Wood Fuel for Domestic Heating
This comprehensive programme includes lectures and practical sessions on using the new and traditional wood fuels; full system design will be explored as well as the legal requirements for installation. There will also be site visits to local biomass systems.
The course developers and lecturers are industry-leaders, who are themselves practising installers.
This course is for experienced installers of heating systems, and it includes an assessment. It is designed to complement the HETAS Solid Fuel Engineer's course although this is not a pre-condition (see course requirements, below). Applicants should be at least knowledgeable about one typical domestic fuel source such as gas, oil, heat pumps or solar as well as experienced with domestic plumbing. A qualification for unvented hot water storage would be especially useful.
This course is for Engineers, specifiers and installers, and is an Industry-recognised Certified Course.
Course requirements:
To be considered for a place on this course you must either be able to provide evidence of experience in conventional heating engineering / plumbing or have passed or be studying for a formal qualification (e.g. NVQ Level 3) in the subject.
This is a biomass 'top-up' course for those who have already undertaken a HETAS three-day course and an unvented hot water storage course. This can be used by HETAS installers as evidence to apply to HETAS to have 'biomass' added as a category of registration - at this stage it is up to 50kW in dwellings.
In order to sit the BPEC assessment an individual must hold a HETAS Solid Fuel Awareness Certificate; the course can be taken as a biomass awareness course without certification. This BPEC-accredited, industry-recognised course is intended for professional installers and engineers of heating systems.
COURSE OUTLINE
The course begins on Sunday at 1800 with supper in the restaurant and introductions to CAT and the course.
Every day, breakfast will begin at 0830; the course will start daily at 0930, coffee breaks will be at 1100 and 1600, with lunch at 1300 and supper at 1800.
The following subjects will be covered from Monday to Thursday:
Environmental awareness
An overview of the environmental and ecological drivers behind using biomass heating systems. The environmental and other problems associated with the use of fossil fuels, including an overview of the greenhouse effect and climate change. Comparative information for biomass resources and other renewable energies.
Marketing & system costs, funds and subsidies
An overview of types of renewable energy technologies, reasons for switching to renewables (especially biomass) for heating, promotion, consumer groups to target, current market in UK. Costs, profitability, comparisons and grants.
Fuel characteristics and supply
Characteristics of wood as a fuel, types available and heating values. Moisture content and drying methods. Logs, chips, briquettes, pellets and other types of biomass. European Standards for fuel.
Practical on pellet boiler rig
Practice assembling flue, draught stabiliser and cleaning flues/exchangers. Practice filling & checking pellet hopper, burn-back controls. Practice lighting pellet boiler and setting fuel and air rates.
Technical overview of biomass heating systems
Typical configurations and where they are most commonly used.
Combustion characteristics
Combustion process. System layouts of major biomass systems. Major parameters in combustion process. Combustion efficiency.
Conducting a site assessment
Key data required to undertake assessment, site suitability, other potential renewable heat sources, requirements of customer, site, safety hazards for fuel delivery.
Determining system types and sizes
Calculation of building heat loads, annual fuel requirements. Different types of heating systems. Buffer tanks, flues, fuel storage, building regs. Pre checks, sizing of components, key installation activities.
Health, safety and fire prevention, regulations and standards
Risk assessment for construction tasks of appliances and flue. Summary of relevant regulations in design and construction. Summary of relevant guidance and standards. Maintenance, customer care and service issues
Boiler systems
A detailed look at CAT wood heating systems Fuel storage and transmission systems Type, location, design and safety features.
Hydraulic systems
Co-ordination of boiler system with hydraulic circuit, safety features, lime and legionella contamination. Local micro grids.
Site visits to domestic and small business biomass systems
Plas Esgair and Y Bwythn
Practical on pellet boiler rig
Practice filling/draining/de-aerating sealed plumbing system. Practice lamba sensor/ flue analysers. Practice commissioning anti-condensation by-pass circuit and setting flow/return temperatures.
Flue requirements
The assessment is on Friday at 0930.
