Biomass

The Scenario

The farm, owned by a non-farming businessman in Hampshire, was spending approximately £18,000 per annum on oil in heating the farmhouse, swimming pool and three further properties.  They were looking for a substantial reduction in these ongoing heating costs as well as taking advantage of the new Renewable Heat Incentive.

The Solution

We carried out a feasibility study to assess the most appropriate renewable energy and came forward with a biomass district heating system.  Including the installation of the district pipework, the installation came to £137,500 with a payback of approximately 6.5 years.  The system was designed to install a 199kW biomass boiler, feeding all five properties together with the swimming pool, from a new biomass energy centre fed from woodchip supplied from the 250 acres of woodland on the farm.

The Result

The fuel bills were reduced by 60% with a payback of 6.5 years on the investment.  The Renewable Heat Incentive was claimed to provide payment for the capital cost of the building.

The Cost

We charged an initial feasibility fee and then project management fees of 10% for the installation.