Some of the team (pictured above) enjoyed a morning out on the Thursday 20th October to watch over the delivery of 2x 100kw Biotech Pellet Boilers, that are being installed in a retirement/sheltered housing scheme run by Tai Ceredigion. The 25 flats in Llanon, built in 1981, is having a completely new heating system installed.
Davies Crane Hire were brought in to lift the boilers (over 1 tonne each) into their new purpose built plant room, constructed by Hurley & Sons. Everything went to plan and it was all done in about an hour.
The installation will save over 60 tonnes of CO2 annually and the cost of installation will be offset against payments from the Renewable Heat Incentive.
Värmebaronen AB visit Biofutures to discuss expanding operations in the UK
Last week Biofutures welcomed Gazmend Uka who is the Export Manager for Värmebaronen AB, who was keen to discover why sales in their Electric Boiler and Immersion Heater products have suddenly increased in the UK. Biofutures have been boosted in current months by orders for the Värmebaronen electrical systems.
Värmebaronen are also one of Sweden’s market leaders in Electric Boilers. Together with Biofutures, operating under EnergisePower, we are keen to offer electric boiler packages into the UK. Whether it’s for off-grid low energy properties packaged with photovoltaic’s or as large commercial back up options for schools and hospitals. There’s increased interest with electric boilers especially where sites are generating their own electricity and there are many advantages such as:
They’re safer! Because they don’t burn any sort of solid fuel, they don’t produce any fumes or combustion gasses like carbon monoxide;
Since they don’t need a flue they can be fitted anywhere and they’re very compact even compared to gas boilers;
Silent operation;
Simple to service and maintain;
They can be linked to environmentally friendly electricity generation sources, such as solar panels.
For more information on our Värmebaronen range please visit www.varmebaronen.wales or contact us on 01558 824100
We Are Rowing With The Tide
Energy Minister Andreal Leadsom says net zero Paris goal will be written into UK law following advice from the Committee on Climate Change in the autumn.
The government has promised to enshrine a key Paris commitment to deliver a 'net-zero' emission economy into UK law, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom told the House of Commons yesterday.
Responding to calls by former Labour leader Ed Miliband for a new legislative goal in support of the Paris Agreement, Leadsom said the government is seeking to "build on the momentum of Paris" and will produce a plan for enshrining the net-zero emissions target into law later this year.
The announcement means the UK's legal target to reduce emissions will be tightened from its current goal of an 80 per cent reduction against 1990 levels by 2050 under the Climate Change Act to a net-zero target by the second half of the century, bringing it in line with international pledges made in Paris in December.
Oil prices may rise again after the boss of Royal Dutch Shell speaks with the Sunday Times, predicting the oil price will more than double while he makes a final push to persuade investors to back his takeover of rival BG at a cost of $51bn (£35bn).
Shareholders of the two companies will vote at the end of the month, despite having sharply divided City opinions. Brent crude oil prices sank to less than $33 a barrel last week and marking a 40% drop since the cash-and-share offer unveiled by Ben van Beurden last April. Shell will be looking for crude oil prices to return to the low $60's in order for the acquisition to make financial sense.
Following the 2015 (Nov 25th) statement HM Treasury have released the Government's Spending Review. Today, DECC has clarified what the RHI budget will be for the next five years. The table below shows the budget for each year and the increase every year available for new applicants.
Financial Year
RHI Budget
Increase from previous year
2015-16
£430m
2016-17
£640m
£210m
2017-18
£780m
£140m
2018-19
£900m
£120m
2019-20
£1010m
£110m
2020-21
£1150m
£140m
This suggest a larger budget increase next financial year available for new applicants, and then a steady yearly increase in the following four years.
Bella Idro - Innovative Pellet Range Cooker by Palazzetti
Innovative hydronic pellet range cooker that works like a real boiler, heating the water for your heating system and for domestic use. The hotplate and oven are always hot and ready to be used for cooking.
