Euroheat has hit back at a report in the Guardian newspaper last week which suggested biomass boilers were 20% less efficient than expected.
Co-founder Simon Holden said:
“Wood burning has proved hugely successful and efficient in central Europe. The problems in the UK market, which is still a very young one, come down to the quality of some boilers, the installers that fit them and the fuel they burn – get these three things right and efficiencies of over 90% are certainly achievable, placing biomass as a worthwhile carbon cutting solution.
“New Renewable Heat Incentive fuel legislation set to be bought in this spring should go some way to alleviating fuel issues, but more certainly needs to be done in terms of preventing sub-standard boilers from being installed – at the moment there is no equivalent to the Microgeneration Certification Scheme for machines over 45kWs.”
Simon continued:
“Rather than throwing in the biomass towel, the report should be viewed as a wake-up call – as a sector, we need to up our game to ensure biomass works as a viable and efficient alternative to fossil fuels.
“A sense of proportion is also important. A Department of Energy and Climate Chnage spokeswoman said that the study’s sample had been small and “more work now needs to be done to fully assess the performance of biomass boiler systems and installer competency”. I for one, look forward to further research; constant review and improvement is key to helping renewables become a common fixture in our homes and businesses.
“In order for the UK to move away from its reliance on fossil fuels, constructive criticism of renewable technologies and how they’re delivered is welcome and imperative. Negativity that results in consumers and installers ‘giving up’ on going green is extremely harmful however; balance and proportion is essential.”