Fallen Wood Used for Heating

Chris and Emma Padmore manage the woodland around their working organic cattle & sheep farm using the traditional coppicing technique.

This provides them with the 16 cubic metres of fuel they need to heat their farmhouse, bunk barn and camping barn with a 50kw LogWin Windhager Biomass boiler. Their boiler burns the fallen wood – a natural bi-product of the coppicing technique – to provide hot water and heating via a district system.

Sustainable Alternative to Oil

Considering the rising cost of oil and the inconvenience of large deliveries, burning logs from their farm seemed a logical and sustainable solution to their heating requirement. In addition to their free fuel, the couple receive the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) offered by the Government which offers them a return of 8.6 p per KW/H for the heat they generate over the next 20 years.

50kw LogWin Windhager Biomass boiler

Two Accuwin 1,500 litre accumulators

District heating pipe DUO Rauvitherm Insulated pipe

Burns wood grown on the farm

Sympathetic Installation

A disused barn was easily able to accommodate the 50 KW Boiler and two Accuwin 1,500 litre accumulators. With no disruption to the farm the installation was completed in 8 working days. Life`s Energy`s three directors, a surveyor, electrician and plumber were all very involved in every aspect of the design, installation and help with the RHI application.

Emma Padmore commented, “A log burning boiler is sympathetic to our lifestyle here on the farm. We also enjoy the extra income from the RHI payments which have more than covered the cost of our investment.”

COPPICE FACTS

The word ‘coppice’ is derived from the French ‘couper’ which means ‘to cut’. Coppice trees and their produce are known as ‘underwood’.

Coppicing is the process of cutting trees down, allowing the stumps to regenerate. The remaining tree stump quickly produces many new shoots, rather than a single main stem. These shoots can then be harvested as needed as rods, poles or logs. Managing woodland in this way allows wood to be produced for a variety of uses, in an elegantly sustainable way.

Long rotations provide sizeable timber for building, shorter rotations allow smaller items such as pea & bean sticks; firewood; baskets; fencing; tool handles and brooms to be created.