Biomass Boilers
Biomass fuels, such as wood, logs and wood pellets, are classed as ‘carbon neutral’ because they absorb as much carbon when they are growing as they release when they are burnt.
Biomass boilers provide heating and hot water just like conventional systems.
Boilers come in various sizes and are typically >90% efficient.
Advantages of Biomass Boilers
Affordable heating fuel: although the price of wood fuel varies considerably, it is often cheaper than other heating options.
A low-carbon option: the carbon dioxide emitted when wood is burned is the same amount that was absorbed over the months and years that the plant was growing. This is known as being carbon-neutral.
Cost Savings
Savings in carbon dioxide emissions are very significant – around 7.5 tonnes a year when a wood-fuelled boiler replaces a solid (coal) fired system or electric storage heating.
Financial savings can vary – if you replace a gas heating system with a wood-burning system you could save around £100 a year, but if you are replacing electric heating you could save as much as £580 per year.
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payment (£/year) 1 Jan 2016 to 31 Mar 2016: £1,005 to £1,565; Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payment (£/year) 11 Apr 2016 to 30 Jun 2016: £1,015 to £1,580
This table shows how much you could save by installing pellet central heating in a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house with basic insulation. Figures from Energy Saving Trust, March 2016.
Carbon neutral and cheaper than other conventional fuels, Biomass is a very attractive fuel option. It can also be used to compliment our other products to further reduce your carbon footprint and save you even more money.
Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps
Cost Savings
Your savings can be affected by:
Your heat distribution system
If you have the opportunity, underfloor heating can be more efficient than radiators because the water doesn’t need to be so hot. If underfloor heating isn’t possible, use the largest radiators you can. Your Han Green Renewables energy assessor can advise you on this.
Your fuel costs
You will still have to pay fuel bills with a heat pump because it is powered by electricity, but you will save on the fuel you are replacing. If the fuel you are replacing is expensive you are more likely to make a saving.
Your old heating system
If your old heating system was inefficient, you are more likely to see lower running costs with a new heat pump.
Water heating
If the heat pump is providing hot water then this could limit the overall efficiency. You might want to consider solar water heating to provide hot water in the summer and help keep your heat pump efficiency up.
Using the controls
Learn how to control the system so you can get the most out of it. You will probably need to set the heating to come on for longer hours, but you might be able to set the thermostat lower and still feel comfortable. Your Han Green Renewables installer will explain to you how to control the system so you can use it most effectively.
Air Source Heat Pumps
How They Work
Heat your home with energy absorbed from the air around you.
Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems, or warm air convectors and hot water in your home.
An air source heat pump extracts heat from the outside air in the same way that a fridge extracts heat from its inside. It can get heat from the air even when the temperature is as low as -15°C.
Benefits
• Can lower your fuel bills, especially if you are replacing conventional electric heating
• Can lower your home’s carbon emissions, depending on which fuel you are replacing
• Don’t need fuel deliveries
• Can heat your home and provide hot water
• Low maintenance – they’re called ‘fit and forget’ technology.
• Can be easier to install than a ground source heat pump, though efficiencies may be lower
Heat from the air is absorbed at low temperature into a fluid. This fluid then passes through a compressor where its temperature is increased, and transfers its higher temperature heat to the heating and hot water circuits of the house. There are two main types of air source heat pump system:
An air-to-water system distributes heat via your wet central heating system. Heat pumps work much more efficiently at a lower temperature than a standard boiler system would. So they are more suitable for underfloor heating systems or larger radiators, which give out heat at lower temperatures over longer periods of time.
An air-to-air system produces warm air which is circulated by fans to heat your home. This type of system will usually not be used to provide you with hot water.
Cost Savings
These are the savings you might make every year when replacing an existing heating system in an average three-bedroom semi-detached home with a typical Air Source Heat Pump:
Ground Source Heat Pumps
How They Work
Heat your home with energy from the ground.
Ground source heat pumps use pipes which are buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This heat can then be used to heat radiators, underfloor or warm air heating systems and hot water in your home.
A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe – called a ground loop – which is buried in your garden. Heat from the ground is absorbed into the fluid and then passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump. The ground stays at a fairly constant temperature under the surface, so the heat pump can be used throughout the year – even in the middle of winter.
The length of the ground loop depends on the size of your home and the amount of heat you need. Longer loops can draw more heat from the ground, but need more space to be buried in. If space is limited, a vertical borehole can be drilled instead.
Benefits
Can lower your fuel bills, especially if you are replacing conventional electric heating
Can lower your home’s carbon emissions, depending on which fuel you are replacing
Don’t need fuel deliveries
Can heat your home and provide hot water
Need little maintenance – they’re called ‘fit and forget’ technology
Cost Savings
These are the savings you might make every year when replacing an existing heating system in an average three-bedroom semi-detached home with a typical Ground Source Heat Pump:
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payment (£/year) 1 April 2015-31 March 2016: £2,725 to £4,240; Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payment (£/year) 1 March 2016 to 30 June 2016: £2,760 to £4,290
A saving of zero means it could cost you the same amount to run the heat pump as the system you are replacing.
We’ve assumed average boiler efficiency for each fuel type; heat pumps produce more energy (as heat) than they use (as electricity), so their efficiency is more than 100%. Figures from Energy Saving Trust, March 2016.
