Developing Biomass Heating in New England Regional Biomass Action Plans World Sustainable Energy Days 2009 Wels, Austria 25 February 2009 Tim Maker, Senior Program Director Biomass Energy Resource Center Montpelier, Vermont U.S.A.
Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC) BERC is a U.S. national not-for-profit organization working to promote responsible use of biomass for energy. BERC s mission is to achieve a healthier environment, strengthen local economies, and increase energy security across the United States by developing sustainable biomass systems at the community level.
Overview of presentation History of community-scale wood heating development in New England Why woodchip heating became popular in public schools Wood heating in other community-scale settings A regional biomass action plan example: The Northern Forest Biomass Energy Initiative
How New England Started Down the Path of Biomass Heating Since the late 1970s New England has been interested in alternatives to oil heat for larger buildings. Using forest biomass began in the mid-1980s with installing woodchip boilers in public schools in Vermont. Now, 30% of all public school students in Vermont attend wood-heated schools and the technology is spreading to institutional buildings in other parts of the U.S. Why?
Forces that Drove the Development of Biomass Heating in Schools Large regional schools in rural forest areas Increasingly high oil heat bills for schools Lots of forest land in Northern Forest states: Maine 89% New Hampshire 85% Vermont 78% New York 62%
Typical Northern New England Scene
Typical Large Regional School
More Forces Driving Biomass Heating Lots of small and medium size sawmills Stationary chippers in mills, mobile chippers in woods Lots of woodchips available at low cost Big trucks delivering woodchips to pulp and paper mills (truck capacity: 75 m 3 - holding 25,000 kg) No bulk-delivery of wood pellets, high pellet price
Typical New England Sawmill
Typical Forest Harvest
Woodchip Truck on the Highway
Woodchip Delivery
First, Small Schools Typical size: 300 students 5.000 m 2 Wood heating plant size: 500 KW Annual woodchip use: 12 truck loads 900 m 3 275.000 kg Heating cost: with oil 35.000 with chips 11.000
Later, Big Schools Typical size: 900 students 15.000 m 2 Wood heating plant size: 1.3 MW Annual woodchip use: 32 truck loads 2.400 m 3 750.000 KG Annual heating cost: with oil 90.000 with chips 30.000
The Result: Lots of Schools with Woodchip Heating Systems
Community-Scale Wood Heating in Other Larger Settings College and university campus systems Hospitals State office complexes Other campus settings
Institutional Heating Small Community Hospital Woodchip steam CHP system
Campus Woodchip Energy Small Community College 2 MW woodchip heating plant
Campus Wood Energy Larger College Campus System 3 MW central woodchip steam CHP plant
Campus Wood Energy 35.000 m 3 Health Care Campus 2 woodchip boilers totaling 3.5 MW thermal
State Office Complex Woodchip District Heating Vermont State Capitol Complex 45.000 m 3 heated space Central Plant: 1 3 MW woodchip boiler 2 4 MW oil boilers
Woodchip and Wood Pellet Heating in Smaller Settings State office buildings Multi-family housing (apartments) Environmental centers Commercial buildings
Woodchip Heating for Public Buildings State Office Building 600 KW woodchip heating plant
Pellet Heating for Institutional Buildings Conservation Education Center 35 KW pellet heating plant
Commercial Pellet Heating 4.500 m 3 Manufacturing Plant 75 KW pellet heating plant
Woodchip Community District Heating Small-Scale Setting 50 Units, Low-income Housing 650 KW woodchip heating plant
Small Community District Energy 25 Unit Co-housing Development 200 KW cordwood boiler system
Regional Biomass Action Plan Example: Northern Forest Biomass Energy Initiative Purpose: To explore the potential for woody biomass from the Northern Forest to provide an increased source of renewable, sustainable energy for the region, and to determine what needs to happen in the region for that potential to be realized.
The Northern Forest Resource New York, Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine
Northern Forest Biomass Energy Initiative Challenge: Will the Northern Forest region become a world leader in the innovation, production, and sustainable use of biomass energy, biofuels, and bioproducts created from the local wood resource?
Available on BERC Website www.biomasscenter.org
Northern Forest BEI Action Plan Vision and Principles Sustainable Forestry to keep the forest healthy and ensure that harvest management supports the overall ecological function and integrity of the forest ecosystem. Maximized Efficiency to ensure the energy value of biomass harvested for fuel is utilized as fully and cleanly as possible. Local Energy to use local wood resources for community and regional needs at the appropriate scale. Energy Security to provide communities and businesses with a stable, uninterrupted, affordable, clean energy supply using local resources. Climate Change Mitigation to reduce net carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration in order to mitigate global warming.
Action Plan Endorsements: A Wide Diversity of Stakeholders Adirondack Council Adirondack North Country Association Adirondack Park Agency Allenby Associates, LLC American Forests Appalachian Mountain Club Biomass Energy Resource Center* Carsey Institute* Center for Rural Partnerships, Plymouth State University Clean Energy Group Crotched Mountain Foundation Forest Guild Katahdin Energy Works Lyme Timber MAGI C Maine Rural Partners Mount Washington Valley Economic Council National Wildlife Federation Natural Resources Council of Maine Natural Resources Defense Council Natural Resources of Canada, Community Energy Planning Group New Energy Capital New England Wood Pellet, LLC New York State Forester, Robert K. Davies North Country Resource Conservation and Development Area, New Hampshire Northern Forest Alliance Northern Forest Center* Public Service of New Hampshire R. J. Turner Company Rainforest Alliance Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry The Irland Group Threshold to Maine Resource Conservation and Development Council University of Maine, Center for Research on Sustainable Forests University of Maine Forest Bio Products Research Initiative Vermont Family Forests Vermont Land Trust Vermont Natural Resources Council Vermont Public Interest Research Group Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Vermont Woodlands Association Wagner Forest Management Washington Electric Cooperative Yellow Wood Associates
Contact Information Timothy Maker Senior Program Director Biomass Energy Resource Center 43 State Street Montpelier, VT 05601 U.S.A. 802-223-7770 X 123 tmaker@biomasscenter.org www.biomasscenter.org