Dated: June 2015 | Author: Kedrick Davies | Back to top
Adding up the benefits of renewable heat
With the financial and environmental costs of energy continuing to rise, more UK homeowners are making the move towards greener heating options. Increased awareness about the ecological impact of traditional fossil fuels like oil and coal combined with economic stimulus like the new Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) has seen a major surge in the uptake of environmentally friendly heat systems. New statistics now emerging about the scheme’s take up since its launch back in April show biomass has so far been the most popular option for UK householders. We explore the set up of the RHI and find out why biomass is out in front in the race to make our heating lean and green?
According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change the RHI is the world’s first long-term financial support programme for renewable heat[i]. The scheme works by making payments to people who generate and use renewable energy to heat their homes and buildings. The objective of the scheme is to incentivize the use of alternative eco-friendly sources of energy, thereby cutting greenhouse gas emissions and delivering on climate change targets. In practice the RHI is split into two schemes – one for non-domestic customers and one for the domestic market. The non-domestic scheme has been running for some time – since November 2011- and applies to commercial, public sector, not for profit and heat network customers who receive payments over a 20 year period. The scheme has recently been expanded to boost support for certain technologies including large biomass boilers.
The domestic scheme has been in operation since April this year and is open to homeowners, private landlords, social landlords and self-builders[ii]. Scheme participants are paid for each unit of heat they generate for seven years following installation. Different tariffs or amounts per unit are payable depending on the type of technology used. Air-source heat pumps for example attract a tariff of 7.3p while biomass boilers and biomass pellet stoves earn 12.2p for every unit generated.
RHI results
The non-domestic RHI scheme continues to grow in popularity with the second quarter of 2014 seeing the largest number of applications since the RHI started in 2011. With 1119 applications in June alone and over 162MW of installations during the second quarter of the year, it is clear that the non-domestic RHI is far from running out of steam[iii].
For householders though the most significant development was the introduction of the domestic scheme. Although it is still relatively early days, recent results show that since its launch in April there have been 1046 new applications and 6372 legacy applications, totalling 7418 RHI installations so far. With more than 40 percent of the new applications relating to biomass boilers, some industry experts are describing it as the technology of choice[iv]. So what is it about biomass in particular which is seeing it stride ahead in the renewable heat stakes?
Biomass benefits
In its most basic terms a biomass boiler is a device that burns wood – logs, pellets or chips- and uses that energy to provide heat and hot water for the home[v]. Within that broad description there are a number of variable options including boilers that provide heat and hot water for the whole house, stand alone stoves which heat specific rooms and stoves with back boilers that heat the room they are in, provide hot water and may also be connected to radiators in other parts of the house.
According to the Energy Saving Trust installing a biomass boiler which will meet the needs of a four bedroom detached house costs from £14,000 to £19,000[vi]. RHI payments over seven years are estimated to total from £14,000 to £24,500, so the technology more than pays for itself. Given that additional energy savings of between £340 and £650 each year are on top of this rebate amount it is hardly surprising that homeowners are increasingly coming to the conclusion that biomass is best. Households can investigate their own bespoke potential savings by inputting their own specific details into an online RHI calculator.
Using a biomass boiler also means a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions – up to 14.5 tonnes per year if the biomass boiler replaces a coal fired or electric storage system[vii]. This means that adopting biomass technology is as good news for the environment as it is for the consumer’s bank balance[viii].
Getting started
When considering installing a biomass system, the most effective approach is to consult a professional who specializes in the use of this technology. They will be able to set out the most appropriate options for the home taking into account size, heating requirement and existing plumbing work.
Dated: April 2014 | Author: Emma Jayston | Back to top
Domestic RHI Launched Today - 9th April 2014
The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is the world’s first long-term financial support programme for renewable heat, offering homeowners payments to offset the cost of installing low carbon systems in their properties.
The scheme is open to everyone – home owners, social and private landlords, and people who build their own homes. It is available to households both on and off the gas grid.
Minister for Energy Greg Barker said:
This is the first scheme of its kind in the world – showing yet again that the UK is leading the way in the clean energy sector.
