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Energy

Biomass at your school - Go the Extra Mile

Are you interested in using biomass in your school? If you want to know all the details behind the different kinds of biomass energy, then read our Upload Knowledge-Biomass section. In short, biomass can take many forms, including: biopower which produces electricity, biofuels such as ethanol, and bioproducts, which are replacements for petroleum-based plastic products. Many different plant and waste materials can be used as biomass resources.

Options for your school!
Applicable biomass systems for your school will most likely focus on just the production of heat through a biomass furnace, rather than the production of electricity. However, new combined heat and power systems that run on biomass are being developed and may become increasingly popular. Lastly, although they are rarely used for schools, modular biomass systems are ones that primarily produce electricity, but are usually operated on a community-sized scale, requiring more role players than just your school.

HEAT SYSTEMS--Biomass furnaces or pellet stoves

Two most common types:

Forced-air retrofitted systems that go in old buildings,

Hydronic circulating water systems that go in new buildings

Using these common resources:

Wood pellets

Corn Pellets

Regular firewood (which may prove to be another economically beneficial

option, but is not as efficient or as clean burning as pellets).

COMBINED HEAT & POWER SYSTEMS--CHP

Combined heat and power (CHP) is a way to generate power and thermal energy from the same fuel source. Central wood heating systems are one type of CHP system that provides for large school campuses or for an entire portion of the community.

MODULAR SYSTEMS

Modular systems can be CHP systems or just electricity producing systems. They are designed to service a small area, such as a portion of the community or a large building using a variety of technologies, such as direct-firing, co-firing, or gasifying.

~Pros

Biomass heating systems can be retrofitted to forced air systems that are already in place.
The price of heat can be less with pellet heating systems than fossil fuels if you have a local supplier of wood or corn resources. In fact, Energy Priorities Magazine reports that it’s 20 percent less than natural gas and 55% less than electric.
Biomass can be a local renewable resource in many parts of the country compared to the select regions where oil and natural gas are drilled for.
Biomass heating is being used in a growing number of schools.
Woodchip prices have been increasing less than one percent per year over the last 20 years compared to much higher increases in many other fuels.
Modern biomass systems that use pellets are cleaner-burning than wood stoves.
Overall, the production and use of biomass for heat emits less greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels if the biomass is grown locally.

~Cons

In warmer regions where a gas or electric heater can turn off during the day, a biomass furnace filled with pellets has to keep burning, which can lead to heat waste. This isn’t as much of an issue in colder regions.
Tending to biomass boilers requires a little extra work than tending to an electric or gas system if you don’t buy a self-cleaning system.
It’s usually the least clean and environmentally-friendly of the renewables (solar, wind, or geothermal) because it does produce some air pollution, and especially because of the energy use and emissions related to production and shipment. For example, the wood or corn has to be grown, often with the use of oil and some resulting land degradation. Moreover, sometimes it has to be shipped a great distance from where it’s grown to where it’s used, which adds to air pollution from transportation vehicles.

Is Biomass feasible for your school?
If you live in one of these five western states or Vermont, these programs can use their expertise to help you determine feasibility.

If you have to determine feasibility on your own, start by simply finding out if there are any local resources you could purchase to burn, if it’s a reliable supply, and if the cost of that fuel is competitive. The US Department of Energy publishes an Excel heating fuel comparison calculator so you can check general prices, but keep in mind that local prices will certainly be more exact. In addition to prices, you’ll also want to research how much energy each type of biomass can produce. The Average Heat Content of Selected Biomass Fuels from the Energy Information Administration can help you with this.

Secondly, you need to consider how much it would cost to retrofit your furnace system or replace it by contacting local contractors. While doing this, consider energy performance contractors, certified ESCOS. You’ll have to estimate the payback period for installing such a system.

EPA’s Combined Heat/Power Tool Calculator helps you decide if your school is a good candidate for CHP technology.

Sweet Success at other schools!
Read about how the South Routt School District in Colorado is replacing their coal-fired boilers with a new biomass heating system which uses wood pellets from nearby suppliers.

Another school in Idaho is also replacing their old boiler system with a biomass heating system that uses wood chips. Their project is heavily funded by the successful U.S. Forest Service’s Fuels for Schools Program.

Ready to dive into a project?
The Fuels for Schools Program led by the U.S. Forest Service provides grant funding and technical assistance for schools to convert to biomass heat in the following states: Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Western Wyoming, and North Dakota.

The Biomass Energy Resource Center’s Vermont Fuels for Schools Initiative provides Vermont schools with the information and support they need to adopt a biomass heating system, including direct assistance with conducting a feasibility study. They have the expertise to help you analyze your options whether you’re considering automated biomass heating systems, semi-automated biomass heating systems, or even central wood heating systems for large school campuses.

For schools in other states, The Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy and Sustainable Living offers key points for buyers and links that explain many different terms you may come across while exploring biomass as an option.

If replacing your heating system also involves a renovation, check out The American Institute of Architects for help finding a green architect.

Where can we find funding?
For any type of biomass project you’re considering, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency provides information on grants and financial assistance that may be available to you.

If you’re specifically interested in a Combined Heat & Power System, the EPA's CHP Partnership provides regularly updated lists of state and federal incentives applicable to CHP.