Heating Solar and biomass
Biomass boilers can offer > is huge for when the economy as a whole picks up evaluate the day-to-day practicalities of living with a
a big return on the energy
again. The building services engineering sector must biomass system.
needed to obtain the fuel,
be ready to deal with a surge in demand at some point ‘The first stage is to understand the range of heat
according to experts.
in 2010 and that means having large numbers of loads through the year and to design as much as
skilled people in place. possible for continual load with minimum cycling. For
‘We do not want to create a new industry and we example, when there is only a demand for domestic hot
certainly don’t want to let unskilled and unqualified water, will it be worth firing the biomass boiler at all
companies in through the back door,’ adds Parkinson. during these periods? And would a suitably sized buffer
‘Solar thermal, in particular, is an ideal technology for vessel help the operation of the boiler? Or an additional
skilled heating engineers to add to their repertoire. The small gas-fired boiler – or perhaps solar thermal – may
technology is tried and tested and this is not a “black prove to be valuable additions to the project.’ >
art”; it only requires up-skilling for already competent
installers through BPEC training, for example.
‘The best way to grow this market and to ensure solar
CIBSE guide to solar energy
systems perform as they can is to make sure they are KS15 Capturing Solar Energy
installed by engineers who understand heating.’ provides an overview of
Cutting carbon emissions is not the only the available domestic and
environmental advantage of biomass, according to non-domestic solar system
Mark Northcott, director of commercial products solutions, technologies
at manufacturer Remeha: ‘Emissions are also a key and applications. It also
consideration and, here again, biomass wins out. A highlights some of the main
well set-up, clean wood chip/pellet boiler compares design and installation
favourably with natural gas – it produces less than 120 issues, commissioning and
parts per million of carbon monoxide, less than 95ppm maintenance requirements, and regulations and
of NOx, and negligible amounts of SO2.’ costs information.
For Northcott, one of the best things about biomass Although primarily aimed at the designers of
production is the big return on the energy needed to building services, it will also help clients, building
obtain the fuel: ‘If you put 1kW worth of effort into owners and facilities managers to understand
creating woodchips you get 20kW of heat back – you get the possibilities of using solar technology in their
20 times as much back as you put in.’ Nonetheless, says buildings. KS15 is available now priced at £23 for
Andy Owens, biomass technical sales manager with members and £46 for non-members. For more
manufacturer Hoval, anyone thinking of specifying information or to purchase, visit www.cibse.org/
biomass must look beyond the basic engineering publications or call 020 8772 3618.
design that would accompany any heating system to
44 CIBSE Journal November 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEnov09 pp42-44,46 SolarBio.indd 44 22/10/09 17:14:16
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