Ultra-efficient biomass boiler sets Hawton Farm up for 6-figure income stream
| Client | Mark, Hawton Farm, Nottingham |
| We installed... | ETA 130 HACK - a 130kw multi-fuel boiler with 5,000 litre insulated buffer vessel, and wireless and app controls |
| Annual fuel saving | £6,000 |
| Annual RHI income | £14,689 - which all adds up to £367,920* over 20 years |
Like all farm managers, Mark’s constantly on the lookout for ways to cut costs and find new income streams. In 2013, we helped him do both, by replacing the thirsty kerosene boilers at Hawton Farm with an ultra-efficient biomass heating system that’s set to deliver a return of £367,920* over 20 years.
Hawton Farm has tied cottages, the main house, workshops and a teaching area, all requiring heat throughout the year.
They had previously used kerosene boilers to meet their heating requirements. However, with rising prices today and the prospect of uncertain prices tomorrow, Mark carefully investigated other fuel options. When he discovered that the commercial RHI tariff would earn him 8.6 pence per KW of heat produced, he decided to change the farm’s heat source to biomass. Mark says:
“A nearby farm recommended Lime-Circle. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same. There’s no more haggling over oil prices – biomass has future-proofed our energy supply and created a very tidy 20-year income stream. A £367,920 return speaks for itself – you need to talk to Lime-Circle about biomass.”
Mark asked us to provide a spreadsheet with a breakdown of costs and future revenue from the RHI. On our advice, he choose an ETA 130 Hack boiler, which runs on wood chip and wood pellets – a multi-fuel option allowing Hawton Farm to source fuel according to the best price and availability, guaranteeing future fuel security.
The cottages and main farmhouse all have individual heat exchangers to separate the risk of failure on the domestic side and allow greater control of the heat distribution.
ETA boilers all have ETA touch screen controls, and can be accessed remotely from a computer, tablet or smart phone. The boiler is so smart, it emails the installer and boiler owner to make them aware of any potential issues – and at Lime-Circle, we monitor boiler systems online and change parameters where necessary as a free service for all of our ETA customers.
The farm plans to grow its own fuel in the future
Hawton Farm has land put down to forestry and will in the future chip its own fuel, giving a price per kW of energy of less than 2 pence. At the moment, the ETA 130 Hack is running on wood bought on site which costs 3 pence per kw. However, a neighbouring farm is currently growing Miscanthus grass, which Mark hopes to pelletise and use as fuel.
To see whether a biomass boiler could help your farm work harder to generate an income for you, call Lime-Circle on 0115 952 0263 or 07890 022002 for a free, no-obligation assessment and quote, or complete our contact form and one of our renewable energy experts will be in touch soon…
*The small print The ETA HACK 130kw system we installed at Mark’s farm replaced three kerosene boilers, heats the workshop and three farm cottages for approximately 1314 hours a year, burns wood costing 3p/kw and earns the farm 8.6p for every kw of heat generated thanks to the commercial RHI. The saving doesn’t take into account the fact that kerosene prices are likely to rise over the next 20 years, or that in future the farm will chip its own fuel at a cost of 2p/kw – both of which will increase Hawton Farm’s savings.