Pellet Stoves – Create An Efficiency Factor of More than 90%

Pellet Stoves

Pellet Stoves – Save Money and Be Efficient

The definition of Pellet Stoves from Wikipedia is as follows:

“A pellet stove is a stove that burns compressed wood or biomass pellets to create a source of heat for residential and sometimes industrial spaces. By steadily feeding fuel from a storage container (hopper) into a burn pot area, it produces a constant flame that requires little to no physical adjustments. Today’s central heating systems operated with wood pellets as a renewable energy source can reach an efficiency factor of more than 90%.”

A pellet stove can clearly provide heat for the room where it is situated.  However the real benefits come from linking the stove to a back boiler to generate hot water and heating for the rest of the household or organisation.

Biomass stoves that include a back boiler can use 2 main heat sources – wood pellets or logs.  Whilst wood pellet stoves can be considered to be generally more expensive than their log-burning counterparts, they bring several important advantages.  They don’t require as much storage space and can of course hold more fuel via a built in hopper.

pellet stovesIt is important to acknowledge that all wood pellets are not the same.  Different pellets will have differing burning behaviours and performance levels.  If you have a pellet stove it is important to use pellets of the highest quality to minimise your maintenance costs and ensure the sustainability of your investment.

Balcas Energy Enplus wood pellets are BSL authorised.  We deliver pellets directly to your home or business to be blown straight into your store.  If you have a smaller hopper integrated with your stove it might be better order wood pellet bags from us.  These are delivered in 10kg bags which are easy to load into your hopper.  For more information on Ofgem’s biomass suppliers list, visit: http://biomass-suppliers-list.service.gov.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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George Kidney – Acknowledgement

 

Balcas were very sorry to learn this weekend of the death of George Kidney OBE, aged 91 years of age.

George was the founder of Ballycassidy Sawmills Limited in 1962, this being the entity that grew into the Balcas Timber Ltd that we know today. George led the growth and development of Balcas during our formative years, stepping down in 1988, however he continued to work until the early 2000’s and indeed is fondly remembered by the many staff still working here whom he employed personally. His legacy to the county of Fermanagh, and further afield, is enormous when you see today a business employing 380 people directly, and probably the same number again indirectly.

George was the epitome of a gentleman. Those of us that had the pleasure and honour of working for or with him will remember his decency and humanity, his fantastic sense of humour, and his great wisdom.

Our sincere sympathies go to his sons, David, Ernest, and Andrew, his wife Betty, his grandchildren and the whole extended family.

He will surely rest in peace after a life of great accomplishment and service to the timber & industry.

Janet Hynes – An Appreciation

Today was an unbearably sad day for us here in Enniskillen as we bade a final farewell to our friend and colleague, Janet Hynes.

Janet courageously battled her cancer over the past eighteen months with amazing fortitude and grace. Despite the gravity of her illness, she always wore a smile and sparkled with positivity. Janet has been a shining example of gentle decency and we trust her spirit will long live in the memory of all those who had the pleasure and honour to know her.

Since she joined Balcas in February 2006, Janet made an extraordinary contribution to the development of brites. Her part in our sales, distribution, and management cannot be overstated. Janet is a great loss to her colleagues and we already miss her. We know too by tributes from customers and business colleagues alike, that everyone who had the pleasure of working with her, feel the same.

To her partner Stephen, for all of Janet’s brothers and sisters, and for her extended family and friends; to them we offer our deepest condolences and sympathies.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam

Why building a low carbon economy is so important

Climate change is the biggest challenge the mankind is facing today.

Global temperatures are increasing, and the environment is continuously changing.  GHG (Human-made Greenhouse Gas) emissions are mainly responsible for this. Addressing this issue is essential and we can help with low carbon economy sustainability.

Global average temperatures have already increased by almost 1˚C since pre-industrial times. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, snow and ice cover has diminished, and sea levels are rising.

The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing. Many animal species face extinction and communities in water poor regions and low-lying countries are already at great risk.

low carbon economy sustainability

 

The main driver of climate change is the increasing emissions from man-made greenhouse gas. In particular, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). These gases act like a blanket. They trap
infrared radiation emitted from the surface, preventing it from escaping into space.

low carbon economy sustainability

The end result?

Is a progressive warming of the Earth’s atmosphere and surface. This effect becomes ever stronger as the atmospheric concentration of GHGs increases.

A tipping point is fast approaching. The tonnage of CO2 emissions in the Earth’s atmosphere reached record levels in 2018. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the Earth is now on track for three degrees of warming by the end of this century.

According to their analysis, we only have 12 years to keep global warming below 1.5˚C. This is the higher ambition in the 2015 landmark Paris Agreement. Read More on the Ibec website.

Next steps?

The UK and Ireland have now joined the global effort to address climate change. Both Governments have now committed to the ambitious plan to cut emissions and become Carbon-Neutral by 2050. The plan is to get the energy system to become secure, sustainable and competitive. Supply will be built on various renewable energy fuels, like biomass and wood pellets.

At Balcas Energy, we support low carbon economy sustainability.