{"id":1855,"date":"2026-04-13T09:22:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mywarmhome.co.uk\/stage\/?page_id=1855"},"modified":"2026-10-11T14:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T14:50:08","slug":"biomass","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mywarmhome.co.uk\/stage\/biomass\/","title":{"rendered":"Biomass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Biomass Heating<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood pellets,
wood chips & logs.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Biomass is often described as renewable or low-carbon heating. But a biomass boiler still creates heat by burning a fuel<\/strong>. So are we really moving beyond combustion \u2014 or simply changing what we burn?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biomass explained<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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02<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuels & combustion<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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03<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon & air quality<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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04<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is biomass right?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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01 \u2014 Biomass explained<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is biomass heating?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A biomass heating system produces heat by burning material of biological origin. In homes and smaller buildings this usually means wood pellets, wood chips or logs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike coal, oil and natural gas, trees can be replanted and grown again. This is why sustainably produced biomass can be classified as a renewable energy source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That does not<\/strong>, however, mean that burning wood produces no emissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The important distinction<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renewable does not automatically mean clean.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Biomass can replace a fossil fuel, but it still relies on combustion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The fuel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three common biomass fuels.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The type of fuel makes a significant difference to how the heating system is stored, supplied and operated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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01 \/ PELLETS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood pellets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Compressed processed wood with a controlled moisture content. Pellets are commonly used in automatically fed pellet boilers and pellet stoves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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02 \/ CHIPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood chips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chipped timber normally supplied in bulk. Wood-chip systems are more commonly found in larger homes, commercial properties and district heating systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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03 \/ LOGS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cut and seasoned timber requiring suitable dry storage. Logs can be used in dedicated log boilers as well as domestic wood-burning stoves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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02 \u2014 Fuels & combustion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood still produces CO\u2082 when we burn it.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There can be a misconception that because wood is renewable, burning it doesn’t produce carbon dioxide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It does.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a tree grows it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When the wood is later burned, much of that stored carbon is released again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The argument for biomass therefore relies on a carbon cycle<\/strong>. New growth can absorb carbon again, unlike fossil fuels which introduce carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years into the modern carbon cycle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Look beyond the boiler<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It isn’t as simple as \u201cthe tree grows back\u201d.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The environmental impact of biomass depends heavily on where the fuel comes from and what happens throughout its lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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