Log burner/biomass question

sellickbhoy

Hi All

I am struggling to find a forum for people looking to install a woodburning biomass boiler to provide their central heating and hot water.

So hopefully this isn't the wrong place and I can get some advice from you guys.

I am looking to replace my Grants oil boiler (horribly unreliable and oil price only going 1 way!) with a log burner.

the system i am getting will heat my home and business (I will be applying for Ofgems RHI grant which is a major factor in going down this road)

The system I am looking at is a Herz Firestar 40kw log burner.

My biggest concern is that I can't seem to find any "independent" or user reviews of this specific machine or the manufacturer in general (all seem to be from installers/salesmen)

So, is this a decent bit of kit/manufacturer

and will this boiler cost me more than I receive in RHI payments to maintain?

Thanks

matelodave

To get RHI you will have to get a unit that is MCS registered and have it installed by an MCS registered installer so your best bet would be to have a look at the MCS & OFGEM websites for more information. You'll also need a green deal assessment and EPC and the place needs to be insulated to a minimum standard (EPC level D or better)
You might have a problem if the unit is for both domestic & business use as there seem to be different rules for business & domestic RHI payments and different tariffs as well. You might have to install metering so that generated energy can be apportioned to the two categories - sounds like a real can of worms.

Dieselman

The Greenliving Forum

Plenty of installers and engineers on that site a very helpfull bunch.

Look up woodburning.

J_B

You could look on either of these farmers forums, but they will be for commercial, not domestic

http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?36-Renewable-Energy

http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?forums/renewable-energy/

sellickbhoy

Thanks for the info guys...will look into it

FYI, a commercial RHI payment will cover 2 domestic properties or 1 commercial/1 domestic property - basically, it is a commercial system if it is supplying either a purely commercial property or a mix of commercial/domestic properties or multiple domestic properties

Commercial deals don't require an EPC (though I do have one) or a green deal assessment (again, i do have one)

So, all you guys with neighbours that you get along with, you should look into buying a joint system to serve both properties!!

the system is MCS accredited, as is the installer, there will be metering and heat loss calculations and I have a business/domestic property that has a rates bill/council tax bill - so, it should tick all the boxes for getting the RHI payment.

I even have access to free wood to burn in it.

but my concern is getting a boiler that works and is reliable, spares and service engineers being readily available

Getting something that will do the job.

I stumbled along this when i originally enquired regarding the domestic RHI scheme - one of the companies I spoke to suggested I look to hook the business workshop up to the same system and go for a commercial tariff instead.

I also asked my neighbour if she wanted in on the deal, but we don't exactly see eye to eye and she knocked back the chance to cash in....oh well.

Robwiz

I have been looking at installing RHI-eligible biomass heating since last autumn.

I personally wouldn't start by fixing on a particular brand – it's a box for burning wood and heating water, not a car!

From trawling through forum discussions extensively, the key issues are:
#1 - long term service/spares/installer support. Most frustrations arise from the original installer not being available to sort out ongoing problems. A good local installer who's in it for the long term is a critical success factor.

#2 - competence and track record – take up lots of references with the installer's customers, going back a couple of years.

#3 - (does not apply to OP) - installers tend to promote pellet systems which tend to have a lower customer satisfaction than log boilers due to complexity. It's also a way of bumping up the project cost to enable them to get their hands on more of your RHI. In my view, anyone who is happy to operate a wood burning stove would be fine with a log burning boiler. If buying wood there are advantages in buying briquettes – uniform shape and size, compact to store on pallets, guaranteed and consistent moisture content.

#4 - look at non-MCS boilers and installers. There are many EU compliant boilers on sale which haven't been put through the (expensive) MCS accreditation process and are sold and installed by companies who aren't interested in exploiting the RHI bubble. Your capital outlay would be lower and if your wood is free your ongoing operating running costs should be low and you won't have all the hassle of the RHI paperwork to deal with. (For example, the Eco Angus range is manufactured by a company called Orlanski in Poland and can be bought direct from Kotly.com for around £1200). Also the highly regarded Atmos range. Look at the Jaspi range which has a UK importer who appears to be opposed to the RHI scam.

sellickbhoy

Thanks Robwiz

All sound advice and that is kinda how I arrived at the boiler I'm asking about

I contacted 5 local companies, 2/3 got eliminated immediately due to poor customer service

The remainder I spent a great deal of time talking to and getting info on the systems and the best way to meet my requirements. Between them I arrived at a "best" solution and they all agreed that was a good way to go.

I've finally settled on a company who are only based a few miles away and have a long trading history.

It was them who recommended this boiler and they stressed the long mfg warranty as well as the ready availability of spares/engineers in the area.

I did ask them about a couple of other boilers - but they are not accredited with the manufacturer to install them

So, i've found my preferred contractor/supplier and this is the machine they recommend.

They did initially suggest the eco angus machine, but I would prefer to go with an austrian manufacturer who seem to be industry leaders in the field.

As for the RHI Scam...I totally agree that suppliers/installers are inflating their prices to take a bigger share of the RHI payment, however, with a 20 year commercial tariff available, over the longer term, the benefits of paying more upfront vastly outweigh the cheaper option of not going down the RHI route. (i.e. that will be my mortgage cleared for me!!!)

So, it's a no brainer - despite the hassle and form filling required up front.

Robwiz

If you're confident in your installer and his ability to maintain the boiler long-term then a Herz boiler is the right choice for you.