Would you fit a biomass boiler without the RHI?

[david lawrence]

How about a ceramic heat store type stove

no electric required esp nice after 10 day power cut we have had 

i think there are some people building them on site or ready made ones available

cornish stove company ?

osier stove ?

We have biomass on rhi wouldn’t have done it without rhi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

20 minutes ago, david lawrence said:

cornish stove company

That’s interesting- hadn’t seen that before, just had quick look at webpage. 

[Baldbloke]

A neighbour was quizzing me about fitting fitting a biomass boiler and thermal store. He cant be doing with the excessive costs of instal from using approved suppliers and has plenty of trees to keep him going. He has no central heating at present and runs three wood-burning stoves. His hope is easier to manage log sizes due them being larger and more convenient fire loading times due to the thermal store.    Thought on the matter?        

 

 

 

We used the correct MCS installer, followed his advice (in 2013 supposedly it wasn’t allowed to fit a RHI boiler unable to fully heat the property) and then applied only to be told the boiler was too big for domestic RHI……Complained to relevant overseeing body (think it was DECC) and eventually got back a tough shit letter explaining that domestic consumers didn’t need a boiler of that size to heat a seven bedroomed house, as they’d retrospectively decided on a 40 or 45kW limit. Ours was 60kW, and no, you couldn’t just get 2/3rds of the subsidy cap.Being a little pissed off at blowing 25k, without a chance of the promised incentive I invested a further £91k and installed a wind turbine as a domestic consumer in 2014. This gave me tax free income on all subsidy as well as a reduction in vat for the install (5%), all without giving the Inland Revenue a leg to stand on over tax after the DECC ruling. The biomass has actually now saved me 8 years of oil, except last year when I couldn’t be arsed cutting and oil was for buttons. It still works perfectly and the wind turbine has now already all but covered itself. Especially if you remember you can actually use all and any of the generated electric and still get the subsidy for what you use. I even have a multitude of electric immersions in my 4000 litre biomass accumulater/buffer tank, plus a hot tub all to make sure I get value. Would I ever get involved in other Green incentives, or knowingly install a biomass boiler without a subsidy back up? It worked for me because I’m bloody minded and don’t like being screwed over, but otherwise probably not.🤣 I should also add that I have access to timber (for the effort of dropping, dragging and logging - although I have in the past paid for 48 odd tons over the last eight years (when it was about £420 per wood lorry) through the former Forestry Commission. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Baldbloke]

On that note, what happens if/when there's a power cut, and is that a consideration in this case? With a stand alone wood burner you can at least heat, cook, warm a damp flannel.

Used to be nothing to stop you retaining either the log stoves or even a back up oil boiler. That is as long as you were adequately proficient in drawing a diagram to prove neither was naughtily bumping up the subsidy meter-age.

[openspaceman]

2 hours ago, Baldbloke said:

Used to be nothing to stop you retaining either the log stoves or even a back up oil boiler. That is as long as you were adequately proficient in drawing a diagram to prove neither was naughtily bumping up the subsidy meter-age.

Whereas if you take the heat pump subsidy you cannot have a gas supply.

[openspaceman]

3 hours ago, Baldbloke said:

without a chance of the promised incentive I invested a further £91k and installed a wind turbine as a domestic consumer in 2014

Would you give a ball park figure for installed capacity and production?

 

 

[Baldbloke]

Would you give a ball park figure for installed capacity and production?
 
 

20kW turbine, but actually spikes at up to 25kW, although I have had it detuned slightly to save the thermistors regularly blowing and to hopefully allow the inverters and wind box to last for the 20 year subsidy contract. Produces below what was initially at point of sale promised (of course) @ around 50,000 kW annually. So although I’ve covered the initial investment, there’s annual servicing costs. @ around £1500, plus breakdown costs now that the warranty is out. Additionally
I have just paid out a further 20k for a new front end and all new brushless motors which should hopefully give a few years service. After all, there’s another 13 years of potential subsidy at an increasing rate that is linked to RPI.
I also took the company to arbitration early on for breach of contract and general dishonesty and eventually got paid a further 16k and had a rebuild of the turbine.
So, stressful and costly, but can pay off.

[donnk]

sell the wood and fit a heat pump.

[aspenarb]

6 hours ago, Baldbloke said:

20kW turbine, but actually spikes at up to 25kW, although I have had it detuned slightly to save the thermistors regularly blowing and to hopefully allow the inverters and wind box to last for the 20 year subsidy contract. Produces below what was initially at point of sale promised (of course) @ around 50,000 kW annually. So although I’ve covered the initial investment, there’s annual servicing costs. @ around £1500, plus breakdown costs now that the warranty is out. Additionally
I have just paid out a further 20k for a new front end and all new brushless motors which should hopefully give a few years service. After all, there’s another 13 years of potential subsidy at an increasing rate that is linked to RPI.
I also took the company to arbitration early on for breach of contract and general dishonesty and eventually got paid a further 16k and had a rebuild of the turbine.
So, stressful and costly, but can pay off.

 

Sounds like it would be an unsustainable financial disaster without the subsidies.

 

Bob

[Baldbloke]

 

Sounds like it would be an unsustainable financial disaster without the subsidies.

 

Bob

Totally hopeless and wouldn’t have gone there without the payback.

Most things Green have a lot to answer for, and few would entertain going Green with the hassle unless they were incentivised.