
Announcements
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- Junior Sales Manager
- Technical Sales Representative, Leamington, Ontario
- Technical Sales Representative, Ancaster, Ontario
- HR Generalist
- Head Grower Strawberries (West Virginia USA)
- Global Sourcing Manager
- Buying Operations Manager (BOM Process)
- Sourcing Manager EU
- Manager Operations Ethiopia
- Manager Operations Ethiopia
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 - yesterday
- Flexible seed scanner goes to market in series: Make your own judgement on seed quality
- "The newest VYPR LED technology delivers a new level of flexibility and control"
- Solution for connecting heating pipes without welding
- AIPH webinar to focus on integrating plants into urban projects
- Source.ag receives investment, bringing total Series A to $27m
Top 5 - last week
Top 5 - last month
- Hasfarm’s network expands in Indonesia, partnering with Bromelia Flowers and Tropika
- "Breeders need to study the Chinese market carefully before introducing a variety"
- North America: “Unbridled optimism for Mother’s Day tempered by reality”
- “A new sales channel for flower companies without any labor or high fixed costs”
- Kenyan growers continue diversifying their assortment
UK: Looking after your biomass boiler
The event took place at Roundstone Nursery in Chichester on 23 November. With Jon Swain, Energy Consultant from FEC Energy, starting off by explaining the recent reforms to the RHI scheme and how this should mean new systems installed today are more appropriately sized. Jon also talked about the importance of compliance with Ofgem’s regulations, to ensure installations remain eligible for RHI. One aspect of compliance is using appropriate fuels, i.e. one that is listed on all the relevant documentation associated with the boiler, not just the one that is listed on a boiler’s emissions certificate.
During the event, Matt Baxter, Technical Director at Core Biomass, offered advice on how to ensure boilers are set up for best performance. He highlighted some of the known problems with different fuel types, driving home the fact that each type of boiler will be optimised for a certain type and quality of fuel. Burning low quality, contaminated fuel in a boiler not designed for it can easily lead to problems, increased maintenance and, unscheduled downtime.
Rob Waterhouse, who hosted the event, is responsible for Roundstone’s 1MW biomass boiler. He spoke of how quickly he had to learn over the past year, since the system became operational, as biomass was completely new to him.
Despite a few teething problems early on, Roundstone’s system now runs smoothly, as Rob ensures the woodchip supplied is suitable for both the boiler and the automated fuel delivery feed. Suitability can be viewed in terms of size, quality and, importantly, moisture content.
Ultimately, the aim of a biomass boiler is to provide heat, often to a glasshouse. How the two components integrate was covered by David Summerfield of Bridge Greenhouses. He stressed the importance of buffer tanks and heat stores, and how these should be used effectively. One of the take-home messages was that more heat storage capacity can be added if required. This is now the case at Roundstone Nursery, but space remains a challenge. Despite this, a bigger heat store would allow more efficient operation of the boiler, especially when demand is low on milder days.
GrowSave has two more events coming up soon and you can find out more about these here.
For more information:
FEC Energy
10th Street
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LS
024 7669 6512
info@fec-energy.co.uk
www.fec-energy.co.uk
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