Renewable energy
Maximise the benefits from biomass
Biomass heating systems are a cost-effective and sustainable solution for many healthcare buildings, yet some are not performing to the best of their potential due to poor system design, and a lack of adequate ongoing care and maintenance, argues Paul Clark, managing director at Rural Energy. Here he explains how to get the most out of biomass technology and maximise returns in the long term.
B
iomass technology is extremely versatile, and can be used for a variety of applications, including district heating systems, CHP, industrial processes, and much more.
Biomass boilers can even be integrated with existing systems – for instance in hospitals and other healthcare facilities – to either provide contingency heating in the case of breakdown, or to boost output in times of exceptional demand. The advanced controls mean that the boilers are easily programmable to fit into ‘master and slave’ applications, and can provide heat to multiple outlets. In addition, the cost of generating heat from logs, wood chips, or wood pellets, is significantly lower than that of more traditional sources, such as oil, electricity or LPG. When this is added to the expected rise in fossil fuel prices over the long term, and with increasing worldwide demand, the gulf between biomass and fossil fuel prices is only set to grow. While initial capital outlay for the equipment and installation might be higher than with more traditional systems, the lifetime costing of biomass is extremely competitive, and often a significant saving can be made. Understandably, handing over large sums of capital expenditure can be problematic, particularly for public sector organisations such as NHS Trusts. However, there are a number of financing solutions available that enable the investment to be paid for via the energy savings. The government-owned Green Investment Bank, for example, directs both public and private sector capital into sustainable development projects, while the publicly funded company, Salix Finance, was established with the sole purpose of offering interest-free capital to the public sector for energy efficiency projects. There are many options in funding biomass
Rural Energy supplied a low carbon biomass heating system for Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust’s new £40 million mental health facility, The Harbour, in Blackpool.
projects, and Rural Energy is experienced in sourcing low-cost finance for clients.
Growing popularity With an improved carbon footprint and lower fuel costs, it is no surprise then that biomass technology has grown in popularity over the past few years. Contributory factors include a number of economic and legislative drivers, such as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), changes to Building Regulations, and increasing environmental awareness. Biomass systems can achieve very high efficiency levels, and offer real savings for healthcare facilities and estates over traditional alternatives, as well as generating additional income. Biomass technology can also go a long way to helping facilities meet their sustainability targets, by reducing carbon emissions and reliance on oil,
gas, propane, and butane systems. For example, in a recent installation for Dumfries and Galloway NHS, the biomass system specified has delivered a 24% annual carbon emission saving, as well as a £30,000 annual heating cost saving. In another recent installation – of nine biomass boilers for Buckinghamshire County Council – the biomass system has provided a yearly income of £150,000 from the RHI scheme, and a £30,000 annual saving on the authority’s energy bill.
Maintenance and servicing However, to achieve savings of this order, regular maintenance and servicing are critical. Boilers that are installed and forgotten about can cause problems, but if proper care is taken through regular servicing, the benefits can be great, including a service life of well over 25 years. Indeed, manufacturers’ test figures
Health Estate Journal 51September 2016
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