Not only will people have warmer homes and cheaper fuel bills, they will reduce their carbon emissions, and will also get cash payments for installing these new technologies.
It opens up a market for the supply chain, engineers and installers – generating growth and supporting jobs as part of our long-term economic plan.
The technologies currently covered by the scheme are:
Biomass heating systems, which burn fuel such as wood pellets, chips or logs to provide central heating and hot water in a home. Biomass-only boilers are designed to provide heating using a ‘wet system’ (eg through radiators) and provide hot water. Pellet stoves with integrated boilers are designed to burn only wood pellets and can heat the room they are in directly, as well as provide heat to the rest of the home using a ‘wet system’ (eg through radiators) and provide hot water.
Ground or water source heat pumps, which extract heat from the ground or water. This heat can then be used to provide heating and/or hot water in a home.
Air to water heat pumps, which absorb heat from the outside air. This heat can then be used to provide heating and/or hot water in a home.
Solar thermal panels, which collect heat from the sun and use it to heat up water which is stored in a hot water cylinder. The two types of panels that are eligible are evacuated tube panels and liquid-filled flat plate panels.
Domestic RHI Tariff Rates
Technology
Tariff
Air-source heat pumps
7.3p/kWh
Ground and water-source heat pumps
18.8p/kWh
Biomass-only boilers and biomass pellet stoves with integrated boilers
12.2p/kWh
Solar thermal panels (flat plate and evacuated tube for hot water only)
19.2p/kWh
Only one space heating system is allowed per property but homeowners can apply for solar thermal for hot water and a space heating system.
The guaranteed payments are made quarterly over seven years for households in England, Wales and Scotland. (Northern Ireland has its own RHI scheme). The scheme is designed to bridge the gap between the cost of fossil fuel heat sources and renewable heat alternatives.
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has already backed the scheme, and says its introduction could make 2014 a breakthrough year for renewable heating.
Mike Landy, head of on-site renewables at the REA, said:
'Domestic RHI is set to be one of the highlights of the Government’s green agenda in 2014. It will mean that renewable home heating is not just environmentally sensible, but also financially attractive.'
To find out more about the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive, to book a Green Deal Assessment or to receive free and impartial advice, call the Energy Saving Advice Service on 0300 123 1234 (England and Wales) or Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 (Scotland), or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
For further details about the scheme including eligibility criteria and how to apply visit www.ofgem.gov.uk/domestic-rhi.
For more details on the non-domestic scheme and free information on how to apply, visit the Ofgem website or call 0845 200 2122 (non-domestic RHI enquiry line open Monday to Thursday 9 am to 5 pm and to 4.30 pm on Fridays).
Biofutures Ltd is delighted to announce the opening of The Biomass Centre, our new Biomass showroom and office near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.
The centre is open to residential and commercial customers who would like to understand more about wood based heating.
Benefiting from an RDP Sir Gar Redundant Rural Building (RRB) grant, this beautiful cedar clad new building provides the company with a base for our next expansion phase bringing new jobs and business opportunities into our rural community.
Kedrick Davies, Managing Director 'We are very grateful to RRB's Grant Cole and all at Carmarthenshire County Council for their support in our application and to Roy Scott builders for a professional build project. This has enabled us to turn a derelict barn into a warm, dry showroom and is an exciting step in the development of our Biomass business'.
The Redundant Rural Buildings Grant provides assistance to micro businesses for the conversion of rural Carmarthenshire buildings that are no longer used into business premises. The grant is funded by the Rural Development Plan (RDP) for Wales 2007 - 2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural fund for Rural Development.
The Biomass Centre was opened officially by Terry Davies, Chairman of the Council and Jonathan Edwards, MP on the 21st February.
Biofutures Ltd is a biomass heating company specialising in wood (wood pellet, wood chip and log) fuelled heating systems. Established in 2006 the company installs, service and maintains wood based heating systems for domestic and commercial customers.
