Forward-thinking organisations across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a £1million fund set up to allow them to go green and cut their heating bills.
The fund has been created by Ballymena-based Vision Heat Solutions, a new company formed with the ‘vision’ of enabling local businesses to cut their overheads by installing a biomass-fuelled heating technology.
The energy service company (ESCO) has already invested some of the £1 million offering business owners the opportunity to reduce their heating costs by up 50% through the installation of a biomass heating system and fuel package.
Financing for the systems is provided by Vision Heat Solutions, meaning no up front costs are paid by the local business owners, who also benefit from maintenance costs being covered for the next 20 years. Simply put, the customer just has to pay for their significantly reduced heating bills.
Stuart Gunning, Managing Director of Vision Heat Solutions explains more about the new venture. “There is no capital investment required from the customer, limiting the risk and offering a sustainable and affordable heating solution. We purchase and install efficient biomass systems from local supplier BS Holdings and fuel the systems with ENPlus quality assured fuel from local wood pellet manufacturers to offer the customer the best cost heat.”
“Having offered finance facilities for a wide range of business equipment for the last fifteen years with Vision Asset Finance, we saw an opportunity in the market to develop a new company which could provide finance, installation, maintenance and fuelling of biomass systems in return for heat payments from the customer.”
Fortwilliam Golf Club, established in 1891, is the first organisation to benefit from the new services offered by Vision Heat Solutions, with an investment of £100,000 to install, operate, fuel and maintain a new biomass heating system that will cut the club’s carbon emissions by an incredible 50,000 kg per annum.
Vision Heat Solutions’ package will see them take on the full management of the club’s 99kW Package Plant Room at no capital cost to the Fortwilliam Golf Club, allowing them to immediately save on their heating bills and cut their carbon emissions.
Stuart Gunning added, "We are delighted to be working with Fortwilliam Golf Club on this project. The BSH Biomass Heating modules offer the club significant cost savings over their old heating system, and provides the members with a robust heating solution for now and the future."
Malachy Toner, Hon. Secretary of Fortwilliam Golf Club, said, "The existing heating system had become very costly to maintain and expensive to run. We are therefore delighted to have our new biomass plant room up and running. We have a big clubhouse that needs a lot of heat, and the cost savings from the new system are much appreciated by the members."
This is the third installation of the BS Holdings system in a golf club in Northern Ireland and the technology is paying off significantly for the clubs who have replaced their outdated heating systems with the biomass technology.
Brian Hood, Managing Director of BS Holdings said, “Increasingly clubs, organisations and businesses are realising the value of going green. Our Biomass Packaged Plant Rooms are pre-fabricated off-site and delivered to clients fully assembled and ready for immediate installation. The Fortwilliam system was designed to meet the specific needs of the clubhouse, and developed to maximise performance and efficiency."