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Biomass Heat Generation

Alternative & Economical Fuel

SWCS SNEC 2010 Winter Meeting Bruce Payton, RIDEM Forest Environment

Why a Biomass Project?• Higher Initial Cost vs. Tremendous Long-Term Energy

Savings…. In the order of 1000% !!• Strategic - Lessen dependence on foreign oil• Help State meet oil usage reduction standards• Demonstrate use of sustainable energy source• Support local economy• Reduce forest fire hazard material• Demonstrate technologies to reduce greenhouse gases• Become Biomass prototype for Rhode Island & SNE• Increase grant funding sources for project

Biomass Heat Generation Review of Mt. Wachusetts Community College(MWCC)

• 28 March 2005 Site visit

• Richard Sparks Energy and Site Development Sub-committees Bruce Payton, Site Development Sub-committee

• Rob Rizzo, MWCC Associate Director Forest & Wood Products Institute, Gardner, MA.

• Broke ground in April 2002 to convert 450,000 square foot all-electric Campus to Biomass, day & evening operations.

• Completed 60x60 steel and concrete building, December 2002

Fuel Type Unit BTU per

Unit

Average Price per

Unit

% Combustion

Efficiency

Cost per

Delivered

MMBTU

Propane Gallon 92,000 $1.76 80% $ 23.90

Oil Gallon 138,000 $2.19 75% $ 21.15

Wood Pellets Ton 16,800,000 $220.00 80% $ 16.36

Wood Chips Ton 9,900,000 $47.00 65% $ 7.30

* Updated 3/07 Phase 1 Report, Biomass Heating Feasibility Report, Foster-Glocester Schools, Biomass Energy Resource Center, Montpelier, VT, September 2005

Cost Comparison*

Simple Cost Comparison

Green wood at 40% Moisture content (chips average 35%MC) at $47/ton is equal to:

•    #2 fuel oil at $0.68/gallon•    propane at $0.42/gallon•    electricity at $0.019/kWh•    wood pellets at $80.59/ton

SUPPLY

Approximately 143,000 Acres

More than 20%

C-Series 5 MM to 14 MM BTU’s/Hr

Live bottom floor in tractor-trailer for wood chip delivery

Mostly used for below grade storage bins.

Biomass Energy Resource Center, 50 State Street Montpelier,VT

Foster/Glocester Middle School

Drop-down Storage Bay

Automatic Fuel Feed

• Bay stores 60 tons, approximately 3 trailer loads

“Chiptec” Live Bed Wedge Wing fuel handling feed system

Multi-ram Wedge Wing Floor

Automatic Electric Eye Demand

Combustion Unit

3.5 million Btu/hr CHIPTEC Phoenix-Series Gasifer

Water Jacket

• Removes all particulate emissions • Meets RI emissions standards, only water vapor emitted

• Fly ash considered hazardous material due to size of particles

Multicyclone

Modem Interface

Allows modem interface for computer diagnostics and offsite corrections

Biomass Energy Resource Center, 50 State Street Montpelier,VT - Website- Emissions and Air Quality

Particulate Emissions

What difference does a 0 make in front of a number?

.004 vs .04

Typo check the numbers

First Biomass Boiler in a Vermont School Installed 1992

Firebox and Fuel Feed Auger

Fire Suppression

Hose

Fuel Storage Building

Floating Auger

Metering Auger Feed

Metering Auger Housing to Boiler

Maintenance

• Rake ash every 3-4 days, empty ash pit weekly

•Ash is used on property for fertilizer, non-toxic.

FUEL SPILL CLEAN UP OIL

(any amount must be reported to DEM)

OIL: Can be Hundreds to Thousands $$$$$$$$

FUEL SPILL CLEAN UP WOOD

COSTS TODAY

• Ponagansett Middle School

• 3.5 million Btu/hr

• $ 2 Million (building, storage and heat unit)

• Ponagansett High School

• 6.5 million Btu/hr

• $ 2.7 Million (building, storage and heat unit)

Conclusion and Recommendation• Biomass Heat Generation appears to be a viable and

economic alternative that should be considered as part of the energy evaluation of both the Pongansett new Middle School and High Renovations.• For the future, Biomass heat and electricity in schools andpublic buildings throughout the State of Rhode Island.

• If you don’t think it’s possible check, check out what the State of Vermont is doing. Public schools the size of theone proposed for Foster/Glocester are already on line for heat using approximately 700 tons of green hardwood chips per year. MWCC started a wood gasification project in 2007 to generate electricity to run maintenance vehicles.• Biomass Energy Resource Center: Phase 1 Report, Foster-Glocester Feasibility Report

Contact Information

Biomass Energy Resource Center   P.O. Box 1611   Montpelier, VT 05601   Phone: 802.223.7770   contacts@biomasscenter.org

Mount Wachusett Community College 444 Green Street Gardner, MA 01440-1000Rob Rizzo Phone: 978.630-9137 E-mail: r_rizzo@mwcc.mass.edu

Division of Forest Environment 1037 Hartford Pike N.Scituate,RI 02857Bruce Payton Phone: 401.647.3367 E-mail: bruce.payton@ri.dem.gov

Richard M. Sparks,  Consultant

48 East Killingly Road Foster, RI. 401.647.2833 E-mail: rmsparks2@verizon.net         

Chiptec 48 Helen Ave. So.Burlington, VT 05403 802.658.0956 ww.chiptec.com

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