But experts warn over carbon-heavy transport implications

The Carbon Trust is recommending a dash for wood fuel in order to cut the carbon emissions from heating by 90%. Biomass could save an average school 拢50,000 a year, it said.

The government-backed, independent business called for the 鈥渕assive switch鈥� in a report, 鈥淧ractical Guide,鈥� today. But calls for a wholesale switch will likely to prove controversial.

鈥淲e have become so reliant on oil, gas and electricity that many businesses are just not aware of the cost and carbon benefits of turning to biomass for their heating supply,鈥� said Mark Williamson, director of innovation at the Carbon Trust. 鈥淩enewable heat will need to play a key role in meeting the UK鈥檚 renewable energy targets and biomass offers the greatest potential to contribute to this.鈥�

Biomass can help create green jobs and divert more waste from land fill, said the Trust.

But despite wood fuel鈥檚 potentials, which also include improving the poor management of the UK鈥檚 woodlands, the heating method is not without its critics. Wood fuel is hard and potentially carbon-heavy to transport, tricky and bulky to store and currently lacks a developed supply chain.

Moreover, biomass boilers are prone to clogging and breakdown and cost several thousand pounds more than a conventional boiler.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain amount of cynicism about installing biomass to get through planning,鈥� said Martin Taylor from energy consultancy, RYB Konsult. 鈥淎s far as I know there鈥檚 no follow up after installation.鈥�

Nonetheless, he said his firm specifies biomass in certain situations. 鈥淲e鈥檝e specified it in Croydon, but not Ealing,鈥� he said.

Matthew Rhodes, MD of onsite renewables adviser, Encraft said that the Carbon Trust had a responsbility to give measured advice. "The closer we get to government - and the Carbon Trust are pretty close - the more important it is we get away from a magic bullet type approach."

To help allay the capital cost, the Carbon Trust issues interest-free loans of up to 拢200,000 to help small business upgrade to a more energy-efficient system. Payback time is less than three years, it claims.

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