Heating & Ventilation
Environmental awareness
By John Reeves, managing director of Broseley Fires Limited
I
ncreased awareness of environmental issues, rocketing fuel prices and innovative new prod- ucts mean that more homebuilders, develop-
ers and homeowners are choosing to install wood burning stoves. The latest DEFRA regulations allowing
approved products to be installed in smoke control zones have provided a boost for manufac- turers and suppliers of domestic wood-burning heating systems. We have seen 65 per cent increase in sales of
wood burners that meet DEFRA regulations within just 12 months, reflecting an industry-wide trend as both consumers and heating profession- als recognise the benefits of wood as a sustain- able, efficient alternative to gas and oil.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes we have
seen is the adoption of wood burners as part of an integrated and very energy efficient system, especially during the conversion or renovation of older properties.
Case Study One homeowner to discover the benefits of com- bining a wood-burning boiler stove with other eco-friendly technology is Joanne Shipp, who has cut her energy bills by two thirds after installing a boiler stove. Living in an area near Bristol without mains gas, Joanne was spending around £3,000 a year
to heat and provide hot water for her lovingly restored 17th
century stone farmhouse. The six-
bedroom, three-storey property, which also has a small flat at one end, was solely reliant on oil. With no end in sight to rising fuel prices,
‘A complete system incorporating solar panels’
Joanne decided to look at more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives and approached a company that specialises in helping homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint while cutting their energy costs. A complete system was developed for Joanne, incorporating solar panels and a thermal store
alongside a wood burning boiler stove. Although she still uses oil as a back-up, she now expects to save around £2,000 a year. Joanne is particularly pleased with the new
wood-burning boiler stove as it generates just enough heat to keep the downstairs com- fortable while the stone walls act as radiators, giving off heat long after the wood burner has gone out. Meanwhile, the thermal store also ensures the
family always has plenty of hot water. In winter this is predominately heated by the boiler stove, while in summer the solar panels do an excellent job. The thermal store not only stores the energy from the wood burning stove and/or the solar energy but dissipates this energy to both the domestic hot water and the radiator heating system when required. The boiler stove has a high heat-to-water ratio, meaning that it doesn’t take too long to heat the water in the thermal store, and when it gets warm, it stays warm for days, providing hot water for six showers. Although a lot of older stoves can be very
wasteful of heat, the latest models, when combined with technology such as solar panels and the very latest thermal stores, can be extremely effective.
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