Biomass is organic matter such as wood pellets, logs, sawdust and forestry waste. Biomass produces renewable energy as unlike burning oil or gas the carbon dioxide produced when burnt is compensated by carbon captured during the lifetime of the tree or plant. Timber producers simply plant more trees.

In the UK, wood is a widely used renewable energy source. Much of this is burnt in relatively inefficient open fires and stoves.

Biomass burners are usually linked to a buildings plumbing system to distribute hot water and space heating and vary from large domestic or industrial models to aesthetically pleasing ranges and stoves.

Stoves and ranges can burn convenient timber bricketts minimising mess and cleaning out. Efficient burning leaves very little ash residue when compared to traditional wood or coal burning fires.

Pellet systems are usually sited in an outhouse or garage with automatic fuelling mechanisms. Unlike real fires, biomass systems with automatic fuelling are designed to re-fuel automatically.

The fuel is burnt very efficiently leaving very low amounts of ash and negligible smoke and smells from the flue or chimney.

Sustainable Earth can advise you on the type of biomass system that is best suited to your property and possible connections to central heating systems to provide heating and hot water.