CCRES wood pellet mill

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Why not in Croatia ?

wood pellet mill


Contact: http://solarserdar@gmail.com

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Contact: http://solarserdar@gmail.com

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES



Pelletpresse 7,5KW
Contact: http://solarserdar@gmail.com

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES ( CCRES )

CCRES - THE USAGE OF BIOMASS

CROATIAN CENTER OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES



THE USAGE OF BIOMASS

Fuels, power production, heat generation which are all currently done by electricity or by direct burning of fossil fuels can all be replaced successfully by Biomass. Mentioned below are a few benefits of using biomass as a fuel.

•Biomass helps in reducing the global warming to a large extent While growing plants use and store carbon monoxide. They then release it back when they are dead or when they start decaying. By replanting new plants in the vicinity, the newly planting saplings can make use of the carbon-monoxide emitted by the decaying plants. In this way, the carbon-monoxide cycle is contained. However, if the replanting is not done adequately enough, the usage of biomass can indeed contribute to the global warming instead of decreasing it.
•The usage of biomass brings down the dependency on oils and fuels imported from other countries, saves a lot of money and time and increases a country’s or an entity’s self sufficiency.
•Biomass Industry per se directly supports the country’s agricultural departments and such like because most of the matter that eventually finds itself as biomass is usually from this sector. A sheer variety of crops and vegetable produce forms as the basis for biomass technology.

New ways of using biomass are being discovered now a days. For instance, it is used in producing ethanol which could be used in environment friendly cars.

Apart from the regular fact that the biomass fuels are renewable, clean, efficient, burn easily and are easy to produce are all strong points in favor of this new age organic fuel. Proper implementation of this technology and prudent application to everyday utilities can go long way in commercializing the future of this fuel’s future.

While it is unknown if it can fully and completely replace the more popular fossil fuel cousins or even the fuel cells and hydrogen of this world, but it is sure a secure, clean and easy way to have another alternative around. Biomass is still being tested for its feasibility as an automotive fuel, though reports have shown that it can indeed do so, it can’t be a reality until proven evidence exists.

A possible biomass future would mean that everything will begin to work, survive and exist on pure, simple waste which is found in abundance on this planet. Talk about abundance, reliability and access nothing can beat biomass and the biomass technology. Even more popular sources like solar and nuclear power sources do not stand a chance if the true power of the biomass technology is unleashed.

CROATIAN CENTER OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES ( CCRES )

BIOMASS HEATING by CCRES

BIOMASS HEATING

Moving away from fossil fuels, we will need to find alternatives to coal, oil and gas for heating our homes and offices. One obvious solution is biomass - typically in the form of wood.

It is a renewable fuel that truly "grows on trees" and it can be produced locally and sustainably - as long as a new tree is planted for every tree that is cut down. Burning wood biomass emits CO2 through the chimney, but as growing trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere biomass can be a nearly carbon neutral source of fuel as long as trees are replanted.

Batch log boilers and pellet boilers offer more convenient and efficient ways to heat with wood fuel than traditional stoves.

To learn more about this technology, take a look at our blogs

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Related Questions

Can I heat with pellets without using a hopper store?

It is possible to heat with pellets without having a large hopper store connected to a boiler. There are compact pellet boilers - sometimes referred to as pellet stoves with back boilers - which can be filled manually with bags of pellets.

This can be an advantage where there is no space for a hopper store, or where pellets can only be delivered in bags anyway (e.g. because there is no access for a pellet delivery truck).

Can you burn wood biomass without smoke?

Emissions from wood fuel contain virtually no sulphur dioxide and very low levels of nitrous oxides, so won’t cause acid rain. Burning wood cleanly gives off very low amounts of smoke particulates, and many wood-fired appliances are certified for smokeless zones (Defra publish a list of Smoke Control Zones).

It’s important to burn efficiently; use properly seasoned wood (with low moisture content) and make sure that equipment is used properly. Manually fed stoves can produce lots of pollutants if operated badly.

Logs should be burned fiercely with lots of air input until they are almost charcoal, after which the stove can be ‘damped down’. Reducing the air supply too early creates lots of smoke & tar. The key is good ‘secondary combustion’ of the high-energy volatile gases given off by burning wood. Some stoves are fitted with a ‘Lamda’ sensor, to regulate the amount of oxygen added and so optimise efficiency. Avoid burning treated, painted or glued wood, or non-wood waste, as these will give off toxic and polluting gases.

