Farms Benefitting From Installing Biomass Boilers

Biomass heating is a popular choice for farms

A poultry company has discovered that lower energy bills are not the only benefit that farmers can expect if they switch from gas to biomass heating.

Traditional Norfolk Poultry (TNP) had always used gas heaters to keep chicks warm at its Attleborough farm, until it decided to install wood pellet burning biomass boilers in 2014.

It has since discovered that the heat emitted by the boilers is much drier than that from gas heaters, creating a better environment in which to raise the birds and reducing the amount of feed needed to grow them.

Mark Gorton, one of TNP’s owners, told the Norwich Evening News that the drier heat had also helped to cut the company’s energy bills significantly.

“With the gas heaters, you’re basically burning a fuel inside your building, so you then need to ventilate the building to take the fumes out and use more electricity to dry out the shed. We were using power and electricity just to keep it warm,” he explained.

Biomass boilers are an increasingly popular choice in the agriculture sector, as the low price of sustainable wood fuel means the cost of heating barns, sheds or greenhouses and of crop drying can be cut by a significant amount. This is particularly true in locations that are off the gas grid.

Farms that install biomass boilers are also likely to be eligible for the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which can provide an income of thousands of pounds a year for up to 20 years. RHI payments from the government for an 800kW biomass boiler can be worth a total of as much as £1.3million spread over two decades.

For more information about biomass boilers for farms or to request a quote, please call Denby Dale Energy on 01484 866785 or contact us via the website.