As the price of fossil fuels jump to record highs and climate change focusses people’s attention on CO2 neutral fuels biomass heating systems are increasingly popular and effective.
Biomass is organic material which has stored solar energy in plants from sunlight in the process of photosynthesis. Biomass fuels in Spain include fun things like olive pips and almond shells. Wood pellet fuel is also widely available and is a by product of the wood processing industry.
The technology has moved on a pace from the open fires, room heaters, solid fuel stoves and cooking appliances of the past. Appliances now include space heaters, combination systems which can provide hot water and cooking stoves, systems which allow hot air to be circulated to other rooms.
Back boilers can drive your under floor heating system. Some use heat stores and multiple boiler systems which are highly efficient. They can be highly automated to the point where they automatically de-ash clean the heat exchanger tubes, provide heat metering, and auto switching on and off.
Author: John Wolfendale
Bio: John is a founder of Eco Vida and is passionate about bringing modern design and construction practices to Spain. He believes a home which is warm in winter and cool in summer is largely a matter of design and selective use of materials. He is British and a Chartered Surveyor with 18 years experience living and working in Spain.
