A home in Glasgow recently made the move from mains gas to a Grant biomass boiler and is now enjoying all the benefits that sustainable, greener home heating can offer.
Earlier this year, a Grant SpiraPod was installed at a property in Glasgow replacing the old mains gas boiler that was previously installed. The SpiraPod, which consists of a 9-36kW Spira wood pellet boiler and external casing, is designed to be sited outdoors with its durable galavanised steel casing providing a fully weatherproof housing for the boiler located within.
More householders are becoming increasingly aware of their carbon footprint, making changes to their day to day living to help reduce their impact on the environment. Home heating is one area where everyone can become more sustainable. Whether it is by installing more efficient appliances or turning to renewable fuel sources, achieving a greener home is easier today than it has ever been as demonstrated by this recent SpiraPod installation.
The property’s owner, Katy Murdoch, wanted her home to have a low carbon future and this was a key factor when installing a new heating system. “When we moved into our house, we discovered a very old, inefficient gas boiler,” writes Katy. “I had heard about biomass and the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) through my work, so I wanted our home to benefit from turning green. I also liked the idea of being self-sufficient, in control of the way I heat my home, and not being at the mercy of gas import pricing or carbon taxes in the future. This is why we chose wood pellets to fuel our home heating.”
The installation of the Grant biomass heating system at Katy’s property was completed by MCA Renewables who are members of the G1 Installer Scheme. Trained and experienced with Grant’s biomass boilers, MCA Renewables advised Katy on the most appropriate solution for her property’s heating needs. “I took recommendation from Terry at MCA Renewables,” continues Katy. “After thorough research, the Grant Spira certainly seemed to be the Ferrari of biomass boilers (it is even red in colour!) – it is well tested, of high quality and the installing engineer has a Spira himself, factors which all made me confident that the Spira was the correct choice.
In addition to accommodating the Spira biomass boiler, the SpiraPod also incorporates a 190kg capacity top fill integral hopper which is suitable for vacuum feed or manual feeding of the wood pellets. For Katy, this feature is of great benefit. “I love the simplicity of topping up the boiler. Furthermore, the controls are very intuitive which makes the Spira easy to use.”
Not only has the Spira been designed to be low maintenance for end-users, both the boiler and its bespoke external housing have also been built with engineers in mind. For example, the SpiraPod has hinged doors at the front to allow for access to the boiler and its controls. It also has a hinged cover panel on the top right side and the door panel at the rear is removable, all of which provide access to all sides of the boiler for commissioning and servicing.
By designing the product to be installer friendly, the SpiraPod can be fitted efficiently onsite, making the installation process less stressful for engineers and householders alike. “The installation was well organised and hassle-free,” comments Katy. “MCA Renewables also provided us with a lesson in using the boiler which was very clear, talking us through every step of owning a biomass boiler.”
All the models in Grant’s Spira range are MCS approved which means that they are eligible for the RHI, a Government scheme which allows homeowners to access payments for their renewable energy. In Scotland, alongside the RHI, additional funding is available through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) renewables loan scheme. Funded by The Scottish Government, HES offers interest-free loans of up to £10,000 to owner occupiers in Scotland who want to install renewables and for this SpiraPod install in Glasgow, this funding was accessed.
Looking back at the installation of the SpiraPod, which was completed in March, Katy is very pleased with their decision to turn to renewable energy for their home’s heating. Katy writes, “We are really enjoying having more control of our heating and being aware of how much fuel we are using. We have even named the boiler because it seems to be part of the family! I don’t remember being put out once during the whole installation process. The change to biomass has been seamless, right from the get go.”
Please click here for more details on Grant’s Spira range.