Under their Affinity loyalty programme, registered boiler installers will be given a Essenza KRUPS coffee machine worth more than £100 for every purchase of a combi boiler from their Linea One range. The offer runs until the end of June and certain criteria will apply.

Designed for ease of installation, the Vokèra Linea One is a 38kW combi boiler which features a five-year warranty for parts and labour and is up to 92% efficient.

It’s not just existing members who can benefit from the special offer, the scheme is also open to newbies who register with the company during the period the promotional offer is running. For more information visit www.vokeraaffinity.co.uk to register or call 0870 240 8243.

The residents of Rampton Drift in Longstanton have benefitted from a host of energy saving measures installed as part of an ongoing government scheme to include the settlement into a new town called Northstowe. The houses involved were all built between 1956 and 1970, so their central heating systems most definitely need updating. Other houses have also benefitted from solar panels and new insulation.

Wilmott Dixon have teamed up with South Cambridgeshire District Council to retrofit the homes which will be opened to the public for inspection this week. The houses are all ex-MoD stock and some of them have been fitted with high efficiency combi-boilers equipped with flue-gas heat recovery. There are also heat recovery extractor fans fitted in the bathrooms and kitchens.

The combi-boilers supplied are Alpha-CDC combi boilers with Gas Saver top boxes. This boiler has a built-in seasonality valve which automatically adjusts the hot water flow based on the temperature of water from the incoming main thereby allowing more flow in spring, summer and autumn.  The boiler is also fitted with Alpha Hydroblock which reduces the amount of pipework in order to save space and make servicing much easier. All the boilers have LED fault indicators and easy to use control panels. They also have easy to remove components which also helps with servicing.

Alpha’s high efficiency boilers are SEDBUK A rated, which is the highest possible SEDBUK rating. They operate at 90% efficiency which helps to save household energy bills as well as cutting carbon emissions.The boilers come with a 3 year warranty and are available with three flow rates ranging from between £757 to nearly £900.

Alpha are highly regarded as one of the best manufacturers of combi-boilers alongside Vaillant.

The new boiler at Sainsbury’s Kingsway branch will be fuelled using pelleted waste wood which the supermarket chain says will make it ‘carbon neutral’. The store wants the boiler to help with central heating and providing hot water, it is one of 30 such boilers across the UK that Sainsbury’s have already installed in its various branches.

Peter Robinson of Derby Campaign Against Climate Change complimented the chain on its efforts to cut carbon but said that pelleted wood could actually be dirtier than coal.

“It emits greenhouse gases that are just as much of a problem as those from coal and oil” Mr Robinson said. “It’s being marketed as renewable because the wood can be grown again but that isn’t the whole story. The impact of this upon agriculture and food in developing countries is devastating, but the Government appears to believe that biomass is one of the ways forward.”

The group is concerned that if plans for expansion of wood-burning plants across the UK are approved, the country could be burning six times more wood than it can produce domestically. However, the Carbon Trust on their website stress that one of the main advantages of wood-burning biomass boilers is that the carbon dioxide emitted is the same as amount as that which the tree absorbed while it was growing and therefore that wood-burners are sustainable as long as the fuel is sourced locally.

Friends of the Earth opposes biomass imports stating that the amount of biomass available should be restricted to that which can be grown unsustainably in the UK. It particularly opposes imports of wood fuel as well as the use of agricultural land for production of energy crops. According to a May 2011 report by the environmental group, total wood production in the UK is around 8.4 million dry tonnes per year but that plans to expand biomass power stations would mean a requirement of around 50 tonnes per year by 2015. This will in turn mean importation of wood from abroad and thus more industrial-sized plantations, deforestation, logging, and land-grabbing, making climate change worse rather than helping to alleviate it.

A Sainsbury’s  spokesman said that the boiler would emit about 69 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year and that all the wood used as fuel would be sourced within the UK. “As well as incorporating the latest combustion technology to ensure energy-efficiency, the boilers we use are odourless, smokeless and comply with rigorous environmental and air quality standards” the spokesman added.

The Saia-DV diverter valve can be installed on the flow or return side of the boiler and its robustness has been tested in extensive field trials and experience. It also incorporates technology that is resistant to water additives and can be engineered to comply with specific boiler controls, bus interfaces and terminals.

Diverter valves operate by switching the flow of the hot water in the direction of the thermostat that requires heat. If both need heat, the valve will move to a mid-position in order to share hot water between cylinder and radiators. It is an electrically operated valve and it is sometimes appropriately called a ‘mid-position valve’.

Jim Dick, Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Johnson Electric said: “This innovative valve product line aligns with customer demands for compact, quiet and efficient water heating systems”

Johnson Electric is a leading company in a variety of sectors besides the heating industry. It specialises in manufacturing subcomponents to suit numerous requirements including energy efficiency and noise reduction, particularly with regard to combi boiler valves. The company’s main offices are located in Hong Kong.