Building regulations require all fuel burners to have a dedicated vent to avoid production of carbon monoxide. The chimney needs an insulated flue to prevent fumes condensing as tar. With complete combustion, wood burns to a small amount of ash, which (unlike coal ash) is an excellent fertiliser.

How do I store wood biomass?

Delivered wood should be stored for at least one year, preferably two, to air-dry the wood to a moisture content below 25%. Bringing logs inside for the last week or so improves them to room dryness. Stoves might be specified to cope with 50% moisture content, but efficiency will suffer. Compressed wood pellet fuel has only about 8% moisture. Manufacturers specify pellets of a certain size, shape and moisture content to ensure reliable operation. Some pellets are produced for power station co-firing, and are not good enough quality for domestic appliances.

The required storage space depends on how big and how well-insulated your home is. A small cottage is likely to need 8 cubic metres (m3) of logs each year, a 3-bedroom house 12m3, and a large detached house 16m3. Pellets have a higher energy content and so take up less than half as much space. Stoves use 0.5 to 1.5kg of pellets per hour, so a 15kg bag should last a few days.

Larger systems can use chipped wood - this allows more automation than logs and is cheaper than pellets. A wood chip boiler heats several buildings at CAT; seasoned wood is delivered, chipped, and stored until it reaches 15% moisture content. For larger schemes, it’s a good idea to have a supply contract to ensure a reliable supply of wood.

How much will a wood biomass system cost?

A log stove is likely to cost between £500 and £1000, with installation costs probably the same again. Pellet Stoves cost £1,500 to £2,500 plus installation. A log boiler will be roughly £4,000. Together with a water storage tank, flue and installation the total will be about £10,000. Automated pellet boilers are more advanced, and so is the price tag: £6,000 to £8,000 for the boiler; the total perhaps £10,000 to £15,000.

Remember to factor in the ongoing purchase of fuel. Bought in bulk, log fuel should be cheaper than gas, oil or coal. A 15kg bag of pellets will cost £3 to £4, but bulk delivery should be similar to or less than fossil fuel. The Log Pile service (below) lists suppliers around the UK. Also, find out about the support structure in place for the equipment you choose, before going for the cheapest. Will it be easy to get the appliance serviced annually? Are there enough plumbers or engineers with the relevant knowledge?

Which wood biomass fired appliance should I choose?

Before switching to any new heating system it is vital to maximise energy efficiency. Measures such as increasing insulation, lagging pipes and draught-proofing will save money on fuel, and also on equipment - as they’ll allow you to specify a smaller boiler. A combination of wood fuel and solar water heating (for hot water in summer), can give renewably-generated heat all year round.

Open fires are a poor choice, financially and environmentally. Most of the heat goes up the chimney and the rate at which the fire draws in oxygen creates draughts across the room that reduce the benefit from the fire. A simple wood stove is a great improvement; it should need only one-third as much fuel, as the efficiency can reach 70%. Automated pellet stoves are more convenient, and can even have an automatic de-ashing function.

Advanced wood heating systems for larger houses have been common for many years in mainland Europe and the USA, and are as efficient as modern gas boilers - converting well over 80% of the fuel into useful heat.

A ‘batch’ log boiler can be fired up once a day (or less often) and the heat stored in a large water cylinder. Automated pellet boilers make wood fuel almost as convenient as gas. They are more costly, but ease of use is a big plus. For those keen on range cooking there are specially designed wood-fired ranges, with a bigger firebox to accommodate logs. Doing everything from one appliance is not ideal, so the efficiency of these is less than dedicated boilers or stoves, but they would give the satisfaction of a wood-fired sunday roast!

Why burn wood biomass?

Biomass fuels include wood, energy crops such as oilseed rape or miscanthus (‘elephant grass’), animal wastes and other agricultural by-products such as straw and grain husks. When burned, these fuels release only the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that they absorbed whilst growing - unlike the carbon in coal, oil and gas, which was absorbed over millions of years but is being released in the space of a few decades. The energy used to harvest, process and transport the fuel does need to be factored in as well. Very little energy is needed to harvest wood, so when used locally it is a very low-carbon option.

Planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide may provide temporary mitigation from climate change, but doesn’t address the fundamental problem. To meet our energy needs in a zero-carbon future we must make sustainable use of trees as fuel, and replant them as we harvest them – creating a continuous carbon cycle. Growing our own fuel also creates jobs and is ideal for strong, local economies.

Free, independent and impartial advice on renewable energy and sustainable living provided by the CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)
Željko Serdar
Head of association