Biomass heating is an alternative to oil, LPG and electric heating. It is cheaper to run, environmentally much cleaner and can generate index linked income - through the UK Government's Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
UK Government Announces Phase II detail of the RHI scheme - Domestic!!
Great news in July for our residential customers as the government announces details of the Domestic RHI scheme. The starting rate for domestic biomass is 12.2 pence per kWh over 7 years. A typical 3 bedroom detached property could receive £15,000 - £20,000 over 7 years plus fuel savings. Read more at: Energy Saving Trust
The UK government today (20th May 2013) announced increase to the RHI Premium Payment scheme which sees the grant for Biomass Boilers increase from £950 to £2,000. Kedrick Davies, Managing Director of Biofutures, commented "This will significantly help customers to make the move to Biomass and start enjoying warmer homes and lower ongoing fuel costs".
Confirmation that domestic grant of £950 will be continued to March 2014 when the final details of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive will be launched.
Better heating for our Carmarthenshire modern home
Paul and Pam Bennett have been using wood to fuel their whole heating system at their modern home in Llandeilo since summer 2011. Here, Paul explains why it's the right choice for them:
"We moved into our home about eight years ago and didn't spare a thought for heating options. Like many new-builds, our house was built with an oil supply, but with oil prices continuing to rise, we realised that we needed to think about the way we'd be heating our home in the future.
We lived in a rural area and so wood fuel seemed a natural option for us to consider. We didn't have any knowledge about wood burners or previous experience of using wood fuel, so we decided to do some research.
I contacted a local boiler and stove retailer - a Woodfuel Wales member - based in Swansea following a local recommendation. A very helpful fellow came to our house, looked at our existing set-up, and explained what options would suit best. It was important for us to have a unit that would tie in with our existing central heating system and not be too intrusive, once it was set up in the garage.
We finally opted for an auto-feed pellet boiler and within four months we had made the switch from oil to wood. Since the installation, our heating system is working equally as well as it did with il. Wood fuel is not a dwindling source of fuel, and by using it to heat our home we are helping the environment by using a sustainable source. Although installation may not be cheap, we view it as a long-term solution that will provide savings."
The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has finally revealed its plans for the future of the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) after initially announcing the scheme in 2009 and introducing commercial RHI support in November last year.
Government is proposing that the Domestic RHI will support the installation of ground and air source heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal panels. The RHI scheme will work in the same manner as the existing commercial RHI as well as the more popular Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme, whereby subsidy is provided through tariff based payments for every unit of renewable heat generated. DECC states that the domestic RHI is aimed at any householder looking to replace their current heating with renewable heating kit as well as supporting any householders who have installed an RHI-eligible technology since July 15, 2009.
DECC is proposing that the new Domestic RHI payments will be paid over a seven year period. However, the proposed seven year payment period is designed to pay for 20 years’ worth of heat generated. DECC believes that paying the tariff over a shorter period will help investors realise their investment in a timely manner. The department does recognise that it will face challenges over ensuring the assumed levels of heat are actually generated. With respect to biomass heating the proposed tariff is indicated as being:
Tariff (p/kWh) 5.2-8.7 [Biomass]
However, DECC are keen to stress that it will be “going through a period of refining, updating and verifying our evidence during the autumn including the incorporation of evidence that we gather from this consultation and the most up to date data from the RHPP scheme and other government calls for evidence. This means that the final tariff rates will almost certainly be different to those set out in this consultation.”
The Department is also proposing to introduce a budget management system for the domestic RHI, similar to the one consulted on for the commercial RH. The budget management system would be almost identical to the current model employed for solar FiT payments, where degression would occur when certain trigger points are hit by industry. DECC maintains that a trigger mechanism is necessary to protect the budget of the scheme and ensure that it can keep running.
Commenting on the proposals, Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: We need to revolutionise the way we heat our homes and businesses and move away from expensive fossil fuels, not only to cut carbon but to help meet our renewables targets and save money on bills.
“Our proposals aim to encourage even more uptake of clean green heating in industry and in our businesses. We have also set out our views on long term support for those who invest in low carbon kit in their homes and we look forward to hearing your thoughts.”
