There are many benefits associated with installing a biomass boiler system in your home or business property:
Carbon emission depletion. Biomass fuels produce a fraction of the Carbon emissions of fossil fuels making them a carbon lean technology. The process of burning a fossil fuel releases the stored carbon that was contained inside it, millions of years ago, back into the environment. Biomass fuels are what are known as contemporary carbon which means that when they are combusted they release the same carbon levels that were recently consumed by the growing plant, meaning that the carbon levels are consistent and sustainable. This only works when the fuel source is replaced when the plant matter / fuel is harvested. The best way to achieve this is a rotation system which some biomass fuel stockists advertise as carbon neutral.
Some biomass boilers can be smoke free or at least fall below the stipulations for biomass burners in smoke-free zones. At present there are very few of these biomass boilers that fall into this category. The latest is that in January under the RHI any products that have full accreditation will be eligible for exemption for smoke control areas. The powers that be are looking to tie in the old ‘clear skies’ with the RHI.
“In March 2011 the Government published its policy for the non-domestic RHI, including the intention to introduce air quality emission limits for biomass boilers (including CHP) that participate in the scheme. Proposed limits were first published for consultation in 2010. These limits were confirmed earlier this year, with the maximum permitted emissions being 30 grams per gigajoule (g/GJ) net heat input for PM and 150g/GJ for NOx.
As of 24 September 2013, if you are planning to apply for the non-domestic RHI with a biomass boiler (including CHP) your installation will need to have emissions levels no higher than 30 grams per gigajoule (g/GJ) net heat input for PM and 150g/GJ for NOx. Proof that your system does not exceed these limits will need to be provided to Ofgem on application and be in the form of either an RHI emissions certificate or an environmental permit. Ofgem will contact you if this certificate is incomplete, which could delay your accreditation process. Ofgem will also retain the information on the certificate to support their auditing process in the future.