The biomass boiler is a heating system using organic matter as fuel, in particular wood and its by-products (sawdust, bark, straw). This type of heating offers a more economical and more environmentally friendly option than gas or oil.
Would you like to know more about the biomass boiler? WoodPartners sets out all the criteria of biomass heating to take into account before equipping yourself.What is a biomass boiler
- What are the different types of biomass boiler?How does a biomass boiler work?
- Why choose a biomass boiler?
- What is the price of a biomass boiler?
- Where can you buy a biomass boiler?
- What financial support exists to fund a biomass boiler?
- How do you maintain your biomass boiler properly?
- Other questions about the biomass boiler.
What is a biomass boiler?
The biomass boiler is a boiler-type heating appliance that produces heat through the combustion of matter of plant origin, in particular wood or wood by-products such as sawdust, bark, straw or even fruit shells.
It is an excellent, high-efficiency alternative to the other wood heating systems: wood stove, pellet stove and so on. It can easily serve as the central heating of a house.
What are the different types of biomass boiler?
There are 3 main types of biomass boiler, varying according to the form the fuel takes:
-The log boiler,
-The pellet boiler,
-The wood chip boiler.
Each type of biomass heating offers a different efficiency (the ratio between useful energy and energy consumed).
They are particularly used by private individuals as personal or communal central heating, but there are also industrial biomass boilers, for large-scale heat production, such as the AGRO biomass boiler from VBI Bois.
The log biomass boiler
The log biomass boiler is fed with logs of wood generally measuring 25 cm to 50 cm. This type of boiler offers an efficiency of 50% to 90%. If you choose this type of biomass heating, you have to have space to store your logs so as to keep them from moisture (in a wood shelter or outdoors in the sun).
The wood pellet biomass boiler
The wood pellet boiler works through the combustion of wood residues, also called pellets. This is the most commonly used type of boiler. This fuel has the advantage of a low moisture content, as well as a high calorific value with an efficiency of between 75% and 90%.
What is more, being smaller than logs, pellets are far easier to store and, depending on the model, there is no need to fill the pellet biomass boiler every day, thanks to its hopper.
The wood chip biomass boiler
The wood chip boiler, also called a forest chip boiler, works with a fuel in the form of chips, produced by grinding forest matter (bark, leaves or needles) that often comes from offcuts from the timber industry.
Like the pellet boiler, the wood chip boiler offers very good efficiency, between 80% and 100%, and can have an automatic filling system. This biomass heating does, however, take up more space, and will therefore be better suited to very large homes or to communal housing, to business premises or even to public buildings.
Mixed boilers
There are mixed biomass boilers, known as hybrid or multi-fuel, that is to say they can use two different fuels (logs and pellets, for example). The advantage of multi-fuel biomass boilers is that they make it possible to adapt the fuel according to its availability.
How does a biomass boiler work?
The biomass boiler works from the combustion of wood or its by-products to produce heat. The calories generated by the combustion of the wood are then carried to the heating circuit (radiators) or into your hot water tank to heat the rooms or the water.
Depending on the appliance and the fuel used, there are 2 distinct modes of operation:
-Automatic operation : the boiler is fed automatically by means of a silo that stores and supplies the fuel.
-Manual operation: you have to feed and refill your boiler yourself. There is no silo to store the fuel.
Each type of boiler (log, pellet or wood chip) can be, depending on the model, manual or automatic in operation.
Why choose a biomass boiler?
Biomass boilers have several advantages :
-They are very low-polluting, and are regarded as powered by renewable energies,
-The wood used as fuel is a cheap material compared with fossil fuels;
-They are very high-performing with very good energy efficiency ;
-You will make energy savings over the year and reduce your bills;
-There is a great deal of financial support available for installing a biomass boiler.
Biomass boilers can, however, also have a few drawbacks to take into account:
-They are bulkier than conventional boilers, requiring more space for the installation (6 m² to 8 m² minimum).
-The initial investment can be considerable, the purchase price and the installation of a biomass boiler being quite high.
-Regular maintenance costs are to be expected in order to limit the emission of toxic gases.
Worth knowing: There is a label, the Flamme Verte label, to recognise and promote biomass heating systems that are energy-efficient and low-polluting. Choosing a wood boiler with the Flamme Verte label is a way of making sure of the quality and the safety of your equipment.
One form, several offers.
- Two minutes, no account
- Direct, no middleman
- Your identity stays private
What is the price of a biomass boiler?
The price of the biomass boiler is between €3,000 and €25,000. The price varies according to three main factors: the power of the boiler, the type of fuel chosen, and the model and mode of operation chosen (manual or automatic).
