Biomass is green and extremely energy efficient

Biomass (also called ‘bioenergy’ or ‘biofuel’), is ‘young’ organic matter (unlike fossil fuels, which take millions of years to develop). The CO2 released when energy is generated from biomass is balanced by CO2 absorbed during its production, this makes it carbon neutral.

Biomass can also ease waste management by harnessing energy from products that are often dumped in landfill sites. It’s produced from organic materials (either from plants or from industrial or agricultural products), and falls into two categories. Woody biomass (forest products, untreated wood products, energy crops, short rotation crops such as willow), and non-woody biomass (animal waste and biodegradable products from food processing).

For domestic use, biomass fuel usually takes the form of wood pellets or logs. Costs generally depend on the distance from your supplier and, as a rule of thumb, things are less expensive if you live in an area that doesn’t have a mains gas supply.

Image: Windhager