Biomass Heating A practical guide for potential users with emphasis on the Southern Tier of New York State

2014

Xuejiao (Snow) Yang, MEng, Cornell University, Albert R. George, Faculty Advisor, and Kenneth Schlather, External Advisor May 2013 Revision, Albert George, 1/26/2014

As fuel prices increase, the fuel costs of individuals and business owners also increase.

The goal of this project is to study the potential substitution of expensive fossil fuel

with biomass resources and to conduct a feasibility study of using biomass as a primary

heating fuel to serve the areas that are not served by natural gas in the Southern Tier

region of New York State. This report examines different types of biomass fuels,

outlines the areas in Southern Tier region that do not have natural gas pipelines running

through them. The report examines different biomass conversion technologies (direct

combustion, gasification, combined heat and power), provides fuel cost comparisons,

and determines regional economic impact in term of fuel costs savings, job creation,

and greenhouse gas emissions. It also studies the government incentives for utilizing

biomass resources. The end result of this project is an interactive, user-friendly

spreadsheet which allows the individuals and communities to see the savings from

using biomass in terms of individual and regional cost savings as well as job creation

and carbon dioxide reduction. It is shown that biomass could become an important

substitute for heating oil, kerosene and propane because of its low cost per million Btu,

its zero net carbon dioxide emission into the environment, and its job creation.

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Executive Summary

As fuel prices and concern for the environment rise, many individuals and business entities are

looking to alternative energies to lower their costs and to be more environmentally friendly. The

main goal of this one-year project was to investigate the potential feasibility of substituting fossil

fuel heating with biomass energy resources in the Southern Tier region of New York State,

especially in the areas that are not served by natural gas. However, most of the results can easily

be applied to any individual building or region.

The study starts off by providing an introduction to different biomass fuel resources and benefits

of using biomass. The report then provides a detailed study of woody biomass which includes

wood pellets and wood chips, and their supply chains. The report also provides a comparison

between choosing wood chips, wood pellets, and grass pellets to assist the selection of biomass

fuel. A comparison between the dollars per million Btu for the commonly used fuels in the

Southern Tier region is also included in the report. Moreover, the report also includes results on

the greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) from burning various

fuels as well as some information on local job creation.

In addition to biomass fuel and emissions, the study involved researching biomass conversion

technologies, which range from wood furnace to boilers and gasifiers. The technology readiness

level (TRL), capital cost, operation and maintenance cost for each biomass conversion

technology are also discussed in the report. Furthermore, the report provides a flowchart that

helps users to select the most suitable biomass combustion system for their application.

The end product of this project is an interactive Excel spreadsheet that allows residents, business

entities, and communities in Southern Tier region and elsewhere to see the potential economic

benefits, greenhouse gas reduction, and local job creation with the substitution of biomass energy

as a fuel source for heating and power. A detailed explanation on how to use the spreadsheet is

also provided in the report.

Lastly, the report includes several case studies on several biomass projects that have been

successfully installed in New York. They are the BioMax100 at Morrisville State College, an

ACT bioenergy boiler at Cayuga Nature Center, a Hurst biomass boiler at Wagner Lumber and

lastly a grass pellet stove at the Big Red Barn of Cornell University.

©2014 A .R. George, Cornell University. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-

NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900,

Mountain View, California, 94041, USA

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Acknowledgements Many people helped to provide information and data. A special recognition goes to those that provide

valuable resources, contacts and technical support for this project:

Professor Albert R. George – J.F. Carr Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical & Aerospace

Engineering and Systems Engineering, Cornell University

Kenneth Schlather – Executive Director of Cornell Cooperate Extension, Tompkins County

Elizabeth Keokosky – Energy Advocate of Danby Land Bank Cooperative

Leslie Schill – Tompkins County Planning Department

Katie Borgella– Tompkins County Planning Department

Professor Jerry H. Cherney – E.V Baker Professor of Agriculture, Department of Corp & Soil Sciences,

Cornell University

Professor Benjamin D. Ballard – Director of Renewable Energy Training Center; Assistant Professor of

Renewable Energy, Morrisville State College

Mark Ranalli – Community Power Corporation

David L. Kay – Senior Extension Associate of the Community and Rural Development Institute,

Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University

Kevin Pudney (Plant manager), Don Goodrich - Wagner Lumber

Kevin B. Lanigan, Head of Maintenance, Cayuga Nature Center

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Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 1

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 5

Project Goals Statement ................................................................................................................................ 6

About the Southern Tier Region ................................................................................................................... 7

Biomass Resources ....................................................................................................................................... 7

What is biomass? ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Types of biomass resources ...................................................................................................................... 7

Benefits of biomass ................................................................................................................................... 8

Biomass fuels and supply chains ............................................................................................................... 9

Wood pellets’ properties .................................................................................................................... 10

Wood chips ......................................................................................................................................... 11

Fuel selection – wood pellets or wood chips? .................................................................................... 11

Wood vs. grass pellets ............................................................................................................................. 12

Wood logs ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Natural gas pipelines ................................................................................................................................... 13

Energy Consumption .................................................................................................................................. 14

Residential energy consumption ............................................................................................................ 14

Residential Fuel Prices ............................................................................................................................ 15

Other industrial energy consumption ..................................................................................................... 17

Biomass Conversion Technology ............................................................................................................... 18

Rankine Cycle .......................................................................................................................................... 18

Boiler ....................................................................................................................................................... 19

Stoker boilers ...................................................................................................................................... 20

Fluidized bed boiler ............................................................................................................................. 20

Residential Wood Burning Outdoor Wood Boiler ............................................................................... 21

Combined heat and power ..................................................................................................................... 24

Furnaces and stoves ................................................................................................................................ 24

Homemade wood stoves .................................................................................................................... 25

Why advanced stoves are worth the extra cost?................................................................................ 26

Gasification ............................................................................................................................................. 27

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Gasifiers characteristic ........................................................................................................................ 28

Heating system selection ........................................................................................................................ 31

Technology Readiness Level (TRL) ........................................................................................................... 33

