Generation of renewable electricity has received more publicity than generation of renewable heat, yet space and water heating represent the largest use of energy in most buildings. Wood-fuel now costs less than the fossil fuel alternatives for generating heat, and government grants to help with the costs of wood-fuelled boilers are making entry to the market easierfor new customers. As a result, the demand for wood-fuelled heating is rising fast, and is also being driven by legislation to reduce the carbon footprint of new and refurbished buildings.

Wood Energy is one of the leading wood-fuelled heating businesses in the UK, and is growing quickly to meet the rising demand for their services. Their approach focuses on designing and installing high quality wood-fuelled heating systems, which are reliable and can operate with a minimum of user intervention. The boilers they install are of the best quality and include many advanced features to ensure efficient and reliable operation; the latest models include remote monitoring, allowing Wood Energy to fine-tune and watch over customers’ heating systems from their own premises. Wood Energy are also starting to act as an Energy Service Company (ESCo) for some customers, supplying heat to them under a contract while retaining ownership of the boiler and responsibility for fuel supply and maintenance.

In addition to their work installing wood-fuelled heating, Wood Energy has also been instrumental in the development of three local wood-fuel supply businesses in the South West and Wales. They also helped develop the IGNITE wood-fuel training course, which is the only accredited course of its kind in the UK.

Wood-fuel is one of the most important sources of sustainable energy in the UK, and Wood Energy is making a significant contribution to the wood-fuel market’s development and growth. Their current installed capacity is 28 MW, yielding CO2 savings of approximately 11,600 tonnes a year, but their efforts are also helping other wood-fuel companies, as they raise the profile of the technology and help build the supply chains.

Wood Energy has worked hard to build capacity in the wood-fuel market, by developing training courses, helping start fuel supply chains and installing high quality boilers. By doing this it has removed some of the barriers to the adoption of wood-fuel in the UK, and is seeing rapid growth in its business as a result.

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The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy