The owner of a holiday complex near Llanbrynmair, Powys is helping to reduce Wales’s carbon footprint by using a newly installed log-fuelled central heating boiler to provide hot water and heating for his guests.
But Terry Margolis’s enthusiasm for renewable energy does not stop there – he is even growing the wood himself to provide fuel for his boiler.
Barlings Barn is a self-catering holiday business with eleven bedrooms in two separate buildings plus sports facilities that include a swimming pool, squash court and sauna.
The 80kw Vigas boiler and 5000 litre accumulator tank provide hot water and space heating for all rooms used by holidaymakers and for the heated indoor swimming pool, laundry and office space.
The boiler was installed with financial support from the Wood Energy Business Scheme (WEBS).
WEBS is a £7.8 million project part funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government. It is run by Forestry Commission Wales and offers capital investment to small and medium enterprises for woodfuel heating systems and processing equipment.
WEBS Manager, Mike Pitcher, said, “Modern woodfuel heating is clean and convenient. It is also a sustainable form of renewable energy because using wood in place of fossil fuels helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
“By creating demand for wood locally, Forestry Commission Wales can encourage more woodland owners to bring their woodlands into management.
“Better managed woodlands offer higher financial returns to their owners as well as improving habitats for wildlife and offering opportunities for recreation.”
Barlings Barn is surrounded by 20 acres of trees, mainly mature conifers, and Mr Margolis is managing this woodland to supply his own fuel.
Timber from the woodland is processed onsite in a newly erected fuel drying store ready for use in the boiler.
Mr Margolis said, “By running our biomass boiler we are projecting a green tourism image to our guests and not getting any more hefty oil bills.
“Although we are buying in wood at the moment to ensure the moisture content of the timber is low, we have already processed enough wood from our own woodland to achieve our aim of self-sufficiency in the log-fuelled boiler’s second year of operation.”
As well as grant support towards installing the new system, Mr Margolis received advice from the WEBS team on the technical aspects of the project and how to submit his application.
Mr Margolis added, “In our research phase, we were struck that no two installations were the same and there are alternative ways of achieving a successful project.
“We were grateful for the WEBS team’s guidance and I would also advise anyone thinking of applying for a grant to visit several installations and talk to different biomass boiler manufacturers before arriving at their purchasing decision.”
For more information on the WEBS grant scheme, see www.forestry.gov.uk/woodenergywales or contact Michelle Brunt on 0300 068 0088, [email protected]
