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There are many Biomass Boilers available on the UK market and there are many factors to consider when selecting the right Biomass Boiler for you or your business. Below we have listed out the key factors that you will want to consider when deciding which Biomass Boiler is best for your situation:
Domestic or Non-Domestic Biomass Boiler
There are no restrictions on the type of biomass boiler you can install under the non-domestic biomass boiler scheme other than it must meet certain emission standards to be eligible for the RHI. But which Biomass Boiler is best for your needs?
For Domestic biomass boilers there are many more restrictions. Firstly each biomass boiler must be MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) certified to be eligible for the Domestic RHI. This ruling is in place to protect domestic consumers. However the biomass boiler that is submitted for testing may not be a genuine sample of what will be sold to the market and so sticking with quality brands (Austrian) is recommended.
Further to this the Domestic RHI only supports single biomass boiler systems up to 45kW. Biomass boilers larger than 45kW are not eligible for the domestic RHI. However a property can install two biomass boilers up to a combined capacity of 70kW and still be eligible for the domestic RHI.
Fuel Type
There are a whole range of fuel options for a biomass boiler system and the selected boiler must be designed to deal with that specific fuel. Your fuel options are actually quite wide including; Wood (sawdust, pellet, chip and logs), crops (straw, miscanthus, etc.), etc. However the most popular by far is wood due to the higher calorific value and logistical benefits.
Therefore where fuel is concerned its not a question of which Biomass Boiler is best but which which Biomass Boiler is best for your fuel type.
Therefore one of the first steps to planning a biomass system is fuel selection as the boiler will be specked off the back of this. Some boilers can deal with a range of options, but will need recalibrating whenever the fuel type is changed.
The crudest form of Biomass Boiler is the batch boiler (such as farm 2000). We can supply these if required. A batch boiler can burn almost any biomass fuel as it is simply an incineration chamber that has no automation. The biomass batch boiler will simply burn through all the fuel inside. This is why substantial buffer tanks are needed to store the heat produced so that it can be utilised over a period of time.
Build location and Brand
To be sure of quality and track record Austrian biomass boilers are the go to option for almost all types of biomass boiler. Some of the manufacturers have been in business for over 100 years and have therefore been able to refine their product substantially. This is the reason why Austrian biomass boilers dominate the UK market and the European market. Contact us to learn about which Austrain Boilers we can offer.
Smeaton Wood Energy only installs Austrian Pellet and Chip boilers for this reason. However for manual fed boilers which are far less advanced, we do look at established brands outside of the UK.
For example the American made Central Boiler is an excellent all in one log Biomass Boiler suitable for the Domestic and Non-Domestic RHI.