The equipment includes a new biomass boiler, which is state-of-the-art with only two others of its kind found elsewhere in the UK. A representative of local charity The Energy Agency, formerly South Ayrshire Energy Agency, showed Cathy around and explained how the new boiler can help to provide cheaper energy and hot water for the hospital. The boiler uses wood pellets for fuel, rather than the gas used by conventional boilers.

Gas, as with other other fossil fuels, is currently increasing in price and will continue to do so in future, which is why increasingly individuals, businesses and community organisations are seeking to replace conventional boilers with renewable alternatives such as biomass boilers. The trend towards renewables will also help the UK to reduce its carbon emissions in line with the government’s target for carbon reduction by 2020. The new boiler will supply 60% of the hospital’s heating and hot water demand during the winter and 100% during the summer.

“It’s exciting that University Hospital Crosshouse is at the forefront of new energy saving technologies in the UK” Cathy said. “The biomass boiler will save the hospital a significant amount of money while also reducing their carbon footprint. It’s a win-win situation and I hope other businesses in the area will now look at getting these boilers installed so even more people can benefit from them.”

According to John Wright, the Director of Information and Clinical Services at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, the NHS needs to find “imaginative and innovative” ways to reduce its carbon footprint. “As well as encouraging our staff to do simple things like switch off lights and equipment when not in use, we are also exploring how new technology can help us reduce the amount of energy we use” he said. “Our state-of-the-art biomass boiler at University Hospital Crosshouse is an excellent example of using technology not only to reduce energy costs, but also to protect the environment.”

Liz said that the visit was organised by The Energy Agency “to demonstrate the effectiveness of both biomass heating and energy efficiency.”

The Energy Agency is a registered charity which helps to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in the area and is now one of 52 Energy Efficiency Advice Centres in the UK. As well as promoting renewable energy it helps to relieve fuel poverty, provides volunteer training and works with various health sector partnerships. It also runs the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre which is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Energy Saving Trust.

Tony Cossington and his wife Tracey have lived in Hampstead Norreys village for a number of years. The Sovereign Housing Association tenants had volunteered to participate in a test installation of the Baxi Bioflo, a compact, pellet-burning biomass boiler, in an effort to improve Mrs Cossington’s health.

Mr Cossington had become concerned about his wife’s allergy to coal dust. He was also keen to save money on energy while reducing his carbon footprint. A biomass heating system seemed the perfect choice, so Mr Cossington contacted Sovereign Housing Association last year to discuss the possibility of change.

An engineer working for Sovereign visited Mr and Mrs Cossington’s home. He recommended installation of the Baxi Bioflo on a trial basis. One of the main advantages of the Baxi Bioflo is that it is compatible with most central heating systems, so existing pipes, radiators and controls need not be replaced.

After the boiler was installed, Mr Cossington said: “Before, we were using six bags of coal a month at £20 a bag. At the moment, we are paying £3 for a bag of wood pellets and using roughly a bag a day. So, over the course of a month, we are saving around £30 on our heating”.

Mr Cossington also explained that his wife’s health has improved markedly. The Sovereign Housing Association resident added: “Another selling point was the fact that this is green technology. It was important for us to do something to reduce our environmental impact”.

The environmental benefits of biomass heating are somewhat controversial. The technology is described as carbon neutral because, although carbon emissions are produced by burning pellets and other non-renewable sources of fuel, the gases are equivalent in volume to the amount of carbon absorbed by the fuel before it was fossilised. This means that the carbon balance remains even.

Critics argue that maintaining existing levels of carbon emissions is insufficient if global warming is to be slowed or stopped. Households ought to embrace renewable technologies such as solar PV and geothermal heat pumps and boilers. Biomass heating systems are, however, more environmentally friendly than many natural gas and coal-fired boilers.

The property should be high tech, a new build home with a high insulation rating. An Italian hotel has already installed the boiler where it is successfully operating the building’s heating system. The boiler runs using adapted hydrogen fuel cells converted to a central heating application.

The Hydrogen was developed to produce a technical solution to the problem of producing heating completely free of fossil fuels according to the Giacomini website. The aim right from the start was to develop a zero-emission heating system for buildings.

The hydrogen is produced from sustainable sources and air taken from the atmosphere is mixed to produce a catalytic reaction free of flame. The boiler’s catalyser combines oxygen and hydrogen in a molecule of water which simultaneously releases heat. This is then removed by a heat exchanger embedded in the burner and used to heat water to a temperature of between 35 and 40 degrees C, which is ideal for a low temperature heating system incorporating radiant floor, wall and ceiling panels. There are no carbon emissions, but there is a certain amount of steam which is released into the atmosphere without too much risk.

