Biomass in Upper Austria
In Upper Austria, renewable energy sources (RES) provide 32% of the primary energy consumption (of which 14 % is biomass). Presently, there are about 35,000 modern biomass heating installations and about 280 biomass district heating networks in operation in Upper Austria. The share of renewable heating is 45%. The region of Upper Austria has made the commitment that by 2030 all space heating and electricity will come from renewables. Biomass, and especially wood pellets, have an important role in achieving the ambitious target.
The most important ways to heat with biomass are:
- Automatic wood pellet heating systems, mostly in single-family homes
- Automatic wood chip heating systems for homes, commercial and public buildings
- Biomass district heating installations
- District heating from biomass CHP plants
Additionally, wood stoves and automatic logwood boilers are also frequently used.
Wood pellets
Wood pellets are a clean, CO2-neutral and convenient fuel, mostly produced from sawdust and wood shavings, compressed under high pressure using no glue or other additives. They are cylindrical in shape and usually 6-10 mm in diameter and 10-30 mm in length. As a highly standardised and high-density fuel, pellets allow cost-efficient transportation and automatic operation of plants for heat and electricity production, from private homes to large-scale power plants.
With a rapidly growing share of the market, they are a key technology for increasing biomass utilisation in Europe and beyond, especially in the heating sector. Pellets are also an excellent way of using local resources thus making a concrete contribution to environmental and climate change protection.
In Upper Austria, presently, more than 16,000 wood pellet central heating installations are in operation – most of them in homes but increasingly also in larger commercial and public buildings. Pellet stoves are very popular in the thousands of low energy homes.
The pellet market development is supported by comprehensive programmes well adapted to the changing needs of the market and ranging from training of installers to campaigns or consumer advice. Financial incentives are available to home owners and businesses willing to install a pellet boiler.
Pellets are also an important economic factor, leading European boiler producers have their head quarters in the region. Based on the successful home market they are exporting pellet technology all over Europe and are about to export also to the US market. A network of companies active in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources – the Oekoenergie-Cluster (OEC, www.oec.at) – which is managed by the O.Oe. Energiesparverband – supports companies in their business development.
Pellet Central Heating Systems
A pellet central heating system can directly replace oil or gas boilers. It is fully automated: not only lights the system itself automatically and feeds fuel from the pellet storage at the rate of the heat demand, but the boiler also cleans itself every day ensuring continued efficiency. Automatic wood pellet heating systems are available in a range of sizes to suit anything from a small, energy-efficient house to a large office or business premises.
A typical wood pellet boiler for residential homes requires normally a boiler room of 2m x 2m. A typical pellet store also requires a minimum space of 2m x 2m and can be installed in a separate room within the building or in a converted garage, in a shed or in a special container. Automatic wood pellet heating systems are designed for bulk fuel supply. This method of delivery is common in mature pellet markets, providing cheaper bulk purchase prices, dust-free filling and is time-efficient for the home owners. A tank truck blows the fuel in the storage room, from where it is carried by an auger to the boiler. In most situations the pellet store requires refuelling only once or twice a year.
The European Pellet Conference
Pellets are a clean, CO2-neutral and convenient fuel with growing market shares worldwide. The European Pellet Conference in Wels/Austria aims to provide in-depth information on pellet technologies, innovation and market trends. It offers an exciting platform to discuss new co-operation projects.
With more than 600 participants every year, the European Pellet Conferences held in Wels have become the largest annual pellet event in the world.
The conference is organised by O.Ö. Energiesparverband, the regional energy agency of Upper Austria, dedicated to sustainable energy market development. Upper Austria is an ideal location for such a conference. The region is home to a number of Europe‘s leading biomass boiler producers, and pellet heating systems have become a standard solution.
More information is available at www.wsed.at
