In the recent past - I have been asked about 1,642 questions about Biomass heating Systems from a multitude of stakeholders.
For the most part - their concerns come down to 7 critical questions, that repeat over and over again.
In an effort to save people the effort and energy of repeating themselves time and again, I have listed these questions, and answers, below.
1) Does your system have a 20 year (40,000 hour) Operating Warranty?
After all - this is at LEAST a 20 year investment. The Sweetness of a low price initially - is rapidly tarnished by the Bitterness of poor performance and high repair costs. Our Systems are Guaranteed for that time period.
2) Does your system come with a Service technician and System Engineer for the life of the System?
Biomass Systems need careful Monitoring and babysitting. If the system does NOT have an allocated service technician to look after the day to day maintenance (Ash Disposal, cleaning, etc.) then it will rapidly degrade to a point of non-operation. By the same token, there are MANY service items that need periodic adjustment, repair and replacement. NO ONE expects their car to run for 20 years, without regular Maintenance and repair - so it's folly to believe that a Biomass System could. The KEY - is the after-sales service - behind the Developer. We have a strong network of technicians, and Engineers to provide RAPID response to system anomalies. In addition - we Monitor the systems on a 24 hour basis, and can often times respond to anomalies, long before the Client knows there has even been one.
3) Does your system have a minimum performance Guarantee?
Many Biomass System manufacturers promote a minimum Efficiency - but how many of them are prepared to back that up with a written guarantee? After all - laboratory test conditions and the real world are two completely different places. Far too many people think that "rated" performance and "Actual" performance are the same thing. BOY - are they EVER surprised when it is significantly different and their fuel bills are up to 30% higher than expected. Our systems come with an OPERATIONAL performance guarantee. That means - the performance we stipulate - is the performance you receive. PERIOD.
4) Does your system come with a MANUFACTURER APPROVED Fuel Supply?
The single largest headache, and the single largest cause of system failures, is incompatibility between the System and the fuel. While there are fuel standards - many systems have very specific requirements to meet their combustion technology. No one would petrol in a diesel car, and expect it to perform. The same should apply with Biomass. HOWEVER - when (not IF) there is a problem - the Equipment Manufacturer blames the Fuel Supplier; and the fuel supplier blames the Equipment Manufacturer. In the end - the customer is left with a cold building, as these folks point fingers at each other. Our systems are ALL 3rd (and soon 4th) generation Systems. They ALL come with an attached fuel supply FROM the manufacturer.
5) Is this fuel supply GUARANTEED for 20 years?
Would you purchase a car that needed leaded petrol to operate? Of course not. By the same token, The specific Biomass fuel for the system needs to be available for the next 2 decades. Now - there will certainly be changes and improvements to the fuel, and the System needs to be adaptable to match these changes. Most 2nd generation boilers are NOT Modular components - and are therefore destined to built-in obsolescence. Make sure the Boiler can keep up with the fuel - and vice versa. Our systems are ALL 3rd (and soon 4th) generation Systems. They are completely modular components, and can be updated as technology improves. In addition - They ALL come with an attached fuel supply FROM the manufacturer.
6) What back-up strategies are in place in the event of System Failure?
Very few System providers like to speak about "what happens when it all goes wrong". Even fewer have a strategy to deal with this - as they hide behind the "Oh well, we made the sale - it's the Clients issue now". We take a much different view. As the system provider - we see it as OUR Responsibility to develop appropriate "what if" strategies, to DEAL with the inevitable. If anyone tells you that their system will not break down - they're LYING. The fact is that it isn't a matter of IF - it's only a matter of WHEN. This, by the way - needs to backed by the MANUFACTURER, not the installer, (they tend to come and go) and be fully insured.
7) Have you got a comprehensive suite of Insurance Policies to underwrite ALL of the above? Our systems ALL have a suite of policies, from a 2A+1 Insurance Company, to underwrite and protect the Client, in the event of ANY situation described above. SIMPLE. We DON'T accept excuses - we ONLY accept Performance.
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