Property Type and Location
A Grade II* listed 10,000 sq ft manor house with a detached cottage in Hampshire.
Pre-existing System
The large Grade II* listed manor house was heated by an expensive and inefficient oil fuelled system and there was no central heating in the detached cottage. The entire property was due for a major refurbishment.
New Solution
Birds’ Hill Biomass installed a Froling P4 100kW auto feed wood pellet boiler and silo, in a purpose built outbuilding. The solution is compliant with planning requirements for Grade II* listed property.
New Renewable Heating System Benefits
- Easy to use, fully automated and programmable heating and hot water provision.
- Detailed metering system.
- Wood pellets sourced locally, within Hampshire.
- Annual income of £9,000 through the Renewable Heat Incentive.
The problem – Major refurbishment prompted rethink of inefficient heating system
Marcus and Lucinda’s were embarking on the first phase of a major refurbishment of their listed property and recognised that the upgrade provided an ideal opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of their home and to move away from burning expensive and unsustainable heating oil. It also was a chance to modernise their cottage which previously had no central heating and put in a centralised system capable of supplying heat to other building in time.
Considerations – Meeting conservation requirements with a modern, sustainable heating system
The large scale refurbishment and modernisation of the Grade II* listed building is a complex process, requiring the input of a team of specialists including architects, conservation officers, engineers, project managers, builders, suppliers and installers. Nick Cater, Director of Birds Hill Biomass, was involved in a number of design team meetings where the local building conservation requirements were discussed in relation to the upgrade of the heating system.
Recommended solution – Biomass wood pellet boiler located within purpose built boiler house and silo
The heat demand calculations for the refurbished property determined that a 100 kW biomass boiler would be needed and having assessed the options for housing the biomass boiler within the existing outbuildings, it was decided that a purpose built garage / biomass boiler house would be the most appropriate solution. The biomass boiler system serves hot water and heating via high quality Rehau Under Ground Heat Mains to the manor house, the cottage and provides capacity for additional buildings in the future. Birds Hill Biomass provided the boiler room layout design and the architects were successful in gaining planning permission for the new within the curtilage of the listed property.
The Froling P4100kW biomass boiler is automatically fed with wood pellets via the purpose built silo, which means the system requires very little input from Marcus and Lucinda; the heating and hot water can be programmed in the same way as a conventional smart heating system, links into the new underfloor heating and has detailed metering arrangements to allow usage for the house and cottage to recorded separately. The large storage silo ensures that wood pellet deliveries from local fuel suppliers, Forever Fuels, can be kept to a minimum. The existing oil boiler has been retained and relocated within the boiler room as a backup system and top-up heat system.
The installation process – Trucks and telehandlers in the rain
Building the new boiler house and installing the new pipework for the heating main took place over a number of weeks, with members of the Birds Hill Biomass team on site throughout the process. Once the new construction was complete, the large wood pellet boiler was manoeuvred into place using a telehandler. Pouring rain added to the logistical challenges of moving trucks and large pieces of equipment around the site, but with all hands on deck, the installation was a success.
The result – Sustainable biomass heating for a historical property
Working with the design team, Birds Hill Biomass succeeded in coming up with a modern and efficient method of heating an historical home. Sourcing their wood pellets from within Hampshire means that Marcus and Lucinda now make use of a truly local and sustainable energy supply and have drastically reduced their carbon footprint. Additionally, the couple will be receiving an annual income of £9,000 through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, which will provide a return on investment that wouldn’t have been possible if they had continued using oil to heat their home.
