Bristol

The biomass boiler will share the wood shed with a bat flat

A new biomass boiler is to be switched on for the first time at National Trust property Tyntesfield House, near Bristol, at the start of May.

The move will mean the Grade I listed house will be entirely heated by wood fuel - saving 141 tonnes of CO2 a year.

It will also keep humidity levels in the house at a level which will not damage any of the artefacts.

The biomass boiler has been installed in a wood shed and shares the space with a purpose-built bat flat.

Previously Tyntesfield had been heated by a oil-fed system.

We are really looking forward to feeling the benefits of a more efficient system Sarah Schmitz, Tyntesfield house steward

Tim Cambourne, from the National Trust, said: "Housing the boiler in the wood shed was an obvious solution - it's just across the drive and means we don't have to find space in the house for it.

"The boiler will be powered by wood chip from a sustainable source, produced as a by-product of the sawmill industry.

"Although Tyntesfield's woodland is extensive, it is not large enough to provide a continuous fuel supply for the estate.

"Using wood chip, which is essentially a waste product, from a local source is the next best thing."

Sarah Schmitz, the house steward at Tyntesfield, said: "We are really looking forward to feeling the benefits of a more efficient system.

It's fantastic that we can now use modern technology to conserve the house and its collection into the future and do our bit for the environment too.

"Tyntesfield has evolved in terms of decor, architecture and technology ever since it was built over 150 years ago so this is just another change that the house is perfectly used to."

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