view. Leftover branches and treetops and sawmill waste are shredded into wood chips.
The quality class is determined by the wood used. Wood chip is cheaper than pellets, however wood chip requires more storage space (0.8MWh/m3) and produces more ash (1% by weight). Wood chip systems require more regular handling in comparison to the automated pellet systems and although the fuel needs to be manually tipped into a store, the actual system feed is automatic.