Job creation ................................................................................................................................................. 34

Incentives and economic benefits ............................................................................................................... 35

European Incentives Examples ............................................................................................................... 36

United States Federal Tax incentives ...................................................................................................... 38

New York State programs ....................................................................................................................... 38

Spreadsheet ................................................................................................................................................. 39

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 45

Appendix A: Biomass projects in New York State ..................................................................................... 47

Project profile 1: Biomax100 at Morrisville State College, Morrisville, NY ............................................ 47

Project profile 2: ACT Bioenergy boiler at Cayuga Nature Center, Ithaca, NY ........................................ 49

Project profile 3: Hurst Biomass Boiler at Wagner Lumber, Cayuta, NY ................................................ 50

Project profile 4: Grass Pellet Stove @ Big Red Barn, Cornell University ............................................... 51

Appendix B: Technology Readiness Level descriptions ............................................................................ 53

Appendix C: List of NYS Certified Outdoor Wood Boilers Models .......................................................... 56

Appendix D: More resources on biomass ................................................................................................... 58

Appendix E: Works Cited ........................................................................................................................... 59

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Introduction

Many heating fuel bills have been increasing dramatically over the past few years due to the

increases in prices of many fossil fuels. The upward price trend of fossil fuels not only affects

individuals or homeowners, but also it impacts sectors such as commercial, industrial,

greenhouse, educational institutions, etc., especially when the users are not located on natural gas

pipelines.

Biomass energy can provide a partial solution not only to this challenging problem but it also can

reduce the net emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The abundant biomass

resources including wood chips, wood pellets, and grass pellets in the Southern Tier region of

New York State could provide a cheap renewable energy resource. Wood pellets and wood chips

have substantially higher fuel heat content per dollar compared to many fossil fuels. Although

wood pellets are priced at $200-$250 per ton (depending on the pellet manufacturer), the high

fuel heat content range, from 15-17 million Btu per ton (depending on the moisture content and

type of wood), makes biomass affordable at the average price of $18.94 per million Btu. Propane

sells for around $2.40 per gallon but has significantly lower fuel heat content per dollar. Thus, if

converted to dollars per million Btu, propane is priced around $33.55 per million Btu. Using

same calculation method, heating oil is priced around $37 per million Btu. This shows that

biomass is a very cost competitive energy resource. As a result, biomass energy resources have

the potential to substitute for expensive fossil fuels such as propane or oil.

In addition to its competitive prices, biomass is carbon neutral and it supports the local economy

by creating local green jobs and businesses. The green jobs could range from growing and

harvesting plants, to manufacturing pellets, or operating biomass facilities, etc.

“Technology Readiness level” (TRL) is a measure used to assess the maturity of evolving

technology during its development and in its operations1. There are a total of 9 levels associated

with TRL. The higher the TRL, the more mature the technology is. The detailed description of

each TRL level can be found in Appendix B. In this report the TRL’s of biomass utilization

technologies are estimated. It is seen that many technologies are useful for widespread use.

The common ways to utilize biomass energy are through combustion and gasification.

Residential scale biomass systems use a boiler or furnace to burn the pellets to produce heat

(typically 38,000 Btu - 68,000 Btu)2. The cost of a facility is approximately $2,400-$8,000 and

requires labor for loading pellets daily, minor cleaning a few times a week, and maintenance

twice per year. The TRL for a small biomass furnace or boiler is very high (Level 7 or 8)

however more research needs to be done to increase their robustness for some fuels that contain

1 (Technology Readiness Level)

2 (Pellet Stoves)

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corrosive elements (such as chlorine in grass pellets). Large scale biomass distributed generation

may use combustion or gasification to produce heat and electricity. The cost of the facilities is

roughly $450,000 to millions of dollars, depending on facility size. Usually larger scale facilities

have automated feedstock loading systems with a few staff handling daily operations and only

yearly or twice-yearly maintenance work. Some of the larger facilities only produce heat, some

produce electricity, and some use combined heat and power (CHP) which uses waste heat

recovery technology to supply process or space heating. This captures a significant proportion of

the energy in the waste heat after the electricity generation which increases the overall efficiency

of a system from about 50% to about 75%3.

All of these heating and energy technologies have different levels of development, some are very

established and reliable such as natural gas furnaces, other are still in development, such as

biomass gasification with combined heat and power. This results in different reliabilities and

maintenance requirements which will be discussed in various sections below.

Project Goals Statement

The goals of this project are to create a framework that individuals, business owners,

communities or anyone with sensitivity to fuel price or emissions can use to learn about biomass

use possibilities. In addition it supplies information and tools to determine the feasibility of

biomass energy resources as fuel for generating heat and power and to develop cost-effective

projects that use local biomass resources efficiently. In other words, this project also provides a

practical guide for users who are interested in using biomass as feedstock for home and

businesses heating and possibly electricity generation.

This project developed an interactive Excel spreadsheet and supporting documents that aid in the

identification of areas for dollar savings from using biomass energy resources, job creation in the

region, emissions reductions, and appropriate technologies to produce a promising opportunity

for biomass utilization.

3 (Method for Calculating Efficiency, 2013)

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About the Southern Tier Region The Southern Tier region is located near the Pennsylvania border of New York State. It contains

a total of eight counties: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and

Tompkins counties. The Southern Tier has abundant natural resources to house a booming

tourism industry and several prominent educational institutions, for example, Cornell University

and Binghamton University, which provide well-educated workforces. In addition, the region

boasts some large engineering and industrial manufacturing companies such as Corning,

Lockheed Martin, etc. 4

Biomass Resources

What is biomass?

Biomass is a renewable resource usually based on wood and other plant materials that can be

used as a fuel for producing electricity and heat. Biomass for heating can be used in small scale

units for individual houses, in commercial buildings, in district heating and in industry. The

present small U.S. biomass industry is estimated to support more than 15,500 jobs, with many of

those jobs based in rural areas5.

