Burning wood generates carbon-neutral renewable heat. Although burning wood or other biomass releases greenhouse gases, it amounts to no more carbon than replacement vegetation will absorb. For wood, as long as a new tree is planted for each one burnt as part of sustainable forestry, there are no added carbon emissions in total. It is important fuels should come from a certified producer of sustainable biomass.
A standalone stove burning logs or pellets can heat a single room. Some can provide hot water as well using a back boiler. A boiler burning pellets, logs or chips, can be connected to a central heating and hot water system, but log burning stoves and boilers need to be refilled by hand.
Some pellet and chip burners have automated fuel feeders that refill them at regular intervals from fuel storage units, enabling heat outputs to be more easily regulated.
Flues are required for biomass and this can add costs in modern homes built without suitable chimneys. Biomass boilers can be installed outside a property and connected to its internal heating system. An outside space for delivery and wood storage is also needed since heating a house with biomass could require tonnes of wood.
Automated pellet feed biomass boilers, unlike the already popular standalone wood stoves, will be eligible for financial support like RHI (partly because they are quite costly) and are eligible for VAT reduced to 5%. Wood burning stoves are not eligible for reduced VAT.
Support for biomass
- RHI tariff payments will start for homes alongside the Green Deal from 2012, to allow a more whole-house approach to heat production and energy saving.
- In the meantime, up to 25,000 installations from July will be supported by a “RHI Premium Payment” to help people cover the purchase price of green heating systems.
- Those taking up the Premium will then be eligible for a RHI tariff from October next year – when the Green Deal begins – as will anyone else who has had eligible equipment installed from July 2009.
- We have RHI tariffs starting this year for commercial, industrial and community heating.
See more details about RHI and RHI Premium Payments at the following pages:
Performance issues
For more information on performance issues, visit the Energy Saving Trust website
or call the Energy Saving Trust’s 'Act on Co2' advice line, phone: 0800 512 012.
Biomass certification
At micro-level (<45kW), there are MCS standards for solar thermal for installer companies and products. MCS installers and products are likely to be mandatory for RHI and Premium Payments and MCS installer companies must belong to a consumer code of practice. At the moment there is only one – the REAL Assurance Code .
At the moment there is no other certification scheme for biomass considered ‘equivalent’ to MCS. If there were, it would have equal access to financial incentives.
Grants
Grants are available for a range of microgeneration heat technologies which meet the criteria of the Renewable Heat Premium Payments Scheme (RHPP).
Microgeneration heat technologies which meet certain criteria will be eligible for financial incentives (Renewable Heat Incentive).
Permitted planning
Getting planning permission can be a barrier to householders wishing to install microgeneration technologies. In England and Scotland, changes to permitted development rights were introduced on 6 April 2008 and 12 March 2009 for most technologies, including most biomass.
Recent reports and consultations
Suitable technologies and products
- MCS installer companies and MCS products are available on the MSC website
MCS installer companies are able to give consumers advice on specific products and impartial advice on the suitability of individual technologies. They are required under MCS standards to give accurate written estimates of likely energy outputs from a technology.
Further information
Carbon Trust guide: Biomass heating
This guide on the selection, installation and operation of biomass heating systems in low-carbon buildings is based on experiences of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.