Wood biomass fuels the way forward for heating homes

A WATERFORD-BASED alternative energy company is hoping the Government will practice what it preaches by heating all new public buildings using sustainable biomass fuel from Irish forests and wood industry by-products.

Based at Ballymountain in Ferrybank, Natural Power Supply (NPS) is involved in heating homes, offices, schools, hospitals and other buildings by burning processed wood chips in high-technology boilers.

The renewable fuel sources used offer considerable cost savings over oil and propane gas as well as being ring-fenced from international fuel price increases or supply problems.

NPS uses dried woodchip or pellets processed from the willow crop to power new-technology wood-fuelled boilers. This technology is harnessed to provide heat for buildings of all kinds.

Wood Energy Association chairman James Kennedy said that, with the price of heating oil having doubled in just over a year and continuing to rise, it was imperative that the Government, through the Office of Public Works, demonstrated leadership by using wood-chip or wood-pellet or other biomass fuels in heating its new offices and institutional buildings.

“The cost of heating homes has now become a financial worry for householders who are also concerned about continuity of oil supplies, even at exorbitant prices,” said Mr Kennedy.

“It is now feasible for industry members of the Wood Energy Association to offer fixed-price heating contracts for as long as five years, with guaranteed fuel supply as well as boiler installation and maintenance, with a significant saving on current oil prices.

“The Government should be pro-active in encouraging householders and the owners of business premises to make the transition to Irish-produced fuels for heating, which represents about 40% of national energy consumption,” he said.

“By providing assistance to make the change from fossil fuels, the Government would create thousands of jobs in Ireland as well as making a significant impact on our balance of payments through reduced oil imports.”

Making the switch away from oil-fuelled heating can be achieved using a contract where industry members supply the equipment and fuel for a period of up to ten years and charge for the service on a metered basis in the same way as the ESB bills for electricity usage. This means the property-owner does not have to meet the capital cost of the equipment up front, says Mr Kennedy.