Types of biomass resources Biomass feedstock or energy sources are any organic matter available on a renewable basis for

conversion to energy. There are a large number of different sources of biomass. Each of these

can be used to produce fuel. However not all forms are suitable for all the different types of

energy conversion technologies. The main basic sources of biomass resources are6’7.

Grains and starch crops - corn, wheat, etc.

Agricultural residues – wheat straw, corn Stover, etc.

Food waste – waste produce, food processing waste, etc.

Forestry materials – logging residues, forest thinnings, sawdust, wood chips, wood pellets,

etc.

Animal byproducts – fish oil, manure, etc.

Energy crops – switchgrass, willow, wheat, etc.

Urban and suburban wastes – municipal solid wastes, lawn wastes, etc.

4 (Inside Southern Tier)

5 (About Biomass - Biomass Power is the Natural Solution)

6 (Types of Biomass Fule)

7 (Biomass Feedstocks)

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Benefits of biomass8

Renewable source of energy

Widely available sources of energy

Reduces the dependence

on imported oil

Supports local economy,

creates local green jobs

Ideal for areas without

access to natural gas

pipelines (will be

discussed in later

sections)

Relatively inexpensive

compared to other fossil

fuels (as discussed in

later sections)

Steady, reliable and

dependable, is not

affected by day to day

changes in weather or

environmental conditions

Emits zero net carbon dioxide (exclusive of extraction and transportation of fuels) – The

amount of carbon dioxide emitted during combustion is equivalent to the amount

absorbed by trees or plants during photosynthesis. In other words, biomass is considered

carbon neutral because it recycles carbon in the atmosphere9.

Table 1: Comparison of emission produced by different fuels

Fuel Type

Emission Gas (kg/MMBtu)10

CH4 (CO2

equivalent)11

CO2 N2O

12 (CO2 equivalent)

Heating Oil 0.075 73.96 0.1788

Natural Gas 0.025 53.02 0.0298

Propane 0.075 61.46 0.1788

Wood 0.8 0 1.2516

Kerosene 0.075 75.2 0.1788

8 (Biomass Energy and its Benefits)

9 (Mahajam & Shah, 2006)

10 (ghg Calculator Fuel Combust)

11 Carbon dioxide equivalent is used to reflect the time-integrated greenhouse effects of emission into the

atmosphere. For methane over 100 years, the emission of 1 million metric tons of methane and nitrous oxide respectively is equivalent to emission of 25 and 298 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (Carbon dioxide equivalent). Note: The hidden costs of energy, including public health costs, are not within the scope of this project. For more information on those costs, please visit The National Academies Press (Hidden costs of energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use, 2010). 12

The health effects of methane and nitrous oxide are not in the scope of the project. The health effects of nitrous oxide can be found at (Akram). The health effects of methane can be found at (Methane, 2012)

Figure 1: Availability of Woody Biomass Worldwide (O'Carroll, 2012)

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Biomass fuels and supply chains The biomass energy sources this project focuses on are wood chips, wood pellets and grass

pellets which are the most common type of biomass resources available on the market.

Wood Pellets Sources:http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/business_impact/2008/

09/large_pellets.jpg

Wood Chips Sources: http://sequoiascape.com/wp-

content/uploads/2012/05/Wood-Chip.jpg

Biomass energy is produced by combustion (burning) or gasification. Biomass may be burned to

produce hot water or steam in a boiler or hot air in a furnace for distribution throughout

building(s). The amount of energy generated from woody biomass depends primarily on type of

woods or plants, heat output, moisture content, ash content, and efficiency of the equipment.

The amount of thermal energy produced by biomass is measured in British thermal unit (Btu) or

million Btu (MMBtu). Premium wood pellets produce around 8000-8400 Btu for every pound of

pellet. In other words, 1 ton of pellets can produce 16-16.8 MMBtu. The ash content and

moisture content are measured as a percentage. Moisture content is the key factor determining

the net energy content of biomass material. High moisture content means less energy available.

Premium wood pellets have less than 8% of moisture.

Ash refers to the non-combustible content of biomass13

. High ash content leads to more fouling

problems which mean more maintenance is needed. Premium wood pellets produce less than 1%

of ash. At an average retail price of $250/ton, wood pellets offer a fuel cost per MMBtu of

$18.60. Wood chips sell for on average of $125/ton with fuel cost of $12.60 per MMBtu.

13

(Biomass Burn Characteristics, 2011)

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Wood pellets’ properties

Wood pellets are a clean and carbon neutral product that is made primarily of sawdust, wood

shavings and fines left over after processing trees for lumber and other wood products. They are

compressed under high pressure into a cylindrical shape with 0.23 – 0.285 inches in diameter and

less than 1.5 inches in length. Since wood pellets are a highly standardized and energy-dense

fuel, they have several key advantages over other fuel types:

Pellets can be cost-effectively transported

Readily utilized in automatic boiler systems

Ultra-low emission profile14

Below is a table of the technical fuel requirements for wood pellets according to Pellet Fuel

Institute:

Figure 2: Residential/Commercial Densified Fuel Standards15

In New York, wood pellets are predominantly produced from hardwood. The major pellet mill in

New York is New England Wood Pellet (NEWP) which opened a manufacturing plant in the

United States in Schuyler, NY in December 2008. This plant planned to produce 850,000 tons of

14

(Christiane Egger; Christine Ohlinger; Bettina Auinger; Briqitte Brandstater; Nadja Richler; Gerhard Dell) 15

(Pellet Fuel Institute)

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pellets per year which could heat 33,000 homes and businesses16

. In June 2011, NEWP opened a

new plant at Deposit, NY. This plant is scheduled to produce 85,000 tons of wood pellets

annually for the domestic wood fuel pellet market17

. A list of New York Woody Biomass

Feedstock suppliers and processed biomass fuel manufactures can be found at

www.nycwatershed.org18

.

Wood chips

For decades, wood chips have been used to produce heat. Wood chips require more storage

capacity because the volume is about four times that of wood pellets and require more operation

and maintenance efforts. On the other hand, wood chips have a significant cost advantage over

wood pellets19

.

