March 21, 2024 Green Heat and Energy Efficiency, Making the Switch to Greener Heating, Switching to Biomass Heating
Why Farmers Should Replace Their Oil Boilers With Sustainable Heating
Modern farming increasingly requires larger buildings and these often need an industrial-scale heating solution. This heat requirement can be year-round and high cost. With farms located in rural and remote areas, off the gas grid, and thus require on-site oil or LPG fired boilers to provide their heating solutions. However, due to the escalating running costs and carbon emissions of an oil boiler system, a more efficient, renewable, wood-based fuel is better for your business and the environment.
Here are some of the reasons to replace your oil-fired central heating, and the renewable heating system you should choose.
The problems with fossil fuels
Cost
Oil and LPG prices are particularly volatile at the moment. Global events have shown the difficulty in forecasting prices and how much it costs to heat your farm. Your dependence on oil boiler heating means you lose control and certainty over your margins.
Even when prices are stable, heating oil is expensive; at the time of writing, 1000 litres cost. If you want to save money on fuel costs, choosing the right oil boiler replacement will have an enormous impact.
Environmental impact
An oil boiler furnace emits over six tonnes of carbon dioxide for every 20MWh of power. That’s greater than the emissions of ten flights between London and New York. Old oil burners could be even worse, because they’re far less efficient than recent models, and their efficiency decreases over time. What’s more, the tank of an old oil heating system can be prone to leakage, which can pollute ground soil too.
Biomass boiler – the best alternative
For off-gas grid locations, as most farms are, biomass boilers are the most viable solution in today’s market. Biomass boilers operate at a greater efficiency than gas or oil, and produce the same output, both in terms of power and consistency, but they only release 300kg of carbon dioxide per 20MWh. Since the carbon it releases is only as much as the tree absorbed in its lifetime, biomass is effectively carbon neutral.
The wood chips they burn mainly come from sustainably managed woodlands and waste wood products. They’re designed to burn at a steady rate, releasing energy reliably and predictably.
Other renewable energy sources like solar and wind are excellent for generating electricity. However, for heat, especially in large or poorly insulated buildings, you need the consistency of solid-state and stable fuel, which can generate enough power to keep rooms warm.
How to switch to renewable heat
If you’d like to find out more about saving money and heating your farm more sustainably, call us for a no-obligation chat on 01621 892613 to discuss your requirements.
Or, if you’re ready to move away from oil, and you want a biomass boiler installed, we have 150+ accredited installers across the UK. We’re the UK’s sole distributor of ETA biomass boilers, the leading national brand for biomass heating systems with wood chip, wood pellet and log options. Our partners fit renewable heating solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
