Yarde Farm

Biomass district scheme heats 16th Century farmhouse, food processing unit and workshops on the Killerton National Trust Estate

Key Facts

Location

Silverton, Devon

Project included

  • Guntamatic Powerchip 100kW
  • Logs contract chipped into fuel store
  • Heats 16th Century listed cob farm house, workshops and food processing unit
  • Supplies hot water to farm buildings in mini district heating scheme

Fuel consumption

Approximately 37 tonnes of wood chips per annum 

Fuel cost saving

Self supply so 80% savings vs heating oil 

CO₂ saving

Approximately 35 tonnes per annum

RHI payments

A project of this size would gain approximately £11,000 every year for 20 years, index linked to inflation

Total project cost

£73,000

ROI

4-5 years (RHI income & fuel cost saving)

“The Guntamatic boiler system enabled me to easily link several buildings on my farm, keep them warm and generate generous RHI payments.”

Overview

Yarde Farm is a 350-acre beef and arable enterprise based on the Killerton National Trust Estate in Devon. 

The challenge

The client approached Treco to look at the possibilities of heating the 16th Century listed cob farm house, workshops and food processing units. Treco was also asked to supply hot water to the farm buildings in a mini district heating scheme.

The farmer was keen to use his wood fuel supply to reduce heating costs and to be self sufficient. The installation needed to be compliant with Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) eligibility criteria.

With the farmland including over 200 acres of flood plain in permanent pasture, a Higher Level Stewardship was introduced to help manage a wide range of challenges.

Our custom solution

Treco installed a single 100kW Guntamatic Powerchip biomass boiler and mini district heating scheme replaced the oil boilers. The buildings were linked using insulated underground pipe. The boiler was installed in a barn located 100 metres from the other buildings in the scheme. The boiler’s fuel store has been constructed to enable wood to be chipped directly into the fuel store or loaded by a handler.

The Gunatamatic Powerchip has a 5m agitator which allows 75m3 of fuel storage and ensures fewer than three fills a year. Along with a 2,000-litre thermal store, Yarde Farm was also fitted with a 250m duo underground pre insulated pipe.

An existing barn on the farm was converted into a boiler house and wood chip fuel store.

More details on this specific biomass boiler used on this installation can be found on the Guntamatic Powerchip page, with further details of our entire range available through the biomass boilers page.

The incentive

The biomass district heating system will enable the farm to receive Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments per kWh of heat generated by the biomass boiler by submitting quarterly meter readings to Ofgem. The estimated RHI payments was approximately £11,038 every year index linked for 20 years. These payments and the fuel cost saving will help reduce operating costs as well as generating additional income.

Project summary

An existing barn on the farm was converted into a boiler house and wood chip fuel store. Treco installed and commissioned the biomass boiler and the district heating scheme.

Solution snapshot:

  • A top-of-the-range 100kW Guntamatic Powerchip biomass boiler capable of burning wood chips, wood pellets, grain or miscanthus
  • A fully automated fuel delivery system
  • 5m agitator allowing 75m3 of fuel storage and ensuring fewer than 3 fills a year
  • 2,000 litre thermal store
  • Distribution pipework, including internal connections to plate heat exchangers
  • A high efficiency, low energy modulating main system pump
  • 250m of duo underground pre insulated pipe
  • 5 x class 2 RHI eligible heat meters complete with certification
  • Full assistance with an RHI application including schematic drawings
  • Commissioning, programming and end user training
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