Wood chips are primarily used in larger buildings where fuel storage space requirements are not

a limiting factor. Homeowners who have extra space and are willing to invest more time in

operations and maintenance can choose to use wood chips as a fuel source because it can be a

very economical heating solution. One of the largest local wood chips mills in New York State is

Wagner Lumber. They also burn wood chips as their primary energy source.

The price of quality wood chips ranges from $90 - $125 per ton with moisture content between

20% - 35%. The transportation cost of wood chips is around $15 - $25 per ton20

.

Fuel selection – wood pellets or wood chips?

Wood chips and wood pellets have different advantages and disadvantages for use as a fuel for a

heating system. The state of Upper Austria in Europe has a leading position in biomass heating.

It has more than 25% of all modern biomass boilers installed in the European Union and has one

of the highest densities of small-scale automatic heating systems in the world. In Upper Austria,

homeowners usually prefer pellet heating systems while owners of systems larger than 100kW

usually use wood chips. The following table provides guidance on selecting the right fuel for

your system21

.

16

(Facilities and Ventures) 17

(Facilities and Ventures) 18

(New York Woody Biomass Feedstock Suppliers and Processed Biomass Fuel Manufacturers) 19

(Christiane Egger; Christine Ohlinger; Bettina Auinger; Briqitte Brandstater; Nadja Richler; Gerhard Dell) 20

(Bergman & Zerbe, 2004) 21

(Christiane Egger; Christine Ohlinger; Bettina Auinger; Briqitte Brandstater; Nadja Richler; Gerhard Dell)

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Figure 3: Comparison between wood chips and wood pellets22

Wood vs. grass pellets

In Northeastern region of United States, there is a considerable acreage of unused or

underutilized agricultural land. New York States has about 1.5 million acres of unused or

underutilized agricultural land; most of those lands have grass growing already. In 2008, some

retired dairy farmers started Enviro Energy LLC that turned the weeds and briars growing on

those unused lands into fuel pellets for heating building23

. These grass materials made from low-

grade hay are called grass pellets.

Grass has about 95% percent of the energy value found in wood and grass can be pelletized as

easily as wood. Grass pellets produce 6,600Btu per pound which is equivalent to 13.2MMBtu

per ton. Like wood pellets the grass pellets also produced much less greenhouse gas than fossil

fuels.

The challenges with grass are its relatively high ash content and a higher concentration of

corrosion-causing elements (for instances, potassium, chlorine, and sulfur) compared with wood.

Potassium is by far the most abundant in grasses. It reduces the melting temperature of ash and

as a result could contribute significantly to corrosion potential. In addition, a corrosive reaction is

catalyzed by chlorine elements that presents in grasses which could damage the furnace

components. Furthermore, the reactions between sulfur and alkali metals will form deposits on

heat transfer surfaces. 24

22

(Christiane Egger; Christine Ohlinger; Bettina Auinger; Briqitte Brandstater; Nadja Richler; Gerhard Dell) 23

(Tietz, 2011) 24

(Cherney)

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The lack of residential-scale appliances specifically designed to burn high ash pellet fuels is the

primary technical stumbling block for a grass combustion industry in the United States. Large

industrial sized ceramic-lined boilers (more than 1 MMBtu) are capable of burning 100% grass.

However, residential scale boilers from Europe with ceramic-lined combustion chambers,

electronically controlled shaker grates, auto cleaning of heat exchanger tubes, and auto de-ashing

are also capable of burning pure grass pellets. However, the number of suitable appliances for

grass combustion can be expanded by mixing grass with wood, corn or other biomass fuels25

.

Wood Pellets Grass Pellets

Composites Timber harvesting or wood products

manufacturing residue

Weeds and briars growing on unused

land

Energy content 8,400 Btu/lb = 16.8MMBtu/ton <8,400 Btu/lb = 16.8MMBtu/ton

Ash content 0.5-3% 3-8%

Appliances Every appliance(stove, furnace,

boiler for all sizes)

Only work with industrial scale

ceramic-lined boilers and residential

scale boilers from Europe with

ceramic-lined combustion chambers

Price range Average at $250 Average at $220

Availability Available all year round; easily

accessible

Seasonal; harvested in certain regions

in Autumn

Corrosive

elements

Relatively low corrosive elements

(potassium, chlorine, sulfur)

High corrosive elements (potassium,

chlorine, sulfur)

Wood logs

Many homeowners in the Northeast heat their house with wood (commonly known as logs or

firewood). It is difficult to evaluate heat value of wood because it depends on types of wood,

moisture content and how long have the logs been stored. Freshly cut Missouri hardwoods

commonly have a 75% moisture content and the available energy content carried in the wood is

4,900 Btu/lb. Air-dried hardwood firewood typically contains about 20% moisture and available

energy content is 7,100 Btu/lb26

.

Natural gas pipelines The primary sources for energy consumption in most homes, commercial, and industrial

buildings are electricity and natural gas. They are supplied by local utility companies. NYSEG

is an energy services and delivery company in upstate New York and New England. It owns the

transmission and distribution rights in Tompkins County and throughout most of the Central

New York27

.

25

(Cherney) 26

(Stelzer, 2012) 27

(Service area)

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Natural gas is presently (2013) a very cost effective fuel and it is difficult for biomass to compete

directly with it. However not all residences and business in the Southern Tier have access to

natural gas service. The map below shows the service areas of NYSEG in the Southern Tier

region28

. The red colored areas are the areas where electricity and natural gas are served by

NYSEG; the orange color regions indicate only natural gas is served; the yellow regions indicate

only electricity is served in those region.

It is seen from the diagram below that the majority of the Southern Tier region does not have

natural gas service (yellow area). Even many local areas in the red or orange regions do not have

natural gas distribution pipelines, such as the northern region of Tompkins County or in more

rural areas away from the largest roads.

Energy Consumption

Residential energy consumption

Electricity in Southern Tier region is supplied by three main local utilities, New York State

Electric & Gas Corp (NYSEG), Steuben Rural Electric Cooperative and Corning Natural Gas

28

(Service area)

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Corporation. The average per capita monthly consumption of electricity in New York homes in

2011 is 611kWh29

, which means the average per day electricity consumption is 20.4kWh.