As well as the purchase price of the biomass boiler, you have to add the installation cost, which can range from €500 for a manually operated boiler (log) to €3,500 for an automatically operated boiler (wood chip or pellet boilers). Depending on the technology and the size, installing a biomass boiler can be complex and requires very precise know-how.
Here is an indicative table of biomass boiler prices:
|
Type of boiler |
Operation |
Price (euros) |
|
Logs |
Manual |
1,500 to 4,000 |
|
Automatic |
5,000 to 12,000 |
|
|
Pellets |
Manual |
7,000 to 20,000 |
|
Automatic |
15,000 to 25,000 |
|
|
Wood chips (forest chips) |
Manual and automatic |
7,000 to 20,000 |
|
Hybrid (multi-fuel) |
Automatic |
8,000 to 15,000 |
Where can you buy a biomass boiler?
You can buy a biomass boiler from specialist installers or from DIY stores.
- Specialist installers: they will be able to give you personalised advice with tailored solutions for the choice of your biomass boiler. They will, however, be on average more expensive than DIY stores;
- DIY stores : they have a wide choice of biomass heating systems suited to every need. They often offer very competitive prices, but do not always have staff able to advise you on your project.
- On WoodPartners, in our boilers section.
What financial support exists for buying a biomass boiler?
There are many financial support schemes and public subsidies to help you fund your biomass boiler, because it uses renewable energy for heating. To benefit from one or all of these forms of financial support, your heating system must be installed by a professional certified RGE (Reconnu Garant de l’Environnement, the French label for environmentally qualified tradespeople) and holding the "Qualibois" qualification relating to independent heating systems.
Also, the concentration of carbon monoxide must not exceed a certain level, just as the energy efficiency of the boiler must be equal to or greater than 70% and its environmental performance index must be less than or equal to 2.
There are 6 main forms of financial support for buying a biomass boiler:
-MaPrimeRénov’,
-The Energy Saving Certificate bonus (CEE),
-The "Coup de pouce chauffage" bonus,
-Financial support from the Fonds Air Bois,
-Reduced-rate VAT,
-The zero-interest eco-loan (éco-PTZ).
MaPrimeRénov’
This support for buying a biomass boiler, which can go up to €11,000, is calculated according to the household’s income and the total cost of the work. It only concerns homes occupied as a main residence and dwellings more than 15 years old, however.
The Energy Saving Certificate bonus
This bonus, also called the CEE bonus, is aimed at owners of a home completed more than 2 years ago. Offered by energy suppliers, its amount varies according to income, the energy supplier, the nature of the work and the scale of the savings expected. It is paid as a bonus, vouchers or discounts.
This biomass boiler bonus can be combined with MaPrimeRénov’, the éco-PTZ and the support from the Fonds Air Bois.
The Coup de pouce chauffage bonus
This bonus, which can reach €4,000, aims to fund the replacement of a gas or oil heating system with a biomass boiler. It is available for projects whose commitment date is no later than 31 December 2025, and whose completion date is set before 31 December 2026.
This biomass boiler funding bonus can be combined with MaPrimeRénov’ and the éco-PTZ.
Support from the Fonds Air Bois
This support, averaging between €500 and €2,500 depending on the geographical area of the home, helps to fund work to replace an inefficient wood heating system (fireplace, stove, cooker or boiler built before 2002, and so on) with efficient equipment carrying the "Flamme Verte" label.
The list of geographical areas is available on the ADEME website.
Reduced-rate VAT
This measure allows the applicable VAT rate to be reduced to 5.5% for energy renovation work on a dwelling completed more than 2 years ago.
The zero-interest eco-loan (éco-PTZ)
The zero-interest eco-loan (or éco-PTZ) is an interest-free loan of up to €15,000 aimed at owners of a home completed more than 2 years ago. Its amount depends on the number of renovation measures undertaken. It is possible to combine the éco-PTZ with MaPrimeRénov’.
How do you maintain your biomass boiler properly?
Just like conventional boilers, biomass boilers must undergo compulsory annual servicing by a professional. As well as this annual servicing, two chimney sweeps a year are compulsory (one during the heating season and the other at a time of your choosing outside the heating season).
This servicing guarantees the health of your installation and allows you to prove to your insurer that your biomass heating is properly maintained. What is more, sweeping allows you to make savings on fuel, because the soot in the pipes can cause consumption to rise by around 8% per millimetre of soot.
Do not forget either to empty the ash pan of your boiler regularly (once a week, or even once a month depending on the quality of your fuel). You can also carry out regular cleaning of your installation for a better service life.