Biomass boilers and pellet stoves; examples and types

Biomass boilers and the use of wood stoves pellets

If there is something that is in full swing today, it is none other thing that the issue of renewable energy and its «derivations» transposed to the world of boilers of biomass or the always effective fuel stoves pellets . And it is that, despite the fact that there are still many people who are reluctant to do so, the use of fossil fuels does nothing but lead us to a really disastrous scenario.

There are many studies, including prestigious universities worldwide, those who emphasize the fact of using renewable energy to be able to have a much more sustainable lifestyle and more in line with the environment atmosphere.

However, from the official establishments, even from some of the most important governments of the geography world, are still reluctant to this type of investment and continue to have their base in fossil fuels essential.

However, and especially in some very concrete, such as the case of small towns and small rural areas, at least within the geography Spanish, they are installing what we know as biomass boiler .

Some heating systems that, in essence, use fuels from the land itself such as bone olive, almond or hazelnut shell, wood chips, briquettes, firewood or pellets.

Remember that we have an excellent article on materials insulators from here that can complement the present information of interest.

I want to leave a short video to clarify concepts and what is the main function:

Types of boilers biomass

We do have to talk about the main types of biomass boilers , we have to talk about two fundamentally. On the one hand we have those boilers that are considered as multi-fuel systems and those boilers or stoves that only use a single fuel. Although we really should the more correct designation It would be based on the types of biomass used for the air conditioning.

Inside the multi-fuel boilers , we can use those that we have already discussed just a few moments that are none other than the pellet, the olive stone or even almond shell. Your system allows you to not only admit the different types of fuel but at the same time it also allows them to make the most of their calorific value.

On the other hand, we have a type of boiler monofuel that is usually a little smaller and at the same time same time slightly lower benefits. These guys of heaters for the house , which rather have appearance of small stoves, we can only manage a type of fuel among those that we have already discussed.

Thermal applications with heat production and sanitary hot water are the most common within the present sector , although it can be used can be used in areas such as the production of electricity. It can also feed a good system of air conditioning (hot and cold) in the same way as if it were carried out with diesel, gas or electricity. (See also recoverers of heat or the concept of solar cold)

Depending on thermal production, it can qualify

• Stoves, usually wood or pellets, whose function is The main thing is to heat a single room and normally, act simultaneously as decorative elements that we can even see them on some floors.
• Low power boilers for homes single-family homes or small and reduced-sized buildings. (Of interest heating with aerothermal energy)
• Boilers designed for a residential building or block, which act as heating
  centralized and that shows complexity in its facilities.
• And the so-called thermal power plants that heat various buildings or facilities (The District Heating) or group of houses.

Annual costs and maintenance

Due to the development of the sector in recent years and the new technologies, the useful life of the boiler biomass and the performance of this type of facility they are already tall. Annual costs compared to other types of fuels are:

The average investment period for a home detached house of about 140 m2 in a cold area, for an installation ACS and underfloor heating (Boiler Thermal Power = 15 KW and with an energy demand of 22401 Kwh/Year)

Pellet stoves

Lately there has been a lot of talk about the advantages of pellet stoves and how well the biomass in stoves for day to day. but there is to recognize that there is a great variety within the world of the pellet fireplaces with many functions.

First we will see which is the most efficient heating system efficient , which undoubtedly are the boilers and stoves of pellets with prolonged use:

It must be remembered that the applicable regulations international is ISO 17225-2, where we have several certification seals such as Biomasud or the Nplus-A1 (In the portal they have a Tool calculation for CO2 emissions and to calculate the necessary power), which identifies that the manufactured is with wood from without chemical treatment, with low nitrogen and/or chlorine content, and ashes.

In short, this regulation ensures that the quality of the pellet supplied has followed manufacturing standards and quality. Remember that although there are different types of pellets , is the biofuel most efficient .

Pellet heating

As we have already seen in the previous graph, within all systems for heating the home in winter, the pellet heating is really excellent with an heating efficiency that is almost outstanding.

As the basis of the characteristics and recommendations we can highlight…

It is advisable to require the pellet supplier to indicate exactly the origin and type of biomass of which are composed to avoid misunderstandings with other types of pellets not suitable for biomass boilers and fireplaces.

The use of natural wood pellets is recommended because they are the most suitable for use in the air conditioning of homes and large buildings.

Tips as quality reflection of in>a good pellet It must be bright in appearance, it must not have dust around it. around, with a uniform color tone and its structure should be more or less compact, you do not have to present in your surface cracks or deep cuts.

The pellet must be more dense than the water, so if we want to check so we have no more than submerge it in a bucket with water and check to see if sinks, but taking into account that if we observe which after five minutes is still submerged in the bottom and compact, means that it possibly contains additives that will cause combustion with excess smoke.

