The Advantages Offered By Biomass Boilers

Some of the most popular sources of renewable energy include solar power and biomass heating systems and the advantages of switching to a biomass boiler are numerous, as they serve as a renewable, carbon-neutral, cost-effective means of heating your home.

As the name suggests, biomass boilers function by burning biomass, such as wood chips, pellets and logs. They can be used to provide heat for a single room, or to power an entire central heating system in your home.

Switching from gas, oil or electricity to biomass heating can lead to significantly reduced energy costs, especially amongst people with high heat usage requirements. For example, a log or chip biomass boiler will typically operate at a cost of around 2 pence per Kwh, while oil heating will typically cost 6.5 pence per Kwh - over three times as much.

As demand for fossil fuels around the world continues to grow, the savings associated with biomass heating will also grow, even taking into consideration the anticipated future price increases for wood fuel.

The fuel for biomass heating systems can also be sourced locally, meaning that by switching, you can help to support rural businesses and the local economy. This local sourcing of fuel can also lead to reduced costs in transportation.

However, in addition to the financial considerations, biomass heating has a number of environmental advantages, including the reduction of your carbon footprint, meaning that you can positively contribute towards the health of the planet.

The burning of fossil fuels essentially converts stable carbon into atmospheric carbon dioxide, which, over time, has a devastating impact on the earth's CO2 balance.

Biomass fuel, on the other hand, is considered to be carbon-neutral, because when burned, the fuel emits roughly the same amount of carbon dioxide as the plants absorbed whilst they were still growing. This means that there is almost no negative impact on the earth's CO2 balance at all.

Furthermore, the increased demand for wood-based fuel has led to improved management of woodland areas in order to cope with this demand. The knock-on effects of this improved management include advantages for wildlife and a reduction of waste. This reduction of waste has led to less rotten fuel and less production of harmful methane as a result.