DECC has announced that Ofgem will be the interim delivery partner for the Domestic RHI scheme. The department is hoping to ready the announced scheme for summer 2013.
REA Head of Policy Paul Thompson, who was speaking this morning alongside officials from DECC and Ofgem at an REA seminar on sustainability under the RHI, said: “Renewable heat has been the sleeping giant of UK renewable energy policy. Renewable heat technologies are often very cost-effective, and have a major role to play in reducing our carbon emissions, improving our energy security, and revitalising our economy.
The closing date for this consultation is December 7, 2012.
Next RHI Programme - Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme
Government ( DECC) has announced that, in the absence of decisions on the domestic RHI, a second phase of the RHPP will be initiated on 1st May 2012 and run until 31st March 2012 (with an increased budget of £25 million, including an £8 million communities competition). Potential applicants for the Phase 2 scheme (which will offer the same grants as in Phase 1) can pre-register on the EST website.
Final outcome of Phase 1 of the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme
The Energy Saving Trust has published the final outcome of Phase 1 of the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme, which came to an end at the end of March 2012. By the close of the scheme 5,369 vouchers had been redeemed (out of the 7,253 issued) with a total value of £5,479,750. By country the breakdown was 77% in England, 14% in Scotland and 9% in Wales.
The REA has issued the following statement in response to the RSPB’s report: Bioenergy: A Burning Issue, as heard on BBC Radio 4 today:
It is great to see that our campaign – Back Biomass www.backbiomass.co.uk - is creating a debate on the future of biomass in the UK’s energy mix and the RSPB report is a welcome addition to that debate. It is vital that as the Government makes decisions about the future of energy policy in the UK it makes those in recognition of the need for a portfolio of renewables - and heat and power from sustainable biomass offers proven, practical, secure and low carbon energy as part of a balanced energy mix.
We agree with the RSPB that there is much greater potential for developing biomass from better managed forests in the UK and other domestic sources including agricultural by-products. We believe that a mature biomass industry will help to incentivise the more effective use and management of our woodlands, developing the UK biomass energy supply chain. However it must be recognised that the future of biomass is much more sustainable than the RSPB report recognises.
Our campaign is committed to promoting sustainable biomass fuel sources and the new Government sustainability criteria ensures, from April 2013, that all biomass feedstock comes from demonstrably sustainable low carbon sources. This criteria requires information provided by companies to be verified by independent auditors to ensure that these criteria are being met.
Our campaign aims to put forward the positive, practical and pragmatic case for biomass. Its contribution is essential, particularly given its unique position as a low carbon baseload technology, which makes biomass complement to other renewables, many of which are intermittent or variable in output.
We would encourage all of those interested in the debate to visit the Back Biomass website www.backbiomass.co.uk for further information on the role of biomass as an affordable, low carbon energy source, that can benefit the UK economy, helping to strengthen our energy security in a sustainable way.
Biofutures new service vehicle will be ready and completed shortly. It will provide the engineers of the company a vehicle with a very distinctive appearance highlighting the quality of the products that the company distributes for it European partners.
Biofutures have a stand at the show and will be displaying some of their key Biomass systems. The display will include a sectioned boiler which will provide visitors with a unique insight into the working of a modern 96% efficient biomass boiler. The stand will also have a boiler with one of the smallest "footprints" in the market but which still produces 15kW - fine for most individual houses. Drop in and have a special experience and pick up some figures on the financial returns through the FITS and RHI schemes. It nows pays to go green!
Biotech have released their latest pellet boiler the PZ65 on to the market. With a maximum output of 65kW it further fills out the pellet boiler range with outputs now of 9, 15, 25, 35, 65, and 100kW.
With this latest edition Biotech are even beter equipped to have a solution to fit any domestic and small commercial application. Lower your carbon footprint today with Biotech wood pellet boiler system.
The REA has issued the following statement in response to the RSPB’s report: Bioenergy: A Burning Issue, as heard on BBC Radio 4 today: