Rams reduce their carbon footprint by installing a Hoval STU wood pellet biomass boiler at Pride Park.

Derby County have made a big step towards reducing their carbon footprint at Pride Park Stadium.

As part of its sustainability strategy, the Rams have installed a Hoval STU wood pellet biomass boiler at Pride Park, and it is believed the Club have become the first professional football club to adopt carbon-neutral biomass heating.

The advantages of the installation include:


* Meeting the base heating loads of the stadium, with additional ‘top-up’ to meet peak loads
* Savings over 20 years
* RHI grant payments in excess of £600k+


RHI is the world’s first long-term financial support programme for renewable heat. Launched in November 2011 with a scheme for the non-domestic sector, it provides payments to industry, businesses and public sector organisations. All Hoval biomass boilers meet the requirements for the RHI.

Hoval’s Sales Director and lifelong Derby fan Ian Dagley said: “It’s great to be working with a local club with a commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, and Derby County will be the first professional club to install a biomass boiler, as far as we know.”

By working with Hoval, Derby County benefit from a dedicated after-sales support team, who have created a bespoke service plan to ensure the boiler is operating to its maximum potential. Hoval also has years of boiler and heating knowledge and experience which means that the best system was installed at Derby, ensuring that the heating and hot water requirements will be met in both the Summer and Winter in the most efficient and effective way.

The controls on the Hoval biomass boiler enable live interaction, showing the amount of carbon that has been saved up until that particular time. This information can then be streamed to the reception area as well as conference rooms allowing Derby County to show their staff and visitors of their commitment to the environment.

Derby County President & Chief Executive Sam Rush said: "Here at Derby County we are dedicated to reducing our impact on the environment and the installation of the Hoval STU wood pellet biomass boiler certainly does that.


"We're always looking at different ways we can be 'greener' and with the installation of the Hoval boiler, we certainly are."

The installation of the boiler is a continuation of Derby’s aim to be a more ‘environmentally friendly club’.

In addition, the Rams' Moor Farm Training Ground base was fitted with a 50 kW Solar PV installation system last March where it is integrated with a 110kW Hoval BioLyt wood pellet boiler.

Solar panels use light energy from the sun to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect and the system, comprising of 200 photovoltaic modules, is expected to generate at least 44,000 kWh per annum of clean carbon free energy which in turn should produce about 10% of Derby County's annual electricity requirements.

Additional benefits to Moor Farm Training Ground will be the reduction in its carbon footprint by more than 20 tonnes per year, or the equivalent of 88,000 miles travelled in a car.