healthier, happier and richer

(1) Are you concerned about pollution from biomass combustion, even if its origin is considered to be entirely “sustainable”?

Allesandro de Maida

Yes, burning biomass produces some air pollution, so will have to be controlled and regulated in urban areas. The UK already fails to meet the air quality standards set in European directives, so even if the government was not concerned about urban air quality (which, in fact ,it is), it would have to control pollution from biomass combustion.

Stephen Tindale

(2) Is the government considering district heating from biomass sources?

Allesandro de Maida

District heating is mentioned, but not given much prominence. The government envisages that, by 2050, most UK heating will come from electricity. I think this is a mistake, as it underplays the scope for biomass and biogas heating delivered through district heating, which, if used with combined heat and power, would also produce renewable electricity.

Stephen Tindale

(3) In the case of promotion of air source or ground source heat pumps, is the government putting in place a minimum standard of efficiency?

Allesandro de Maida

Yes. This is well explained by the Building Services Research and Information Association (see BSRIA: Heat pump schemes explained). Several European countries have set up different certification schemes to promote higher efficiency products. There are also certification schemes at the European level such as the Eco-label.

The performance of heat pumps is measured as a coefficient of performance (COP), which must be tested under an EU-wide standard (EN 14511). There are two main schemes specifically run in the UK:

• The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which is supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
• The Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, which is managed by the Carbon Trust.

Stephen Tindale

(4) Solar thermal and heat pumps are excellent solutions for low temperature heat, but what about high temp thermal applications? Biogas or other biomass may help, but I suspect their role will be very small.

Allesandro de Maida

Their role is currently tiny in the UK, but not in other countries such as Germany, and they could become major contributors in the UK – as National Grid has argued (see Renewable heat).

Stephen Tindale

(5) Have you ever considered the biomass to liquid process (see Wikipedia: Biomass to liquid)? Such a plant is to be built in Germany.? Even in a deep electrification of public and personal transportation, it seems to me a good option for those application not easy or totally impossible to electrify (airplanes, ships or cars for long trips) and doesn’ t pose the same problems as other biofuel options like corn, sugar cane ,ethanol or ordinary biodiesel.

Allesandro de Maida

I agree.  Not all transport can be electrified – planes, ships and HGVs – so some biofuels will be needed. It will be much better to turn biomass into liquid than to turn coal into liquid (as the latter is done in South Africa at the largest single global point source of greenhouse gas emissions).

Stephen Tindale