For home heating, the sources of fuels vary geographically and regionally. The sources for

residential heating includes natural gas, kerosene, fuel oil, electricity, liquefied petroleum gases

(LPG), wood and others. The graph30

below shows the proportion of each type of fuels used in

houses and condominiums in Tompkins County. The graph shows utility gas (natural gas) is the

most common fuel used in houses and condos and it accounts for 50%. 22% of houses and

condos use fuel oil and kerosene for heating; 11% of heating come from bottled, tank or LP gas;

7% comes from electricity. Only 8% come from wood which includes logs, wood pellets and

wood chips.

Figure 4: Most commonly used heating fuel for houses and condominiums in Tompkins County

Residential Fuel Prices The cost of each fuel in terms of dollars per million Btu (MMBtu) is needed in order to calculate

the cost of a given amount of heat and to increase the awareness of the consumer of the amount

they pay for their heating fuel.

The table31

below provides a comparison between the most commonly used fuels in term of fuel

prices for New York State. The first column provides the information on type of fuel with its

29

(How much electricity does an American home use?, 2013) 30

(Tompkins County, New York) 31

(Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator)

Natural gas 50%

Fuel oil, kerosene 22%

Bottled, tank, LP gas 11%

Electricity 7%

Wood 8%

Coal or coke 2%

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prices listed in column 3 and fuel unit listed in column 2. The value for fuel heat content listed in

column 4 provided the information on the quantity of heat (Btu) released during the combustion

process. The efficiency of the appliance is stated in column 5 of the table. Fuel price, $ per

MMBtu (column 6) is calculated using the formula below:

Fuel cost, $ per MMBtu = (Fuel price per unit x 1,000,000) ÷ (Fuel heat content per unit

x appliance efficiency)

For an example:

Kerosene

Fuel price ($ per MMBtu) = ($4.23 x 1,000,000) ÷ (135,000 x 75%) = $39.81

Wood pellets

Fuel price ($ per MMBtu) = ($250 x 1,000,000) ÷ (16,800,000 x 80%) = $18.94

Priced at $1.07 per therm, natural gas contains high fuel heat content per dollar, thus natural gas

has the lowest fuel price per MMBtu among fuels with $13.42 per MMBtu. Although propane

presently sells for a low price per gallon, $2.39, the low heat content makes propane priced at

$33.55 per MMBtu.

Wood chips and wood pellets are selling at a nominally expensive price $125/ton and $250/ton

respectively. However, the high heating values of these fuels per ton makes woody biomass

economic and price competitive with natural gas, with wood chips having a fuel price of $12.60

per MMBtu and wood pellets having fuel price of $18.94 per MMBtu respectively. Based on this

table, it seems feasible to replace other fossil fuels with wood chips or wood pellets for

residences. The annual fuel savings for homeowner, especially for those homes which are not in

the service region of natural gas will be quite significant.

Sources: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/11-033.htm#3

Table 2: Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator32

Fuel Type

Fuel

Unit

Fuel

Price

per

Unit

Fuel Heat

Content per

Unit (Btu)

Appliance

Efficiency

(%)

Fuel

Price

per

MMBtu

Date

listed Sources

Heating Oil Gallon $4.0 138,690 78% $36.98 Feb 2013 NYSERDA

Electricity kW-hr $0.17 3,412 98% $51.62 Feb 2013 EIA

Natural Gas Therm $1.07 100,000 80% $13.42 Feb 2013 EIA

Propane Gallon $2.39 91,333 78% $33.55 Jan 2013 NYSERDA

Firewood

(20% moist) Ton $142 12,400,000 55% $20.82 Apr 2013 Oregonstate.edu

Wood chip

(20% moist) Ton $125 12,400,000 80% $12.60 2011 Forest2market

32

(Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator)

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Wood Pellets Ton $250 16,800,000 80% $18.94 Fall 2012 Woodburners

Grass Pellets Ton $220 13,175,000 80% $20.87 2010 Trace.tennessee.edu

Kerosene Gallon $4.3 135,000 80% $39.81 Jan 2013 NYSERDA

Coal Ton $200 25,000,000 75% $10.67 - Hearth

Other industrial energy consumption

The energy used by other economic sectors such as commercial, industrial, and educational

institutions, greenhouses or high tunnel crop farming, varies dramatically, and depends on the

size and type of businesses. However, on average, the energy consumption used by each business

in the commercial and industrial sector is much higher compared to a residential household.

The graph below shows the energy consumption used by each sector in New York State in 2010.

The commercial sector is the largest consumer of energy among all sectors and accounted for

32.8%. The residential sector is the second largest energy consumer which accounted for 30% of

the total energy consumption.

Below is a list of some biomass systems that have been installed in or near the Southern Tier:

Sector Facility Name Location Description

Residential/Institution Big Red Barn Cornell

University,

Ithaca, NY

Grass pellet stove that burns

grass pellets (more info see

Appendix)

Commercial Arnot Ogden

Medical center

Elmira, NY Biomass boiler that burns wood

chips

Commercial Cayuga Nature

Center

Ithaca, NY Biomass gasifier (more info see

Appendix)

Commercial Veteran Affairs Canandaigua, NY Biomass steam-generation CHP

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Medical Center system

Greenhouse Intergo

Greenhouse,

Inc.

Albion, NY Biomass boiler burning waste

wood

Institution Morrisville

State College

Morrisville, NY Biomass gasifier CHP (more info

see Appendix)

Industrial Wagner

Lumber

Cayuta, NY Biomass boiler that burns

sawdust or wood chips (more

info see Appendix)

Greenhouse Plainview

Growers

Allamuchy, NY Biomass boiler and pellet mill

Biomass Conversion Technology The term biomass conversion refers to the process of converting biomass into energy to generate

electricity and/or heat. The two primary categories of biomass conversion technology are simple

combustion systems and gasification systems which can be used to provide heat, power or

combined heat and power (CHP).

