Biomass Commodities

CHARLES ROSE ARCHITECTS ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF MASSACHUSETTS’ FIRST ZERO-NET-ENERGY TRANSPORTATION HUB

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:14:45 +0000

Gov. Deval Patrick joins with U.S. Reps. John W. Olver and Jim McGovern, Administrator Peter Rogoff of the Federal Transit Administration, and other state officials Friday to dedicate the building, which received funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

SOMERVILLE, Ma. — Charles Rose Architects announces the completion of a highly innovative zero-net-energy building, which opens Friday, May 4, in a dedication ceremony with Gov. Deval Patrick, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and other state officials. The 24,000-square-foot combined transit center and government office, built with federal stimulus funds, is the first of its type in Massachusetts and the region. Also designated as a future train depot on the Connecticut River corridor, the John W. Olver Transit Center in Greenfield is designed to generate through renewable sources all the energy that it uses—meaning its net-energy consumption over the course of a year will be zero.

“It is exciting to bring net-zero technology and design to such a large-scale public building in Massachusetts,” said Charles Rose, design principal. “What many people don’t realize is that conventional buildings are big polluters. Fortunately, Gov. Patrick, the FTA and President Obama have shown genuine leadership on this issue, and as a result the funds were there for this cutting-edge design. The president is pushing energy-saving goals for the future with his executive order requiring that all new federal buildings achieve net-zero by 2030. This building points the way.” Conventional buildings in the U.S. use 39 percent of our energy and account for roughly 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The transit center, which had a construction budget of $12.8 million at the time Gov. Patrick broke ground for the project in April 2009, came in at $10.4 million, according to Charles Rose Architects. The building will produce the energy it uses in a sustainable way: through solar and geothermal sources, and a boiler on site fueled by wood pellets, a lumber-industry byproduct. Key features:

22 geothermal wells and 7,300-square-foot photovoltaic array
Hub for bus and other transit services
Government offices occupy top floor: home to the Franklin Regional Transit Authority and Franklin Regional Council of Governments

Based in Somerville, Charles Rose Architects is a national firm that specializes in educational, cultural, government and residential buildings. Projects under way include a zero-net-energy-capable federal office building at the Pease International Tradeport in Portsmouth, N.H. The 60,000-square-foot office is a commission under the “Design Excellence Program” of the U.S. General Services Administration, which selects the nation’s leading architects to do creative federal building designs.

PRESS CONTACT

Whitney Hudson
project architect
Charles Rose Architects
(617)628-5033
whudson@charlesrosearchitects.com

Dedication

Friday, May 4, at 10 a.m.
12 Olive Street
Greenfield, MA

Tours

11 a.m. to noon

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Obvious Originality

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:02:29 +0000

The pellet industry is not lacking in creativity, evidenced by a number of novel project strategies

By Luke Geiver | April 05, 2012

The Windsor Village Elderly Housing facility in Windsor, Vt., occupies what used to be the state’s oldest prison, and had all of the old basement jail cells intact until recently. With the installation of a biomass boiler, a few changes had to be made.
The housing facility allowed its tenants to use the basement cells as secure storage units, but now the converted building, dating back to 1808, is almost jail cell-free. “We commandeered two groups of five (cells),” David Frank, co-founder of Vermont-based biomass project integrator and developer SunWood Biomass, says of his team’s work in transforming the historic building. He and his workers knocked down the walls between the cells with a jack hammer to create a long trough that would eventually feature a V-bottom interior storage design for wood pellets.

The benefits of wood ash in the garden

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:55:41 +0000

By Barbara Damrosch
For www.washingtonpost.com
Published: March 28

If you have a wood stove or a fireplace, one of spring’s rituals is shoveling out the ashes. And if you’re in tune with the philosophy of recycling plant residues back into the natural cycle of soil fertility, you’ll want a better destination for those ashes than the trash bag.Unlike the decomposed remains of leaves, stems and other green plant parts, burned wood doesn’t contain nitrogen. But it does provide phosphorous, potassium, calcium, boron and other elements that growing plants need. It’s also very alkaline and useful for raising the pH in gardens. You’ll need about twice as much of it as lime, but it will supply nutrients at the same time, and if you’re a wood-burner it’s free.

Industry experts discuss perfect storm of wood pellet growth

admin — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:03:35 +0000

William Strauss, founder of Maine Energy Systems and president and CEO of FutureMetrics, demonstrated the operation of a fuel calculator to the crowd at the Northeast Biomass Heating Expo in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., March 21-23. His team developed the tool to illustrate the cost savings that come along with installing and using a wood pellet boiler.

Strauss used the calculator to explain that with a long-term, low-interest loan, a wood pellet boiler can be close to free. And that’s what MES wants for its customers. “We have a great argument that [installing a wood pellet boiler] will cut your heating costs in half,” he said. “But the hurdle is the initial capital costs.”

