Cousin had a new one commissioned last year. Believe he got a grant to have it installed but also gets money back to run it. I think he said it’ll pay for itself in a few years. Though they coppiced and chipped all their own fuel so don’t really know about costs to run. Look into the grants if they’re still doing them!
I don't know about what incentives there might still be for commercial uses, but as far as domestic use, I think this is where we stand, at the moment:
Financial Support for Biomass Boilers
How the Closure of the RHI Scheme Affects You and Your Energy Bills
As of 1 April 2022, energy regulator Ofgem closed the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI) to new applicants. As of now, only applications concerning a change of ownership can be submitted.
Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (Domestic RHI)
The RHI scheme only lasts for seven years from when you successfully registered for it.. That was reckoned to be about the "payback" time to recover the costs of the installation. No savings until then, and once the seven years are up (and they adjust the rates annually, downwards) basically you have a seven year old boiler and pay the going rate for the pellets, same as anyone else. Plus the incentive is based on how much energy you produce, i.e. the more you burn the more they pay you. Which is rather counter intuitive. I understand that it has to be fuel meeting the EN Plus A1 certification.
The replacement "Boiler Upgrade Scheme" seems to make more sense. An up front grant to go towards the initial installation. No other incentive, you have to work out whether it makes economic sense. At best it used to be that the cost of running one was on a par with a gas boiler, of course those economics might be more favourable nowadays, but for how long ? Can be quite efficient for space heating, but less so for hot water etc. This is not an open-ended grant scheme, a budget has been allocated, when that's gone, its gone.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Boiler upgrade scheme.On April 1, 2022, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (formerly known as the Clean Heat Grant) was established to assist households with the initial costs of installing boilers. It replaces the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). With the new scheme, you can save £5,000 on starting costs for your biomass boiler!
Am I Eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme?
The scheme operates on a first-come, first-served basis for those who meet the criteria. It is important to consider that this scheme only supports biomass boilers in rural areas.
If you are in a clean air zone check carefully. Not all of these things are compatible, they still can put out smoke. As well as fine invisible particulates known to be bad for health. And NOx
Of course unless they are a big commercial sized thing that does it automatically, they need emptying of ash, probably weekly, the hopper kept topped up by pouring in one bag at a time, and regular scheduled maintenance. Looked into one for my Father's country place, North Northumberland. Underfloor heated by oil, plus a good woodburner (and massive log pile thanks to storm Arwen). The oil boiler is vital to keep the place from freezing up when he is away, cutting in when needed on it's thermostat. Couldn't rely on a pellet system to look after itself. Very soon decided it was a non-starter idea. Superficially tempting, particularly the ones that can be installed with a small flue pipe poked through a hole in a wall.
Besides, he has a good modern log burning stove, no moving parts or reliance on electricity, maintenance, well a visit from the chimney sweep every year or two, and probably several years supply of logs. Just waiting on the contractor with the log splitter to process them for him, he's still very busy doing the same for other people, after the storms.
You may be eligible if you meet the following requirements:
are a homeowner, small landlord, or private landlord in England and Wales.
are not replacing an existing low-carbon heating system. You can only replace fossil fuel heating systems (e.g. oil, gas, direct electric).
have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with no unfulfilled loft or cavity wall insulation recommendations
have an installation capacity up to 45kWth (majority of UK properties have this)
See also:
21 Biomass Boiler Pros And Cons
The Interforst show in Munich had quite a few companies showing their wares. Try going to the Munich messe website and get their info as to websites etc.
There seems to be a serious shortage of the equipment here in Germany now as panic buying (toilet rolls?) to get it installed before the promised winter gas shortage here kicks in.
There is not an infinite supply of wood pellets made using wood waste. Plus they vary in quality. Particularly if say there is an upsurge in demand for them from new installations. Even if you have a supplier set up to deliver them, and somewhere to store them keeping them dry. and ventilated (in large quantities they can spontaneously combust, or get set alight by some other accident) If you do, say have an unused barn, you might still need a large amount, tonnes to see you through say a Winter gas crisis.
Let's see, an imaginary conversation with Dad's fuel supplier, if another severe Winter comes: Please could you deliver a couple of tonnes of pellets. Sorry, we are sold out, no timescale when we can get resupplied. Orders have been mad these last few weeks. OK can you top up the oil tank, there's only a third left. Sorry, earliest I could do that is next month, booked solid. If you had ordered it sooner as I suggested when delivering to your neighbour to share the delivery charge, you'd have been OK. Oh. Do you know anyone else who could ? Laughs. No, I'm pretty much the monopoly suppler in this part of the county, as you know, and the only one with a tanker small enough to get up your lane.
Worth learning how they are made, and some of the downsides. Carbon neutral they absolutely are not.
Pellet fuel - Wikipedia
The most optimistic estimates here are that if
all of our forestry waste was processed into pellets, there might be enough to heat 1.5 million homes. Maybe supply could be increased to meet demand, but it would take a bold business to consider increasing their pelletisation capacity for that alone.
If you have gas heating already it'll likely be a non starter.
Agreed. Even if it is viable, either purely economically, or simply for green "zero carbon" aspirations, probably best not to rip out the gas system altogether, but keep it for backup. Not allowed to do that for the Domestic Boiler Upgrade Scheme though, it has to be a replacement, I think.
TBH, heat pumps may yet be worth investigating
Really a replacement for very rural oil fired heating premises. If you have mains gas forget it, even lpg I suspect.
The big issue is how much of an RHI payment you can get. Which is suspect is also the primary attraction.
The RHI scheme was scrapped in April this year. It will carry on for up to seven years for those already on it who got in at the last minute, but there is no guarantee as to what the returns are going to be in the future, other than that they will almost certainly be reduced year on year.