Rankine Cycle

The Rankine cycle, in the form of steam turbine engines generates about 90% of all electric

power used throughout the world33

. This cycle is mainly based on the conversion of input heat

energy into output power. It involves repeating four processes34,35

.

Step A: Dry saturated steam from the boiler is expanded isentropically (entropy remains

constant) in a turbine and produces work by rotating the shaft connected to an electric

generator

Step B: Wet steam from the turbine is fed into a condenser for condensation (cooling) where

heat is rejected from the steam into atmosphere or sometimes for heating

Step C: Water from the condenser is pumped into the boiler using a pump and is compressed

isentropically to the operating pressure of the boiler. This process increases the pressure in

the water

Stage D: The saturated water from the pump enters boiler as a compressed liquid and is

heated in the boiler until it reaches super-heated condition. At this stage the water is changed

from liquid into vapor.

33

(Rankine Cycle)) 34

(Simple Rankine Cycle) 35

(Vapor and Combined Power Cycle)

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The figure below provides a better illustration on how simple Rankine cycle works in a

thermal power plant.

Figure 5: How simple Rankine cycle works at a thermal power plant36

Boiler

The boiler is the one of the major components in the steam Rankine cycle. The boiler is used to

convert fuel into thermal energy resulting in superheated steam vapor which will be sent to a

steam turbine. There are numerous types of boilers used to convert the energy in the fuel to

steam. According to the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners (CIBO), the general efficiency

range of stoker and fluidized bed boilers (the two most commonly used types of boilers for

biomass firing) is between 65%-85% efficient. The major factors affecting efficiency are fuel

types, availability and operation of the boiler.

Biomass boilers are generally designed to accept wide variation in moisture content with a

practical limit of approximately 60% moisture content37

. Typical fuel supplies for biomass

generation are bark, sawdust, wood chips, and wood pellets. Some of these might leave a high

level of non-combustible constituent after combustion. Therefore, a biomass boiler must be able

to handle a high level of non-burnable constituents that are inherent with a low grade fuel

36

(Thermodynamics) 37

(Biomass Technology Review, 2010)

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resource. The fuel and then the “ash” can also contain non-carbon containing minerals like rocks

and inert gravel38

.

Two most common types of boilers are stoker boilers and fluidized bed boilers.

Stoker boilers

Stoker boilers use direct fire combustion of

solid fuels with excess air to produce hot flue

gases which then produce steam. The stokers

are designed to feed fuel onto a grate where it

burns with air passing up through it. The stoker

is located within the furnace section of the

boiler and is designed to remove the ash

residue after combustion. Stoker units use

mechanical movement to shift and refill fuel to

the fire that is located near the base of the

boiler. There are two general types of systems

which are underfeed and overfeed. Underfeed

stokers supply fuel and air from under the grate

whereas overfeed stokers supply fuel from

above the grate and air from below. The

residual ash is discharged from the opposite

end. The most common type of stoker boiler is

the spreader stoker. It introduces combustion

air primarily from below the grate but the fuel

is thrown or spread uniformly across the grate

area39

.

Fluidized bed boiler

Fluidized bed boilers are the most recent type

of boiler developed for solid fuel combustion

which focuses on reducing SO2 and NOx

emission from combustion. Fuel is burned in

a bed of hot, inert particles suspended by an

upward flow of combustion air that is

injected from the bottom of the combustor to

keep the bed in a floating or “fluidized” state.

The scrubbing action of the bed material on

the fuel can strip away the ash and char that

38

(Biomass Technology Review, 2010) 39

(Biomass Conversion Technologies)

Figure 6: Stoker boiler (RenewableEnergyWorld.com)

Figure 7: Fluidized bed boiler (Canadianbiomassmagnize.ca)

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normally forms around the fuel particles. With this design, more oxygen can reach the

combustible material more readily and thus the rate and efficiency of the combustion process

increases. The efficient mixing of fuel with air for combustion enables the fuel to be quickly

heated above its ignition temperature; it ignites and becomes part of the burning mass40

.

The table below provides a comparison of combustion characteristics and fuel issues for stoker

and fluidized bed boilers. Stoker boilers are a relatively basic technology while fluidized bed

technology is newer and more complex but offers more flexibility and operating control. The

fluidized bed systems not only offer significant operating flexibility in terms of range of load

conditions but also they maintain efficiency during system turn-down. TRL for both types of

boilers are level 8-9 because the systems have been proven through routine successful mission

operations. Moreover, a boiler is very reliable; the issues associated with boiler are rare thus

boilers are rated 1 for the likelihood and severity of the issue.

Figure 8: A comparison between stoker and fluidized bed boiler (Biomass Conversion Technologies)

Residential Wood Burning Outdoor Wood Boiler

Outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) are simple fuel burning devices designed to burn wood and other

materials. They are used to heat building space and/or water through the distribution, typically

through pipes, of a gas or liquid heated in the device41

.

Smoke emitted from OWBs contains fine particulate matter (PM) which can cause short-term

effects such as eye, nose, throat, and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, running nose and

shortness of breath. Exposure to fine PM also can affect lung diseases such as asthma, allergies

40

(Biomass Conversion Technologies) 41

(Residential Wood Burning)

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and heart disease. In addition, wood smoke contains

carcinogens including benzene, formaldehyde, dioxins

and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons42

.

In December 29, 2010, the NYS Department of

Environmental Conservation adopted 6 NYSRR Part

247 which are numerous municipal laws enacted across

the state regarding OWBs. Section 247.3 and 247.4

provides a list of approved and prohibited fuels for

OWBs43

:

Appendix B provides a list of certified OWBs in New

York States.

Approved fuels Prohibited fuels

Seasoned clean wood Unseasoned wood

Wood pellets made from clean wood Garbage; Animal carcasses; Yard waste

Heating oil in compliances with Subpart 225-1,

LP gas or natural gas may be used as starter fuels

Wood containing preservatives or other

coatings

Non-glossy, non-colored papers (including

newspaper) may be used only to start an OWB

Tires; Household chemicals; Coal; Plywood

.