Laura Richardson, coordinator for the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, detailed a program that helped homeowners deal with those initial capital costs. The rebate program provides 30 percent of the system and labor costs associated with purchasing and installing a new boiler for the end user, and assisted with 67 boiler installations in one year. “”We are stuck in New Hampshire with fuel costs,” she said. “We see the possibility for the bulk pellet industry to take off in New Hampshire. It is a perfect storm.”

Biomass Commodities Corporation and Trumbull-Nelson Construction Company Completing Wood Pellet Heating System at Lebanon Middle School

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 11:25:42 +0000

Biomass Commodities Corporation and Trumbull-Nelson Construction are completing the installation of two wood pellet boilers at a new middle school in Lebanon, New Hampshire

Lebanon, NH (PRWEB) March 22, 2012 – - Biomass Commodities Corporation and Trumbull-Nelson Construction are completing the installation of two wood pellet boilers at a new middle school in Lebanon, New Hampshire. School Administrative Unit (SAU) #88 designed the new Lebanon Middle School to include the two wood pellet fired boilers to heat the entire 100,000 square foot building. The two wood pellet boilers provide all of the heat for the new building. A solar array will produce hot water during shoulder and summer seasons. Due to this innovative design and the inclusion of renewable energy systems, the new building will burn zero fossil fuels. A Northeast CHPS rating as a high performance school is anticipated.

“Several innovative design features were used for this municipal wood pellet boiler installation,” said Charlie Agnew of Biomass Commodities Corporation. “The biomass heating innovations include a staged smart control system with remote interconnectivity, an automated ash handling system, pneumatic self-cleaning boiler tubes, and an ultra-sonic silo level detection device.”

“Achieving a Northeast CHPS rating is a big deal for the school district,” said Steven Usle, Director of Sales and Marketing for Trumbull Construction. “Northeast CHPS encourages school districts to build schools that provide premium educational environments and other important health, productivity, and economic benefits. The new Lebanon Middle School will conserve natural resources and consume less energy. Once the school is certified, SAU #88 can qualify for up to 3% additional State Building Aid reimbursement for the project.”

About Biomass Commodities Corporation
Biomass Commodities (BCC) is a renewable energy company that offers a complete solution for wood pellet heating. BCC is a value added distributor and installer of modern wood pellet fired heating systems that provide simple, safe and efficient building heat. BCC provides pellet boiler installations and services throughout the Northeastern United States. Common applications are in centralized heating plants, buildings 10,000 sq ft or more including schools, manufacturing facilities, assisted living complexes, hospitals and residences. Visit http://www.biomasscommodities.com for more information.

About Trumbull-Nelson Construction Company, Inc.
Founded in 1917, Trumbull-Nelson Construction Company, Inc., has been serving northern New England clients for the past 95 years. Our company has grown from its beginnings as a builder of fine homes in the Hanover area to become the Upper Valley’s largest General Contractor, specializing in all types of institutional, commercial, industrial, and residential construction. Through the time-honored approach of delivering personal and professional service with integrity, we have become one of northern New England’s most respected construction firms. Visit http://www.t-n.com for more information.

See entire press release here.

Federal, State Officials to Join Biomass Boiler Ribbon-cuttings at Gardiner, Waterville High School

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:46:34 +0000

March 13, 2012
Conservation

Tom Wood, (207) 287-3920
Jeanne Curran, (207) 287-3156

AUGUSTA, Maine – Federal and Maine state officials will join local city and school officials this week to celebrate the completion of two energy projects designed to save Maine taxpayer money and create jobs.

Officials with the Maine congressional delegation, U.S. Forest Service, Maine Department of Conservation (MDOC), Maine Forest Service (MFS), under MDOC, and Maine Office of Energy Independence and Security (OEIS) will take part in two ribbon-cuttings on Wednesday to mark the completion of the installation of biomass pellet boilers at the city of Gardiner and Waterville High School.

The two projects, funded both locally and with federal monies from the Maine Forest Service’s “Wood-to-Energy Public Building Program,” are expected to save the two communities more than $105,000 a year in heating oil costs and create more than 23 jobs in Maine. The projects, which will use Maine manufactured pellets, also support the state’s $4.3 billion forest-products industry.

“We are very pleased that both the city of Gardiner, which is the first Maine municipality to install a modular wood pellet boiler system, and Waterville High School had the foresight to make such significant infrastructure investments,” MDOC Commissioner Bill Beardsley said. “Local officials not only are supporting their own residents and taxpayers, but they also are making an important contribution to Maine’s forest-product industry and our energy independence.”

10 Reasons to Use Wood Pellet Boilers

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:42:32 +0000

If you’re looking to save money on your heating bill, and want to do your bit for the environment by reducing your carbon footprint, and reducing your consumption of fossil fuels, then you’ll want to know more about wood pellet boilers.

