Life cycle impacts of waste wood biomass heating systems: a case study of three UK based systems

With increasing renewable energy targets and the use of biomass for energy production, questions arise about the sustainability of differing types of bioenergy. Much has been made about the renewable transport fuel obligations and the impact the production of biofuel can have on the environment, but there has been less consideration of more small scale biomass heating systems. This work examines the life cycle impacts of the production and use of three such systems using waste wood in the South West of England. Burning of wood in the UK was reduced after the introduction of legislation to reduce smog in the 1950s, and so the impact of the emissions from the boilers has been examined. Whilst the boilers studied complied with UK emissions legislation, the emissions were the most significant impact found. However, there were differences in the emission levels depending on the loading of the boiler. In all cases the energy payback of the systems was under one year, ranging from approximately four to ten months.