THE installation of a biomass boiler to create heating from linseed bales at a Gloucestershire farm is proving much cheaper to run than the farm’s previous oil-fired system. Geoff Ashcroft reports.
When it comes to retaining heat, most traditional farmhouses are about as effective as holding warmth as a colander is at holding water.
For Gloucestershire farmer Simon Righton of Old Farm, Dorn, the sevenbedroom, single-glazed farmhouse which forms part of the farm tenancy, is one that, until 12 months ago, has proved costly to heat.
“Parts of the property date back to the 15th century, though most of it is 17th century,” he says. “And building methods and materials from that period weren’t quite as energy efficient as they are today.
“We would typically spend about £6,000/year on heating oil,” he says. “And even then, the house wouldn’t be generously heated. And with the price of heating oil increasing in the long-term, our farmhouse running costs were set to spiral out of control. If the place cools down, it takes weeks to warm up properly,” he says.
In addition to family requirements, Old Farm operates a farm shop, and provides a farmhouse B and B enterprise too.
After looking at many different boilers and considering different straw types for energy, Mr Righton choose a batch-fed GF125 biomass boiler from Lincs-based GlenFarrow.
With RHI support, Mr Righton receives quarterly payments which offset the cost of buying heating oil, making the boiler installation a more cost-effective investment.
The attraction of a one-stop shop for installation, commissioning and back-up mean all that was required of Mr Righton was to sign the cheque. And £28,000 and four days later, the installation was complete.
With an average output of 112kWh, the biomass boiler offers more than enough capacity to heat the farmhouse, and the Rightons now intend to extend the heat source to the newly constructed farm shop, which is currently heated electrically.
Installed on a concrete pad at one end of a traditional barn, the boiler location allows bales to be fed in by tractor and loader. Hot water is fed to the farmhouse through underground heavily insulated piping to minimise heat loss, and the system also affords a heat source for the farm workshop.
With the temperature and fan speed set, the boiler needs a bale twice a day, with the farm consuming about 500 bales over the last 12 months. Bales are barn stored, so are kept dry.
“We are very pleased with the installation and the effectiveness of the heating,” he says. “The farmhouse has been much warmer and easier to heat, and I don’t need to keep one eye on the oil level.
Maintenance requirements are few and far between.
Mr Righton is considering using the biomass boiler for occasional grain drying too. With cropping at the 120ha (296-acre) farm split 50:50 between grass and combinable crops, and a Lexion 450 comfortably on top of harvesting requirements, the farm can afford to pick and choose its harvesting times to make use of weather conditions.
“The biomass boiler could provide a suitable heat source in summer when it is not being used to warm the farmhouse,” he explains.