Here’s what you need to know.

Can replace fossil fuel boilers
Wood pellet boilers can replace oil and LPG boilers for people that are off the grid in rural areas. In addition, if you’re using a gas central heating system, then you could still save money and the environment by fitting a wood pellet boiler.
Fully automatic control
Modern pellet boilers are fully automatic and extremely easy to use. You’ll have the same sort of control and flexibility of a traditional combi boiler, but your new boiler will be much more economical to run.
Automatic ignition and cleaning
Many models of wood pellet boiler feature an automatic ignition, and self cleaning system, which means that you don’t have to don’t have to do much at all in order to keep your home supplied with heat and hot water.
Less bulky fuel than logs or wood chips
Wood pellets are much smaller than logs or wood chips and so are easy to store and move around. In addition, as these pellets are manufactured, the quality can be maintained and guaranteed, so that you know you’ll always be able to get the best premium pellets to provide your heat and hot water.
Domestic installations
You can use these boilers for domestic and commercial heating, so no matter whether you need to save money, or want to do your bit for the environment at home, there is a wood pellet boiler for you.
Highly efficient
With many pellet boilers providing well over 90% efficiency, you’ll get much more heat from your pellets, than from other sources of heating such as gas or oil. Your old combi boiler could be as little as 60% efficient, and so you might be spending more money on your heating than you need to.
Commercial insulations
As well as suitable for domestic installations, wood pellet boilers can be used by those who generate a lot of heat and hot water. Hotels, sports clubs, leisure centres, care homes, gyms, hospitals, pubs and many more types of business can benefit from lower energy costs by using one of these boilers.
Low running costs
Wood pellets are likely to be cheaper than your current fuel, especially if you’re using oil for your heating. Long term fixed price contracts are available from some pellet suppliers, so you’ll be able to accurately budget for your heating costs, years in advance.
Long life
Thanks to the fantastic build quality and attention to detail, your new boiler will last you for many years. By following the manufacturer’s cleaning and servicing schedule, you will be able to rely on your boiler to provide you with the heat and hot water you need for your family or your customers.
Value for money
Wood pellet boilers offer incredible value for money, and when the government funded RHI (Renewable Heating Incentive), which pays a quarterly amount to those using renewable heating, making these boilers an even more attractive proposition.

If you’re convinced that a wood pellet boiler is for your, why not see which one will help you to reducing your heating costs and lower your carbon footprint?

Matthew James is the Ecommerce Manager for Tundra Boilers, suppliers and installers of Log Burning Boilers and Wood Pellet Boilers. You’ll also find all you need to know about the RHI too. Find out more at TundraBoilers.co.uk today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_C_James

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6925743

HOUSING SECRETARY AGREES TO SENATOR COLLINS’ REQUEST TO UPDATE FEDERAL REGULATIONS REGARDING WOOD PELLET BOILERS

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:49:34 +0000

New guidelines classify wood pellet boilers as acceptable primary heating sources

March 1, 2012

Washington, D.C. – Under questioning today by Senator Susan Collins, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shawn Donovan agreed to update federal guidelines to classify wood pellet boilers as an “acceptable” primary heating source for the purpose of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) financing.

Until now, HUD has not considered a wood pellet boiler system as a conventional, primary heating source. This has made it difficult for homeowners to receive FHA financing, and it has discouraged homeowners from considering alternatives to heating systems that rely on fossil fuels.

Rebates help citizens install wood pellet boilers

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:48:03 +0000

March 5, 2012

Heating oil is more popular for warming homes in New England than in any other part of the country, but this winter has given many homeowners a reason to reconsider the traditional choice of fuels.

With oil prices at a long-term high and federal heating aid slashed to a shadow of last year’s offering, needy residents across the region are shopping for new fuels for their heating equipment, according to New Hampshire Public Radio.

State rebates have helped to cut the cost of wood pellet heating for both stoves and boilers. Peter Canning of Berlin, New Hampshire was able to afford a wood-pellet boiler in his home when he joined the state’s Model Neighborhood Project and received a $13,000 write-off for his Austrian-made $18,000 boiler.

Gardiner Replaces Oil Boilers with Wood Pellet Boilers–Open House 3/14/12

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:46:32 +0000

GARDINER, ME—For the second time in as many years, the City of Gardiner, Maine has chosen locally-produced wood pellets to heat its municipal buildings. Gardiner will host an open house on March 14, 2012 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM at Gardiner City Hall, 6 Church Street, in Gardiner’s historic downtown. The public is invited to attend and help celebrate Gardiner’s continued success with renewable energy, enjoy light refreshments, see the new boiler installation first-hand, and learn about the benefits of heating with a local and sustainable fuel.