British Manor saves US$12,280 a year with biomass boiler

Barrington Court, Somerset, UK (photo: J May)

Barrington Court, Somerset, UK, now belonging to the National Trust, is saving 10,000 pounds per year (A$18,550, US$12,280) after replacing its oil boiler with a biomass boiler. The energy comes from burning wood pellets from local sustainable forests. 

The building is a very large 16^th century manor and a popular tourist attraction. Being an old building, keeping it warm in winter requires a great deal of heat. The oil boiler emitted a lot of fossil fuel CO2, so with these renewable wood pellets there is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

“Although wood does emit carbon dioxide when burned, it is considered close to carbon neutral as the amount it emits is the same amount as it has absorbed during its lifetime. It is a sustainable and renewable process so long as woodlands are allowed to regrow following harvesting and that the wood-fuel is not transported far. Even if you include the energy used to make a biomass boiler, using wood will emit 94% less [excess] carbon dioxide than oil.”  (Barrington Court, 2015). 

For more information: 

- Barrington Court, National Trust 

- Biomass boiler project, National Trust 

- Biomass heating system at Barrington Court, 2015. pdf