Farmhouse is finally warm, fuel bills halved, and investment returned in just a few years

SunGift has just completed a remarkable installation at Burrow Farm – a National Trust farm in Devon – allowing the business to discard its inadequate old heating system in favour of a state-of-the art biomass boiler.

Grade-2-listed Burrow Farm in Broadclyst opted for biomass after National Trust tenants Neil and Sally Grigg discovered that it would not only transform the farmhouse’s cold rooms into comfortable, warm areas, but also that it would save huge amounts on fuel bills, pay for itself in just six years, and lower the site’s carbon footprint by 11 tonnes per year.

Neil said: “Old farmhouses like ours are beautiful but extremely energy inefficient, so introducing our new biomass boiler has made a life-changing difference to our living conditions.   For the past three years since we took over the tenancy we’ve been trying to heat the house with night storage heaters, which were expensive and totally inadequate – barely taking the chill out of the air. Now, however, our home has stayed at a comfortable temperature whatever the weather”

The biomass boiler we installed at Burrow Farm is particularly distinctive in that it can be fuelled by two different fuel sources – standard logs or highly-efficient wood pellets.

 

 

“I have to admit that I was sceptical about using a log-fuelled boiler to begin with,” said Neil, “but – thanks to SunGift’s meticulous work and the high quality of the boiler they recommended – it’s been very simple to manage.”

Low fuel costs

“We supply our own wood for the boiler, which means our regular fuel costs are now virtually zero.  And if for some reason I haven’t had the opportunity to restock our log store, I simply refill the boiler with a bag of wood pellets, which are extremely efficient.”

Financially attractive solution

The introduction of the government’s commercial Renewable Heat Incentive, which pays up to 8.6p for every unit of heat the Griggs’s boiler generates means that the National Trust will have paid off their initial investment within six years, while the Griggs’s will continue to have virtually cost-free heating.

To find out more about SunGift’s commercial renewable heat solutions contact a member of the design team on 01392 213912 or click here to email them (designteam@sungiftsolar.co.uk).

System Spec: SHT TDA 40kW biomass boiler c/w 200 litre pellet hopper