Wood fuelled Heating in Rural Estates & Houses

An introduction

dawn.riggett@econergy.ltd.uk

Econergy Ltd: The Company

• UK’s premier biomass heating supplier

– Founded 1999– > 400 projects sold to date– 13% of UK installed base– 10KW to 2MW– 19% owned by British Gas

• Econergy offering– biomass boilers– complete solution design & supply– district heating– biomass heat supply - sell metered

heat

• Commercial market sectors:– schools, social housing, hospitals,

leisure centres, care homes, rural developments, offices, etc.

• Domestic boilers – increasingly via installer network

Rocks Green – 91 housing project

Shortwood school

Award winning projects

Design & Supply of Complete Biomass Heating Solutions

• Turn-key design & supply of biomass heating solutions

– Biomass boilers, fuel reception, mech & electrical, district heating

– design, procurement, supply, installation, commissioning

– Operation, maintenance & biomass heat supply

– Biomass Design Toolkit for Consultants

• Company Certification: – Constructionline, CHAS (H&S);

MCS installer (quality), REAL Code (OFT approved code of practice)

• Products Certification: – Energy Technology List (all),

Clean Air Act Exemptions (all), MCS (<45kW)

• Public sector frameworks– YPO/Pro5 “Biomass Managed

service” awarded Dec 2009 for 3 years – national

– IESE “SAVE” framework - south east

• British Gas CERT/ CESP funding provider

– Biomass community heating

• REA Board member– National biomass heating policy

leadership (RHI, air quality, fuel sustainability etc.)

Biomass Heating Life Time Cost (e.g.)School: 500KW, 1.5m kWhs pa, 30 yr life£1.8 million lifetime cost of which:- boiler & feed system 5%- total installed cost 15%- maintenance 10%- wood fuel cost 70%

Econergy Customers include:Rural projects in Italics

Domestic (100+)

CommercialMarks & SpencerWessex WaterSkipton Building SocietyThe Co-operative Group

ContractorsNG BaileyBalfour Beatty ESLCrown HouseKier GroupSkanskaBovisLorne Stewart MitieHaydon YoungCrest NicolsonSir Robert McAlpineBriggs & ForrestorDodd GroupWaringsT ClarkeInterserveBAM

Social Housing District HeatingSheffield Homes (4)Berneslai Homes, Barnsley (4)Doncaster HomesSouth Shropshire Housing AssociationBromford Corinthia Housing Association

EducationBristol Council Schools (6)Barnsley Council Schools (5)University of CambridgeSouth Lanarkshire Council schools (3)Suffolk Council schools (4)National Star CollegeBerkshire College of Agriculture

Rural DevelopmentsDuchy of Cornwall (4)Aske Estate (4)Kevin McCloudTorry Hill FarmParkend Estate (2)

CharitiesNational Trust (12)RSPB

Government DepartmentsForestry Commission (14)DEFRAForeign and Commonwealth Office

Hospitals & Care HomesRoyal Cornwall HospitalRoyal Victoria Hospital, FifeCyon Valley Hospital, WalesBirtley House Care HomeOxon Care Home

Local Council OfficesWorcestershire County HallSouthwark Council, LondonMaidstone CouncilBradford City Hall

LeisureBowood Golf Club & SpaDoncaster Leisure CentreTelford Leisure centre & theatrePaignton Zoo Crocodile FarmThe Living Rainforest

Europe’s Leading Biomass Boilers

Fröling, Austria (#1 Europe)

8KW to 1,000 kW

25,000 boilers per annum500 employeesEstablished 1961

KWB, Austria10 kW to 300 kW

7,000 boilers per annum

Fröling 3MW biomass test centre

Fröling TM500 kW wet wood chip boiler

KWB Powerfire 300KW wood chip boiler

Fröling 20kW pellet boiler

KWB 100kW pellet boiler

Fröling S4 30kW

log boiler

Why wood heating ? low carbon fuel

CO2 emissions per unit of energy supplied

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Gra

ms

of C

O2

per

kWh

W oodfuelled heat

W ind power

Solar PV m-si

Solar PV p-Si

Natural gas heating

Light fuel oil heating

Sources: GaBE Project: Comprehensive Assessment of Energy Systems. Dr Thomas Heck, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, March 2002. http://gabe.web.psi.ch/lca.html; Greenhouse Gas Balance of Bioenergy Systems - A Comparison of Bioenergy with Fossil Energy Systems. G Jungmeier, Joanneum Research, University of Graz, Austria, 1999. Gerfried.jungmeier@joanneum.ac.at

Biomass heating is often the lowest cost way to reduce CO2 emissions after energy conservation

Why Wood fuel ? - local jobs & fuel security

via chipping & storage to

low carbon heat

from tree surgeonor forest

Biomass heating system- design considerations

• What is the customer’s objective(s) ?– CO2 reduction, fuel cost reduction, meet building/planning regs.

• Peak heat loss, profile and physical distribution of buildings– Biomass boiler(s), buffer tank, peak/stand-by fossil fuel boilers – Option: Distribution pipework & interfaces for community heating

• Wood fuel selection & logistics– Fuel type, availability & price v. boiler specification– Wood fuel delivery vehicle v. fuel store design

• Space & access for biomass boiler plant– Fuel delivery, receipt, storage options & delivery vehicle needs– New build v. Retrofit– Capital cost v. fuel & operating supply cost

• Air Quality: Boiler installation & flue Design• Planning considerations (visual, air quality, noise, traffic….)• Hydraulics & controls philosophy

Which fuel type ?

Wood chip Wood pellet LogsHeat cost: 1.5 - 3.5p/KWh10KW to 10MWLow energy density (600KWh/m3)Automatic feed for 24x7 hour operationMedium /large scale operation is most economic

Heat cost: 4 - 5.5p/KWh10KW to 1000KWHigh energy density (3450KWh/m3)Can transport long distancesFuel “flows”Fuel delivered by blower –fuel store generally simpler & cheaper

Heat cost: 1- 3.5p/KWh15 to 70KWEasy to handleKnown & existing supply chainCan produce from small scale wood land

ConsiderationsNeed local supplierQuality can be variableFuel reception design is key & can be expensiveFuel does not flow & is difficult to handle

ConsiderationsPellet quality is criticalCostNeed large scale production to keep costs downUnlikely to be local

ConsiderationsNeed to load manually at least once per dayOnly suitable for small scale

How does the technology work ?Wood chip/pellet boiler with spring outfeeder

•Fully automated•90%+ efficiency•Auto-ignition•ash removal •heat exchanger cleaning •particulates removal•Spring outfeeder feed system •Suitable for wood chips or pellets

28kW – 750kW

Wood fuel delivery:Wood chip

Capital cost v. fuel supply cost

Hawk Business Park, Nr York

• Redevelopment of Historic rural buildings

• 15 business units with separate controls & underfloor heating

• Units rented out• Marketed to businesses as a

environmentally friendly workplace

• 100kW Froling TMc boiler• 2 x 2,000 litre buffer & no back-

up– low summer DHW demand

• Biomass boiler & district heating supply by Econergy

– Supporting high tech development concept

• Owner: Sir Ben Gill– former NFU President, Biomass Task Force Chair– Opened by Princess Anne

RSPB, Barnsley 100KW wood chip

Micro heating network (several heat circuits)• Visitors centre & café• Education wing• Volunteer accommodation• Offices & meeting rooms• Rangers cottage

Wood fuel: 55 tonnes per annum at 30% moistureInstalled & operating since 2004

Parkend Estate, NorthumberlandWood Fuel Business Diversification

• From Customer……– 2 x Froling 100kW TMc boilers

– Heating for main house, 3 cottages & several flats ++

– Distributed back-up oil boilers– Heat meters installed for flats

and cottages for sale of heat to tenants

• To major fuel supplier– Wood fuel from estate

woodlands and chipped into near-by barn

– Parkend Estate is now a leading fuel supplier shipping 4,000 tonnes per annum

• Newcastle schools etc.

