Biomass boiler reviews - are the returns as you were told?

[frustratedfarmer]

its been a few years now since the RHI was born, the early bird seemes to have caught the worm to some extent?

How are people finding their systems stacking up? Is the debt incurred installing them disappearing as the salesman told you it would?

Have you spent more on the system than you were told? Used more fuel than you first thought?

Has the RHI worked for you?

 

[Zetor]

Yes, we receive approximately £3800/year for 20yrs for £17,000 investment, it covers the cost of the fuel will a little left at current prices but most importantly it has transformed our farmhouse.
One of the best move I have ever made

 

[quattro]

Our 198 kW is about spot on but as zetor said its transformed a big old farmhouse

 

[chickens and wheat]

fuel savings are not there, either in £ or kw
but the increased fuel used moved me from using an estimated 80% of T1 to 100%.

no major issues reliability wise, not worse than the gas heaters that were replaced.

I think if it was installed as a new energy use for the tarriff I would be very disappointed,, but installed as a replacement for a high lpg bill a great success

 

[beltbreaker]

Same as quattro, We now use the Big House as opposed to cowering in the kitchen and getting dressed during cold weather under the bed covers! Tenants are happy and have put rent up 20%. Using some of RHi money to insulate cottages reducing Rhi over time but means when the boiler comes for replacement (20-30 yrs) a smaller one will be needed. Downsides we are using a lot more electicity in house due to kids using "clever telly" and leaving lights on all over the house. Also using more chip than forecast 110t as opposed to 80. Just going to kiss Tier 2 for this year on RHi missed it by 300 units last year so system sized right.

Cheers

 

[frustratedfarmer]

fuel savings are not there, either in £ or kw
but the increased fuel used moved me from using an estimated 80% of T1 to 100%.

no major issues reliability wise, not worse than the gas heaters that were replaced.

I think if it was installed as a new energy use for the tarriff I would be very disappointed,, but installed as a replacement for a high lpg bill a great success

I think that's the point. Those who let the grant tale wag the dog don't seem to be happy. Those that had a genuine need to use the heat have done well out of this. Am I right in thinking the lack of CO and water vapour produced with LPG is also helpful with the chucks?

 

[B R C]

Happy atm, currently using two thirds of tier 1 on 200kw with house and workshop, more offices and commercial lets to plumb in which should easily take us up to top of tier 1. The 70's boiler for house was leaking seriously so was good timing as new boiler installed would have been a few K. Wood is great but have found straw a bit rubbish, just a back up really, twice as much loading and huge amounts of ash compared to wood.

 

[___\0/___]

Im a bit torn our original instal was a mess resulting in me having to get someone out to fix it, service by the original installers since then has been top class since.

I am using close to 40%more logs to get the full teir 1 than they said I would need(Rhi payment basically covers log cost)

I had a major breakdown which took nearly three months to get parts for, luckily covered by warranty.

The difference it has made to our once damp house is unreal.

 

[Penmoel]

Farm 2000 85kw, including new building to house it cost about £32,000, just over £9k back on tier 1 payment in first year, heating house and workshop, very pleased with it. House is like toast and no oil used, so a saving there.

We were led to believe that if a second boiler was installed on the same system within 12 months we would get the same tariff, turns out we don't, but the second cost about £13k to install in the system and should give about £4k in rhi , if anything although much lower its about the same roi as the first. Additional heat used to help dry wood and more hot water.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Ours has made a massive difference.
RHI is the icing on the cake.
Damp & mould has gone from cold rooms in our house we didn't use.
Happy tenants in barn conversion get free heat
Wife never complains about being cold or no hot water
Hot water constantly available in dairy 24/7
We have a Dragon D20 on coppiced willow & free pallets

 

[chickens and wheat]

I think that's the point. Those who let the grant tale wag the dog don't seem to be happy. Those that had a genuine need to use the heat have done well out of this. Am I right in thinking the lack of CO and water vapour produced with LPG is also helpful with the chucks?

I looked at boiler to heat house and grain drier but that was indeed the tail wagging the dog, and couldnt see a major benefit, cost and heat loss of underground pipe killed the deal.

Benefits to chicks are indeed a bonus although now the experts are starting to say we are drying the day old chicks too much, some even lay trays of water around the shed to humidify the sheds. Whilst i agree with this possibilty I have yet to see evidence, but my bedding isnt kiln dry so maybe thats humidifying the sheds.

Quite possibly the best investment I've yet made. 4 year payback looking a possibility. 4 1/2 in real terms as summer will slow payback, Same as winter will push payback time on a few months on a solar system. but thats being pedantic really.
My 10 kw solar is 55% paid back in 3 years , Biomass 70% installed at same time. Summer/winter adjustments on both put biomass in the lead. An unlikely rise in pellet cost could throw the biomass back. Sun remains free if a bit rare lately.

both at mercy of breakdown/repair costs. Biomass will have a big bill one day Im sure

 

[frustratedfarmer]

Maintanance and repair bills are specific to the system.

Us batch boiler boys have relatively simple bits of kit with few moving parts oi don't think we wil get large bills, however thus is offset by moe time loading etc?

 

[chickens and wheat]

Auger and pellet supply is simple enough on mine. In thinking more pumps pipes temp/lambda sensors. Then maybe boiler case before 20 years is up?
But gas heaters has their bills too

 

[frustratedfarmer]

Only a few pumps really here to worry too much about, I hope!

And to be honest in yr 5 onwards if a few £1000 a yr comes in its not gong to worry me to much.

 

[chickens and wheat]

Each of my boilers has main pump, buffer pump and shunt pump. Two small combustion fans and a chimney fan.

Pellet auger motor,feed motor and ash motor. All a common size and all the same
1 Fire door actuator and 1 ash scraper actuator.
1 fire door actuator failed at £350,but they are a common part I found one on eBay £40.

 

[Bernt]

its good to hear (so far) that the biomass installs are working, all our customers are happy and our fuel use expectations werent far off. the biggest report we get is that they are all happy with the fact the building (most of ours are stately homes) are nice and toasty in all rooms rather than just a few lived in rooms. Happy days

 

[Clever Dic]

Best money spent for years . My RHI this year will be circa 15k ,not spent any money on kerosene for two houses and heating two other buildings that never had heat before,plus houses are toasty all winter. I believe pay back fully in under 5 years.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Best money spent for years . My RHI this year will be circa 15k ,not spent any money on kerosene for two houses and heating two other buildings that never had heat before,plus houses are toasty all winter. I believe pay back fully in under 5 years.

You kindly showed me your system around 2012 which helped us a lot. Thank you for that

You may remember we laughed about one of our landlords who likes hunting

 

[Chippy]

Spent 60k on dragon D20 and shed to house it etc and received £20500 on tier 1 in first year. Was spending 12k/year on oil, I'm now spending 6k on wood. Only thing I've had to do which wasn't expected is have a custom made wood processor made to make life easier with handling and preparing wood for boiler but not had the bill yet. Main difference is large house has no dampness now and when it rains it drys up faster

 

[farmerdan]

Hi, can anyone recommend their installer to me?
I'm in the Midlands.