Equipment and capital costs

A biomass boiler system is a complex installation with many interrelated subsystems. The table

below provides total capital estimates (equipment and installation) for stoker and circulating

fluidized bed steam system for three biomass fuel feed rates-100tons/days, 600tons/days,

900tons/days. The installed cost varies significantly and depends on

Scope of the equipment

Output steam conditions

Geographical area

Competitive market conditions

Site requirements

Emission control requirements

Prevailing labor rates

42

(Residential Wood Burning) 43

(Requirements for OWB Owners)

Figure 9: Residential Outdoor Wood Boiler (Wood Fired Hydronic Heaters)

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The estimates presented in the table are budgetary estimates based on published data and

discussion with equipment suppliers and developers in 2003 (Biomass Conversion

Technologies).

Figure 10: A comparison of different size boiler (Biomass Conversion Technologies)

O&M costs

The O&M costs include the labor for prep-yard, and labor, materials and parts for the boiler

system itself.

Figure 11: A comparison in the O&M costs (Biomass Conversion Technologies)

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Combined heat and power Conventional thermal power plants typically only convert about one-third of the fuel energy into

electricity. The rest is lost as heat. Combined heat and power (CHP) facilities recover the waste

heat emitted from the steam or gas turbine or other engine for direct heating. As a result, CHP

provides more efficient use of fuel, producing both electricity and useful heat; typically more

than four-fifths of the fuel’s energy is converted into usable energy, resulting in both economic

and environmental benefits. In other words, CHP is the consecutive production and exploitation

of two energy products, electrical and thermal, from a system utilizing the same fuel44

.

Furnaces and stoves The pellet stove is the most common type of wood pellet burner. It is a “spot heat” type of

system. The stove is usually installed in the common area that people are generally in, for

instance, the living room. A pellet furnace is usually sited in an attached garage, utility room or

basement45.

Pellet stoves are specially made stoves that have a hopper, auger system, burn pot, combustion

blower, circulation blower, and ash system46

. General steps are fill the hopper with fuel, turn on

44

(Mohammed Shehata) 45

(Kacvinsky) 46

(Kacvinsky)

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the stove and the fire starts automatically. Some stoves require manual lighting of the fire and

others have an igniter47

. The input panel of the stove controls the blowers, igniter, and an auger

system which feeds wood pellets to the burn pot. If you need more heat, you adjust the stove to

feed more pellets into the burn pot.

The combustion blower functions to deliver a constant source of air to the burn pot and to double

as the exhaust blower for the stove. Wood pellets would not stay lit on their own and would

smolder out without the combustion blower or some other type of system to keep them lit. Some

wood pellet stoves or furnace require use of outside air for the combustion process48

.

The stove heats up as the fire burns in the burn pot. Air is draw into the stove by the circulation

blower and it circulates through chambers in the stove. After that, the circulation blower directs

the heated air out of the stove and into the room. Larger furnaces direct the air into the ductwork

of the house49

.

Ash is created as the fire burns in the burn pot. This kind of ash is called fly ash in a wood pellet

stove. The fly ash is blown or pushed by incoming pellets from the burn pot when the weight of

the burned pellet becomes light enough through the combustion process. Most fly ash will go

into the ash system and a small amount of it escapes into the exhaust system50

.

Homemade wood stoves Homemade wood stoves were usually made using old 55 gallon drums. Even today, there are

people still make their own wood stoves using 55 gallon drums or recycled hot water tanks

because they are cheap to make (around $100.51

). There are also several problems52

with simple

wood stoves. They are:

47

(Kacvinsky) 48

(Kacvinsky) 49

(Kacvinsky) 50

(Kacvinsky) 51

(Homemade Wood Stoves) 52

(Homemade Wood Stoves)

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1. Efficiency

Commercialize wood stoves are expensive because they have an advanced and high

efficiency combustion system which you won’t be able to duplicate with a homemade

welded box.

2. Legality

Using homemade wood stove may not even be legal depending on where you live

because the wood stove may not be up to local building or fire codes.

3. Not economical in the long term

The efficiency of a homemade wood stove is likely to be only to half of an EPA certified

stoves. Over time, you will lose money in the extra amount of firewood that you will

have to burn to heat up the house.

4. Aesthetics

Homemade wood stoves often look pretty ugly. Most of today’s commercial stoves have

glass doors so that you can enjoy watching the fire and ensure that it is burning efficiency.

Why advanced stoves are worth the extra cost?53

1. EPA certified stoves are 1/3 more efficient

This means that you can save 1/3 cost from purchasing fuel. Moreover, the extra cost of

advanced technology is about $200 per stove. Therefore, after a few seasons of wood

burning, the greater efficiency of stove will more than compensate for the higher initial

cost.

2. Produce 90% less particulate matter

The particulate matter is referred to smoke. Less particulate matter is better for health and

you will not see visible smoke from the chimney. Furthermore, the chance of a chimney

fire is eliminated if the stove in operated correctly and reasonable maintenance is done.

Less frequent cleaning is needed for flue pipe and chimney which save time and money.

3. Fires ignite more easily and burn more completely

This results in a more convenient and pleasurable wood burning experience. You can

also monitor the fire through the glass panel in stoves’ door and adjust it periodically to

get a perfect burn.

53

(Wood Stoves: The Most Popular Wood Heating Option)

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Installed and capital cost & Technology readiness level (TRL)

For customers who are interested in upgrading their own facilities from a fireplace to a wood

pellet stove to enhance the efficiency of the heat generated for their home, there are multiple

models of stoves, inserts and central heating units burning wood, pellets, corn or other alternative

biomass fuels. Older wood pellet stoves have an average of 65% efficiency rating whereas the

newer stoves have efficiency rating over 80%54

. As boilers, wood pellet stoves have a high TRL

level (level 8-9). However, if they are to be used for burning grass pellets more research is

required to enhance the robustness of the pellet stove to corrosive materials. Pellet stoves are a

very reliable technology with rating of level 1-2 in the severity and likelihood of issues.