• And boiler installer

How does the technology work ?Froling P4 Pellet boiler

• Available from 10-60kW

• Combustion control– Lambda sensor– Flue gas sensor– ID Fan– Modulation to 40% output

• Automatic heat exchanger cleaning• Automatic ignition

• Whole house heating control system

• No return feed mixing device required• Suction feed as standard

Froling P4 Pellet Fuel Feed

Universal Suction System

•Very flexible

•One or more suction points

•Suits small or awkward shape fuel stores

Screw Auger System

•For complete emptying of fuel store

•Very large capacity fuel stores possible

How does the technology work ?KWB USP Easyfire Fuel Feed

Attached Fuel Hopper 400L

Big Bag System

Elbow Worm Conveyor

Wood fuel delivery:Pellets

Or bags of pellets delivered on a pallet

Upton House, Oxfordshire

• National Trust cottage• 15kW Froling P2 pellet boiler• Heating for rented holiday

cottage• No backup boiler• Boiler controls

– 1 x Weather Compensated Heating Circuit

– 1x DHW cylinder

• Aesthetic fuel store added to house

• A Greenearth Energy distributor project

Tufton Lodge, Cumbria

• Private house in v.remote location

• 30kW KWB USP pellet boiler with on board fuel hopper

• No backup boiler• Boiler controls

– 1 x Weather Compensated Heating Circuit

– 1x DHW cylinder• 500L buffer tank• £2,000 Clearskies grant• Owners runs environmentally

friendly business

How does the technology work ?Froling S4 Log boiler

• Available from 15-60kW

• Downdraft gasification

• High temperature combustion• Combustion control

– Lambda sensor

– Flue gas sensor– Air actuators

– Modulation to 40% output

• Heat exchanger cleaning• ID fan for easy start

• Whole house heating control system

• Use wood available from the land• Logs can be up to 500cm long and

need to be seasoned

Greenshop, Stroud

• Renewable energy shop• Home to Eco Engineering

– An Econergy domestic & small commercial installer

• 40kW FHG log boiler• No backup boiler• 2000L solar thermal store

providing DHW and UFH throughout the building

• Funding obtained via LCBP Phase 2

Rocks Green, Ludlow: 91 new build housesInside Housing National Award: “Sustainable Large Housing Project of the Year” (2009)

• Client: South Shropshire Housing Association

• Econergy design & installation:– Biomass energy centre incl.

• 2 x 150kW KWB biomass boilers• 2 x 200kW peak oil boilers

– 1,200 metres of twin underground pipe

– 91 interface units incl. heat meter, heat exchanger and pressure balancing valves

• c. 300 tonnes of wood fuel per annum

• 150 tpa CO2 saving c.f. gas• £500,000 M&E capex• Econergy’s design - most cost

effective for CO2 reduction of 16 scenarios evaluated by Arups

National Star College, Nr Cheltenham• Special Needs College

– New build biomass heating energy centre for mission critical heat 24 x 7 x 365

– Supplying 14 buildings• Econergy turn-key design &

installation– Retrofit installation– 500 + 320kW Froling wood chip

boilers– Underground 4m x 7m x 3m

scaper floor fuel bunker– 2 x 400kW back-up oil boilers – All plant room equipment– 1.6km underground htg main– 14 local interfaces replacing 20

oil boilers 3 x 5,000 litre buffer tanks (heat stores)

– £550,000 M&E capex• Rural fuel supplier:

Goucestershire Wood Fuels

Financial Support for Biomass Heat

• Current Funding mechanisms:– Bioenergy capital grant: commercial (£4m)

• Up to 40% of eligible costs until March 2009 (commercial)

– Low Carbon Building program schemes –Domestic and Commercial options

– CERT – biomass community htg (£1m +)• 30% to 65% of all costs, must be installed by Feb

2011• offered via Econergy from British Gas

– CESP – selected postcodes – from British Gas– Carbon Trust zero interest loans - SMEs– CSEP grants – certain not for profit

• Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) 2011+– Payments to owners of plant from April 2011

onwards for any boilers installed after July 2009– Domestic (<45kW): 9p/KWh– Small commercial (45 to 500KW): 6.5p/kWh– Large commercial (>500kW): 1.6 to 2.5 p/KWh– Domestic & small commercial will be deemed

National Star College: 820 kW District Heat

Domestic: Proposed RHI Economics

• 20KW Froling pellet boiler• 4 bedroom house (120m2)

– BRE standard demand

• £15k installed cost• £2,070 saving pa

– 20,686 kWhs pa (deemed)– Pellet at £180/tonne

(4.4p/KWh)– Oil at 42p/litre (5.4 p/kWh)– + RHI at 9p/kWh

Simple payback 7 yrs

• 20KW Froling log boiler• 4 bedroom house (120m2)

– BRE standard demand

• £15k installed cost• £2,565 saving pa

– 20,686 kWhs pa (deemed)– Logs at £60/tonne (2p/KWh)– Oil at 42p/litre (5.4p/KWh)– + RHI at 9p /KWh

Simple payback 5+ yrs

RHI Payback for 30 and 40kW boilers is likely to be between 4 to 8 years against oil

Rural District Heating Indicative RHI Payback

D2) Rural Estate: Small District Heating

300kWFloor area

(m2)Heat

(kWhs)Hot water

(kWhs) NumberTotal (kWhs per annum)

Large House 8 bed, 600m2, solid wall 600 143535 3742 1 147277Offices (solid wall) 500 112500 0 1 112500Offices (insulated) 500 75000 0 1 750004 x 4 bedroom houses stone 120 28707 3742 4 1297968 x 3 bed semi bungalow (stone) 62 16390 3742 8 161056Total 1,782 625,629

Turnkey boiler plant room £250,000Heat distribution & connections (mainly soft dig) £200,000Total capital costs £450,000

Deemed RHI income per annum £40,666Additional metered amount (up to 15% distribution losses) £1,877Total RHI income per annum (excl tax) £42,543Assume "X" p/kWh fuel cost benefit v. oil £12,513 2 p/kWh fuel differenceIncremental O&M cost pa (v. 15 oil boilers) £0Net income pa (RHI + fuel saving) £55,055Simple payback (years) 8Conclusion: This is OK

Warning : These numbers should not be relied upon as District heating & deeming mechanisms are not yet agreedBased on £80 / tonne of chip at 30% m/c and oil at 37p/litre; Each 5p/litre oil price increase yields £3,000 pa incremental savings

Econergy: “Best Cost” Summary

Why Econergy ?• > 10yr UK market leading track

record for turn-key biomass heating solutions

• 8 yr experience of biomass heat supply (incl fuel supply)

• Very strong in house design & project management

• Excellent national service and fuel supply network

• British Gas CERT & ESCofinancing

• Full company and product certification

• Leading European biomass boiler suppliers (Froeling & KWB)

Why biomass heating ?• Lowest cost way to reduce CO2

emissions after energy saving• Fuel security through diversity &

local supply• Local jobs in wood fuel

production & supply• Mature technology• Fully automated low hassle

heating• Safer than gas & oil

Where to look for biomass heating ?

• Typically lowest cost way to reduce CO2 emissions after energy saving

• Space & access is essential• Ability to fund high capital cost• Local wood fuel supply (if chip)• Education or PR• Security of supply

Initial information required:

• Customer, building type(s) & location

• Economic driver(s)– Fuel price, CRC, RHI, Planning,

Building regs– ROI required (yrs, %)

• Boiler sizing– Peak heat demand & profile– Current boilers– Building(s) floor area– Gas / oil usage

• Layout & distances (drawing)• Space and access

– Plant room– Fuel store– Lorry access (tip, blown etc.)

Further Information & contacts

• More information:– Carbon Trust Biomass Heating Design Guide– Econergy – Biomass Heating Design Toolkit– EPUK Biomass and Air Quality

• Please call us for design assistance• Enquiry form on web-site www.econergy.ltd.uk• sales@econergy.ltd.uk