Chances are that over the coming years, the UK as a whole will be hearing a great deal more about biomass, or more specifically biomass boilers. For the time being though, it’s something of a niche subject that hasn’t yet made its way into the mainstream, making now a good time to learn a few essential pointers.

Here’s a quick biomass FAQ covering the fundamental basics:

What Is It?

The term ‘biomass’ itself relates to a type of fuel…as in ANY type of fuel…that is produced naturally without any energy content enhancement and is not a fossil fuel. More often than not, biomass refers to small pellets created by drying, milling and compressing wood. These pellets have been designed in such a way as to ensure that they offer maximum heat output, are easy to use, easy to store, affordable, easy to handle and generally ideal for heating homes and producing hot water.

Why Does it Matter?

It’s no secret that in order for the world to avoid environmental disaster in the coming decades, everyone needs to up their efforts when it comes to reducing pollution. Biomass enables this by serving as what’s technically known as a fully carbon-neutral fuel. In the simplest of terms, all CO2 created when biomass fuels are burned has already been offset by the amount of CO2 absorbed and oxygen release by the trees grown to supply the raw materials in the first place. As such, to use biomass is to automatically offset your carbon footprint in a way that’s simply impossible with standard fossil fuels.

Is It Expensive?

The exact cost of installing and running a biomass fuel system will of course vary enormously depending on the size and nature of the project. However, in both residential and commercial instances alike, the long-term savings made over the course of time will usually augment the costs of getting the new system installed, effectively making it a much more economical alternative to conventional heating system. For business and industrial environments in particular, the rewards can be great. It may be possible to qualify for an operating cost support subsidy, which to a large extent means that the heater actually earns money for its owner while in use.

What’s In It For Me?

Of course it’s all well and good being selfless for the environment, but UK homeowners aren’t realistically going to bother with biomass if it causes them nothing but trouble. Mercifully, biomass is just as beneficial for the average household as it is for the environment as a whole – it’s by no means a one-sided matter. Biomass heaters can be so much cheaper to run than alternative fuel boilers that the initial installation and setup costs can be repaid over time. And if that wasn’t enough, they’re also incredibly easy to use, put out heat much more efficiently than alternative boilers and are extremely undemanding when it comes to servicing and general maintenance.

Of in other words, it’s a rare instance where everybody wins!