Wood-Chip Heating Systems - Biomass Energy Resource Center

engineering fi rms that specialize in energy studies.
In-state professional engineers who specialize
in energy studies of schools and hospitals can be
identifi ed with the assistance of your state’s energy
offi ce (see the state-by-state listings in Appendix B).
Your state’s NRBP contact may be able give you names
of consultants or engineers who specialize in woodchip
installations. The NRBP contact may also know
of energy service companies that include feasibility
studies of biomass heating plants in their scope of
services. An energy service company (ESCO) may be
interested in providing a full range of services — doing
the study, providing third-party fi nancing, and doing
the engineering and project management.
The entity or individual that does your feasibility
study does not need to have prior experience with
wood-chip systems, although such experience is
desirable. For an analyst who does not have prior
biomass experience, here are some key pieces of
information that must be developed from reliable and
knowledgeable sources:
• local availability of biomass fuel, fuel type (including
moisture and Btu content), and cost;
• a conservative but realistic number for wood system
seasonal effi ciency;
• an idea of the level of biomass system automation
and sophistication of controls appropriate for the
facility;
• an estimated cost for a complete biomass installation,
including any building construction (the chip
system budget should be based on estimates from
more than one system supplier); and
• Realistic assumptions about maintenance costs for
the wood system and for competing systems that
Emory E. Hebard State Offi ce
Building, Newport, Vermont
System Size: 2.5 MMBH
Manufacturer: Messersmith
Manufacturing
The wood system was installed
during the construction of
this new state offi ce building.
The fuel storage bin is in
the basement, with chips
delivered to sliding doors that
are architecturally integrated
into the exterior design of
front of the building.
burn conventional fuels.
Before you hire an analyst who lacks previous
knowledge of biomass systems, you should discuss
with him or her the process proposed for gathering the
necessary information. It is important that the relative
treatment of biomass and conventional fuels not be
biased by the analyst’s knowledge base or predisposition.
Technical Information on Wood-Chip
Systems
At some point in the development of any woodchip
installation, someone representing the owner
needs to become knowledgeable about biomass
systems in general and about the specifi c choices that
are available. For a small commercial or agricultural
facility, the business owner is often the appropriate
person to do this. For a school, it might be one or more
school board or facility committee members, the head
of maintenance, the principal, the business manager,
or an interested person from the community. For a
hospital or a government facility, it might be a staff
engineer or a technical resource person from within
state government.
Unless the owner hires a professional engineer
or consultant who specializes in wood-chip energy
projects, the owner’s representative will need to
fi nd reliable sources for the necessary technical
information. This guide is intended to provide a generic
technical base of information on biomass systems and
associated issues. The information in this book can
be augmented by phone interviews with other similar
facilities that burn biomass, and by site visits to see
systems in operation and to talk to both owners and
operators. Your NRBP contact or state forester should
WOOD CHIP HEATING SYSTEMS
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