A Flintshire company which makes play equipment for children saw its heating bills slide by up to a half after it installed a wood fuelled system in its offices and workshop.
Playquest Adventure Play put in a hot air burner to keep staff warm at its base in a converted chapel in Ffynnongroew after receiving a grant from Forestry Commission Wales’s Wood Energy Business Scheme (WEBS).
In addition to slashing its heating bills the company, which makes play equipment for clients including local authorities, pubs and caravan parks, also managed to increase its efficiency by feeding all its waste into the new Fabbri F55 50kw burner.
The new system was installed in November 2010 and consultant Ian Harrison said it had had a dramatic effect on the company’s bills.
“We reckon our heating bills will have reduced by anything up to a half,” said Ian.
“Also, there is very little waste from the manufacturing process now – we put whatever’s left over into the burner to heat the premises.”
As well as cutting the bills, Ian said the burner was also proving more efficient than the old electric heaters and gas blowers.
“Last winter it was almost impossible to heat some of the offices, but now it can actually get too hot sometimes. We’re having to turn it down, it’s so efficient.”
Playquest, which designs and manufactures playgrounds and equipment such as swings and slides, was the first company to receive a WEBS grant for this model of biomass heater.
WEBS is a £20 million project part-funded with £7.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government.
Run by Forestry Commission Wales, it offers capital investment to small and medium enterprises for woodfuel heating systems and processing equipment to develop the sustainable and renewable wood heat market across Wales.
Martin Bill, Playquest MD, said, “Working with WEBS was probably the easiest grant application process I have experienced from start to finish. It’s a simple process and the people were really helpful.
“The WEBS grant helped to ensure that, at last, people working in the building are warm right through the winter.”
Mike Pitcher, WEBS Programme Manager, said, “Modern woodfuel heating is a clean, convenient and sustainable form of renewable energy.
“As Playquest have quickly discovered, it can also be more efficient and effective than other forms of heating.”
Installation of the burner coincided with the company’s expansion to become Quest Group Organisation, employing 15 people.
The group now includes Plasquest, selling recycled plastic components. Solarquest sells components for solar systems, which are also installed by a company called Solar Panels and Inverters North Wales.
Ian said, “I don’t think we can put all the expansion down to the new hot air burner, but it’s certainly worth every penny!”
For more information on the WEBS grant scheme, see www.forestry.gov.uk/woodenergywales or contact Michelle Brunt on 0300 068 0088, [email protected]
