This gets asked often and answered wrongly, because biomass and solar are not really competing. They solve different problems.

Biomass or solar for a factory? Answer from your energy profile

Photo: Kuyune on Unsplash

First separate heat from electricity

Solar produces electricity. It suits electrical load — motors, lighting, air conditioning, compressed air.

Biomass produces heat. It suits steam, hot water, and any process needing high temperature.

If your plant uses process steam, solar does not address that at all, however many panels go on the roof. Using solar electricity to boil water is the most expensive way to make heat there is.

Side by side

	Solar	Biomass
Produces	Electricity	Heat, steam
Runs at night	No — needs batteries or grid	Yes, while fuel lasts
Cost after install	Fuel is free	Fuel bought continuously
Space used	Roof or open ground	Fuel yard
Predictability	Depends on sun	Controllable if supply is secure
Attention needed	Very little	Someone to feed it and clear ash

Why many plants end up with both

Food processors, rubber factories and hotels carry electrical load and heat load at the same time.

The common pattern is solar on the roof cutting daytime electricity, and biomass in the boiler replacing fuel oil or LPG. They do not overlap; each takes the part it is good at.

Limits of each

Solar produces only in daylight, less on wet days, and offers limited benefit to a plant running mainly night shifts.

Biomass needs yard space, someone to run it, ash handling, and an ongoing fuel bill rather than a single capital outlay.

Its advantage is being controllable — independent of weather, and able to run around the clock while supply holds.

Where to start

Pull twelve months of energy bills and split the spend into electricity and fuel for heat.

Start with whichever is larger. Not with whichever technology is being talked about.

If the heat side is larger and you currently burn fuel oil, coal or LPG, send us the figures and we will work out the difference. Call +66 92 392 2292.