“This is the world’s first hydrogen burner and is similar in principle to a condensing boiler but by mixing hydrogen and air together it produces steam which, as it condenses, generates heat,” says Giacomini UK’s Technical Director, Alan Sanders.

“Operating costs are virtually zero. The installation cost would be in the region of £15k so the payback from the fuel cost savings alone would be very fast. It is far more fuel-efficient than ground-source heat pumps. With energy costs spiralling it is the future for domestic central heating in appropriate buildings.”

Hydrogen is the simplest atom of all and is the lightest known substance. It is present in most organic substances and potentially is available in almost unlimited quantities when combined with renewable sources.

The business has invested £500,000 in the green heating system which is powered by wood chip and will produce about 600 kW of energy. The plant will completely wipe out the hotel’s £90,000 per year oil bill and was switched on by the Welsh government Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science, Edwina Hart, on Tuesday 10^th April.

“This investment will secure the long-term sustainable future of the hotel, ensure it remains highly competitive and also safeguard jobs” the Minister said. “Tre-Ysgawen is setting an example of how investment in low-carbon technology can bring real economic benefits.”

In total, the hotel used to spend some £200,000 on energy bills and so the hotel manager, Neil Rowlands, decided to invest in a biomass system in order to try and cut this figure down to a more manageable level. He said it was painful to watch the price of oil rising all the time, and so it became essential to regain more control of the hotel’s energy costs.

“We have been spending £200,000 a year on LPG, oil and electricity and in business terms, that means I have to have a turnover of £800,000 a year just to pay the fuel bills. It was crucial to the future of the hotel that we did something now to address this.

“We are one of the island’s largest employers and while I recognise the boiler’s green credentials, I was also looking at it from the point of view of looking after the business and ensuring we can still be a worthwhile employer to the 80 people who have jobs with us. This is very important to me.”

The first step was to commission an on-site energy audit by expert energy company Carbon Control. The brief was to find ways of reducing energy consumption and thus increasing sustainability. The biomass boiler itself was obtained from and installed by Rural Energy. It will cost the hotel about £40,000 per year to operate but the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive will mean that the boiler costs will be covered by a subsidy for the next twenty years.

The boiler is housed in its own building at the rear of the hotel and the fuel is tipped from a lorry into a storage area next to it from which it is fed automatically into the boiler. As well as saving on hotel energy bills it also means that the local biomass supplier has been able to build a new depot creating two full time jobs.

The advantage of wood boilers is that the fuel is truly sustainable as the carbon emissions are negated by the planting of new trees which absorb carbon from the atmosphere during growth. Wood is also 50% less costly than conventional fossil fuel heating systems such as those that run on oil. That means significant savings in energy bills for the domestic householder.

The boiler comes with a digital LCD controller and a 7-step modulation feature. The unit has a 100 kg store facility which automatically feeds the boiler with fuel supplying heating and hot water to a typical home for around 7 days.

There is also built in frost protection, a self-cleaning burner and heat exchanger and a pellet sensor/warning signal which warns the user when it’s time to refuel the unit. A weatherproof casing houses a pump and pressure switch and the unit has a steel flue system complete with other flueing options available if required.

Various outputs will be available, a 15 kW unit is suitable for a 2-3 bedroom property and is already on the market. Other outputs up to 25 kW will follow in the near future. The unit is also MCS accredited which means that it is eligible for the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme which will become available for domestic householders later this year.

According to the company these boilers are a perfect alternative to a combi boiler when conducting fast-fit, like-for-like boiler replacements. There are two models available, an 18 kW boiler and a 32 kW boiler. They are lightweight and compact with the 18 kW boiler being small enough to fit inside a kitchen cupboard. They are SEDBUK A rated and come with a five year parts and labour warranty.

Each boiler is fitted with market-leading components such as the stainless steel ‘coil’ heat exchanger. The company claims they deliver quiet and efficient operation and incorporate excellent corrosion resistance. Installers can also benefit from a generous loyalty scheme.

“Despite combi boilers accounting for the lion’s share of sales, open vents are still a popular choice with homeowners who don’t want the hassle and expense of having their existing heating system disrupted” says Marketing Manager Amanda Byrne.

“With an estimated 10-12 million open vent boilers in use today, many of them standard efficiency, it’s time to stop being a combi victim and exploit the numerous installation opportunities that are less complex and more profitable. At the same time, the customer benefits from an open vent solution at low cost and with minimal disturbance.”

A two-screw mounting system makes installation easy claims the company and the boilers have an LED display and single control knob which make operation even easier. The boilers also come with a wide range of flueing options and both are environmentally friendly with a wide range CH modulation range which adjusts energy usage in line with demand. The company also state that both boilers have ‘ultra-low’ Nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions.