Biomass Energy
Shift Energy provide turnkey Design Build of biomass facilities for commercial, industrial and municipal clients who wish to take advantage of wood as a fuel source. We have a depth of knowledge and experience with both wood chip and wood pellet boiler systems and can handle ever step of the process for you. Financing options are also available if capital is not available.
Heating With Wood...
There are a lot of wonderful possibilites that come with wood as a fuel source. Particularly in the New England region where fuel supply is plentiful and the downturn in pulp and papermill demands have given both opportunity and need to develop an energy supply that feeds from already active and sustainably harvested wood lots in addition to supporting a local industry.
The Downside:
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's put a few contentious points on the table about Biomass.
1) Burning both wood chips and pellets does emit more carbon per unit of energy than oil, natural gas and propane.
2) Emmissions of commercial biomass facilities remain well below EPA ratings and continue to drop.
These are two important factors that cause many people to remain against the use of biomass as a means of heating for commercial or residential facilities.
The Benefits:
We have found that during most analysis of "emmissions", there is often one important "ommission"... Embodied or Life Cycle Energy. In laymans terms - "How much carbon and energy does it take to generate and deliver this fuel for the customer? The answer when compared with conventional fossil fuels is mind boggling. Even if your fuel oil is coming from Canada, the carbon and energy required for transportation and mining is well beyond what biomass fuels consumes. Better yet, in a few years from now if you visit the location of where your pound of biomass fuel was originated, it will be filled with vegetation, wildlife and yes more biomass fuel.
Biomass energy is not an intelligent option for everyone. However it does remain an extremely attractive way for manufacturing, educational institutions and municipal buildings to reduce their energy costs while directly helping their local economy in more ways than one.
Other benefits?
- It does cost much less as a fuel source, sometimes half the cost when using wood chips.
- Pricing tends to remain more stable over time compared with fossil fuels.
- It's local and made in the USA.
- The leading technology manufacturers are USA based.
The Downside:
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's put a few contentious points on the table about Biomass.
1) Burning both wood chips and pellets does emit more carbon per unit of energy than oil, natural gas and propane.
2) Emmissions of commercial biomass facilities remain well below EPA ratings and continue to drop.
These are two important factors that cause many people to remain against the use of biomass as a means of heating for commercial or residential facilities.
The Benefits:
We have found that during most analysis of "emmissions", there is often one important "ommission"... Embodied or Life Cycle Energy. In laymans terms - "How much carbon and energy does it take to generate and deliver this fuel for the customer? The answer when compared with conventional fossil fuels is mind boggling. Even if your fuel oil is coming from Canada, the carbon and energy required for transportation and mining is well beyond what biomass fuels consumes. Better yet, in a few years from now if you visit the location of where your pound of biomass fuel was originated, it will be filled with vegetation, wildlife and yes more biomass fuel.
Biomass energy is not an intelligent option for everyone. However it does remain an extremely attractive way for manufacturing, educational institutions and municipal buildings to reduce their energy costs while directly helping their local economy in more ways than one.
Other benefits?
- It does cost much less as a fuel source, sometimes half the cost when using wood chips.
- Pricing tends to remain more stable over time compared with fossil fuels.
- It's local and made in the USA.
- The leading technology manufacturers are USA based.
Case Study: Wood Chip Boiler, Falmouth Maine
Project Scope: Project Management Services
Boiler Size - 7MMBtu Boiler
Application - Hydronic space heat for High School & Elementary Campus
Heating Square Footage - 140,000sf (HS) & 140,000 (Elem)
Estimated Wood Chip Use - 1,300 to 1,500 tons annually
Estimated Fuel Savings - Half fuel cost compared with #2 fuel oil
Boiler Manufacturer - Messersmith Manufacturing, Michigan USA
General Contractor - Horne Construction, Inc - Rochester NH
Project Completed - Spring 2010
Boiler Size - 7MMBtu Boiler
Application - Hydronic space heat for High School & Elementary Campus
Heating Square Footage - 140,000sf (HS) & 140,000 (Elem)
Estimated Wood Chip Use - 1,300 to 1,500 tons annually
Estimated Fuel Savings - Half fuel cost compared with #2 fuel oil
Boiler Manufacturer - Messersmith Manufacturing, Michigan USA
General Contractor - Horne Construction, Inc - Rochester NH
Project Completed - Spring 2010