ETA HACK 199 & ETA PEK 90, Wood Pellet Heating System
The 19th century property has now operated as a most successful Nursing Home for over 20 years.
The residential home has central heating throughout with a high heat demand. This requires a system which is consistent, reliable and safe. The organisation wanted to cut their fuel costs and improve their environmental credentials. Dunster were asked to assess its existing oil heating system and recommend the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
Fuel Supply and Pellet Handling
Dunster designed the fuel store to hold its maximum capacity of 14 tonnes meaning that the store would need filling 8-9 times per annum. Fuel is delivered by a tanker that blows the pellets into the store much like oil is pumped. This is a clean and seamless process.
System Design and Installation
Dunster combined two separate systems to heat the Home and its Wing. Heat would be transferred by hot water through insulated pipes from the biomass plant room to each of the connection points by going through the ground. The system was designed to allow easy monitoring via the remote fault notification system, simple control of heating and minimal maintenance.
Dunster designed and installed all the main plant as well as local heat interfaces together with heat meters, pumps, wiring and controls.
Benefits
Dunster’s premium products have ensured that the organisation has cut their fuel costs without compromising on guest comf0rt. The Nursing Home is now an eco-friendly residency, contributing to cleaner air for their residents and the community.
May 2014
To supply heating and hot water to a large Nursing Home and heat to the Wing.
Dunster Biomass Heating combined two boiler systems, giving an output of 300 kW, linked to three 2,400 litre Buffer Tanks. An existing building was made into the plant room with a minor extension for the fuel store. Back up oil boilers were left in situ for further reliability.
Replacing an existing oil-fired heating system which burned approximately 66,000 litres of oil per annum, the wood pellet system will use approximately 119 tonnes of pellets to produce around 514,000kWh of heat pa to successfully meet the property’s annual heat demand. By switching from Oil to pellets, the property will save around £57,666 pa.
A new fuel store was built as an extension. The system for loading involves a bulk lorry reversing down the track and blowing pellets into either one of the stores.
The system was funded by the Nursing Home, and is accredited under the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive scheme giving a potential annual subsidy of £36,000.
An attractive return on investment, in excess of 26%, plus short payback period of 3.8years.
Compared to oil heating, the wood pellet system reduces CO2 emissions by over 95%.
Our 90kw ETA Hack wood chip boiler suffered water damage in late 2014. Dunster Biomass Heating was the only company that could fix the issues without costing me new components. What we have learned is simple. Experience is key! When there is an unusual problem you need more than a guy with a manual – you need a company with the expertise, ability and willingness to solve the problem!