Types of Pellets

In the following table we can see the properties of the type of pellet according to its quality. Obviously, their quality is related to the sale price that we can find in stores:

How a stove works pellet

Knowing how stoves work of pellets can be a bit complicated, so a good image can give us an adequate idea. He Italian manufacturer Piazzetta has an infographic worthy of your viewing:

Since we have seen how this fireplace stove works, biomass , now we are going to see the classification…

Types of stoves pellets

• Hot air stove. Several tubes that channel the hot air through the rooms of the house or in the house itself room. It is a pellet heating well known and installed in many homes.
• The one they call thermostove (Hydrostoves), where heats the water to heat the home by means of a radiator circuit (There is also the possibility that have a battery)
• The wall-mounted ones that we have all seen at some point apartment or house, and are more typical of firewood, although They can also be used and even combined with pellets.
• Or the large boilers that we can use in more open spaces or with more needs “industrialized” so to speak.

Regarding the price of pellet stoves there is a great range; from new ones destined to houses with a cost more affordable, to industrial companies with lower prices expensive.

You have to remember that there is a large second-hand market where we will find them cheaper and we can always take advantage of a good opportunity without wasting quality.

The best brands in biomass boilers represent a higher financial outlay but we are certainly buying a heating system that we want last for years, so the cheap pellet stove is not a good investment according to the opinions of the experts.

Advantages of these systems heating

Discuss the advantages of heating that work from biomass , is to list a series of advantages that are often unknown. By this, we believe it is a good idea to talk about the main aspects that make these boilers highly recommended from Our point of view…. What are the real advantages or disadvantages of using a boiler biomass?

• First, and above all, we have the sustainability. And it is that, we have to take into account that the The fuel they use is completely renewable year after year. year. In addition, we must talk about the fact that it is a very cheaper than for example diesel or gas, and therefore maintenance of this heating system is much more cheap.
• They have high efficiency and effectiveness. they have power constant calorific and is always available. Can improve them with the control by thermostats for heating increasing your efficiency and reducing expenses.
• We need to talk about the security of these systems. Is true that there was a time, especially when not yet the cauldrons of biomass , in which its safety was doubted. Well Well, we must emphasize the fact that today, and above all large boilers of the type polyfuel, have complete and complex systems of security from which we will not have to worry about absolutely nothing. In fact, one could say without fear of being wrong, that within security, this type of boilers is at the same level as the boilers of diesel or gas.
• A final advantage is that providers of this type of fuels can be counted in the hundreds today. In against what people can think at least in a first moment, it is not at all difficult to acquire shell of almond, olive bone or pellet. What's more, due to the great competition that there is especially within the zones rural, we can assure that the price of this is really low.

Disadvantages

Resolve the question of what disadvantages they provide us pellet stoves or the different converters of heat is complex since in many cases it requires according to characteristics and particularities of the location, of the possible use or space to be heated, among others elements involved, but in broad strokes:

• Normally, the efficiencies of the boilers of biomass are somewhat lower than those of the hips that use a liquid or gaseous fossil oxidizer even though the Technology in this field is advancing by giant steps. It must be considered that the purchase price will influence better or worse performance.
• Unfortunately, the heater biomass has a lower energy density, which causes the need to have spaces and systems of upper storage.
• Given the types of fuels used, the feeding and subsequent removal of ashes are more complex, which requires higher costs of maintenance and operation. In addition, the routes of distribution of materials for combustion are not as developed as in other fossil fuels, so sometimes access them is not easy.
• Many of these resources have high content of moisture, which means that in certain applications it can be requires a previous drying process.

Depending on the fuel we use, we will have some advantages and disadvantages in broad strokes. We leave the following table for a better understanding:

Prices of this type of boilers

In terms of costs, as expected, we would have to analyze exactly what type of boiler we need . Multi-fuel boilers can reach very high benefits and therefore its The price can even go up to €3,000. Anyway We have to take into account that they have systems of self-administration, a panel in which we will be able to regulate the temperature in a very simple way as well as mechanisms of Extraordinarily accurate security.

Even so, if what we want is a biomass boiler a slightly cheaper, we can resort to monofuels. Is It is true that they are somewhat less secure systems, which have a slightly less attractive visual aspect and on which we will have to pay much more attention. Anyway, we can find single fuel heating systems that They can be around €500 perfectly.

The costs according to the type of fuel for thermal uses that we will use vary. From the following table with prices of this year we can have a general idea for Spain:

As a note we leave the technical guide installations of thermal biomass in buildings (HERE) which seems very interesting or more manuals and guides from HERE.