Typical cost for a pellet home heating system

Investment cost: $2,419 - $3,826 (Harman pellet stove)

Installation cost: $600 - $1,20055

Fuel costs: (fuel) $250 - $279//ton, bulk delivery with min 3 tons $49 - $6956

Heat generated: 8,000 – 500,000 Btu/hour input (Harman pellet stoves)

O&M costs

If you own or are interested in upgrading or switching your current heating system to a pellet

stove, stove manufacturers provide step-by-step installation, cleaning instructions, and manuals

for cleaning pellet stoves by customers themselves. This can save money compared to hiring

workers to work on installation, operation, and maintenance. The instructions are direct and easy

to follow and can be found on most websites including at Harman stoves website.57

In general, the average pellet stove’s ash system needs to be cleaned approximately every 5-10

days for stoves that burn 24/7. A thorough cleaning is required at the end of each heating season

or every 10-12 weeks, whichever is shorter. The cost of cleaning a chimney can range from $382

to $56858

Gasification

Biomass gasification for power production involves heating solid biomass in an oxygen-starved

environment to produce a low or medium calorific combustible gas. The advantage of using

gasification over directly burning the biomass is the gas can be cleaned and filtered to remove

54

(Kacvinsky) 55

(Consumers - Frequent Questions) 56

(Pelletsdirect) 57

(Cleaning Instructions) 58

(How much does it cost to clean chimney)

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problem chemical compounds before it is burned and the gas can be easily used for power

generation in internal combustion engines such as gas turbines or reciprocating engines.

The fuel output from the gasification process is generally called syngas or biogas. The

gasification process takes 4 steps59

:

Dehydration: Drying is the first and perhaps the most important stage of biomass gasification.

During this step moisture is removed from the bio matter so that it can be heated to temperatures

above 100C in future stages.

Pyrolysis: During pyrolysis, the bio

matter is further heated to temperatures

above 240C. This process is done

without any air so that the bio matter

breaks down into charcoal and a mixture

of gasses and of liquids called tars.

Gases and tars contain hydrogen,

oxygen, and carbon molecules while

charcoal contains carbon-carbon chains.

Reduction: Reduction is the reverse of

the general combustion process. Instead

of combining a hydrocarbon with

oxygen to release heat, carbon dioxide

and water vapor, heat is used to remove

oxygen from a hydrocarbon. This uses carbon dioxide already present in the air and water vapor

to combine with the charcoal that was produced in the previous stage to produce hydrogen gas,

carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.

Combustion: This process varies depending on the reactor being used. In general, combustion is

used to provide the heat from the process as well as some of the carbon dioxide and water vapor

used in the reduction. The fuel sources for the combustion process include either the tar gasses or

charcoal produced in pyrolysis.

Gasifiers characteristic

There are two main types of gasifiers: fixed bed gasifiers and fluid bed gasifiers.

Fixed bed gasifiers typically have fixed grate inside the gasifier. Biomass fuel is placed on top

of the pile of fuel, char and ash inside the gasifier. The direction of air flowing inside of the

gasifiers is determined by the reactor type.

59

(How Gasification Works)

Figure 12: 4 Processes in Gasification (How Gasification Works)

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Reactors

There are several different kinds of reactors available to manufacture producer gas. Each of these

types has its own advantages and disadvantages, such as in efficiency, unwanted byproducts, and

start times. The three reactors we will be focusing on are updraft, downdraft, and crossdraft

gasifiers.

Updraft

In this type of reactor, air flows upwards through the

reactor as shown in the figure. This method doesn’t

produce as much usable gas, but it is the most efficient60

.

The gas that is produced provides heat to help dry the bio

matter61

. However, the gas that is produced must be

cleaned of tars and methane before it can be used in an

internal combustion engine.

Downdraft

As shown in Figure 5, a downdraft reactor has the air

flowing downwards through the combustion zone.

Downdraft reactors have a lower energy efficiency rating

compared to the updraft reactor62

. However, this method

is much cleaner with few tars being produced making it

an ideal choice for use in internal combustion engines63

.

Downdraft reactors can also be ignited and started sooner

than updraft reactors.

Crossdraft

In a crossdraft reactor, as shown in Figure 6, air

travels sideways through the reactor. Crossdraft

60

(What is gasification?) 61

(Gas Producers (Gasifiers)) 62

(Gas Producers (Gasifiers)) 63

(What is gasification?)

Figure 13: Updraft Gasifier

Figure 14: Downdraft Gasifier

Figure 15: Crossdraft Gasifier

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reactors have the quickest start up time and produce the most gas, but the gas comes out at a very

high temperature and contains high amounts of carbon monoxide64

. This type of reactor operates

best with dry fuel and dry air.

Fluidized bed gasifiers are

more complex and offer

higher performance than

fixed bed gasifiers but they

are more expensive. Similar

to fluidized bed boiler, the

biomass fuel is burned in a

bed of hot inert material

suspended by an upward

flow of air and the bed

become fluidized as the

amount of incoming oxygen

increased. High pressure

from incoming oxygen

increases the throughput. On

the other hand, this also

increases the cost and

complexity of the gasifier65

.

In short, a fluidized bed gasifier has high productivity in producing syngas. It can handle a wider

range of biomass feedstocks with moisture contents on average up to 30%66

.

TRL, Equipment and Installed Cost

The TRL for a gasifier is also very high (level 8 and 9). Similar to a boiler, it is a mature

technology and very reliable. The TRL rating for severity and likelihood of issues are very low

with rating of level 1-2.

The reactor is the main cost for the gasifier. Table 17 (Biomass Conversion Technologies) below

shows the capital cost of a gasifier for a biomass plant.

64

(Gas Producers (Gasifiers)) 65

(Biomass Conversion Technologies) 66

(Biomass Conversion Technologies)

Figure 16: Bubbling fluidized bed gasifier (Bubbling fluidized bed gasifier)

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Figure 17: Biomass Gasification Capital Costs to Produce Syngas (Biomass Conversion Technologies)

O&M costs

Table below are the estimated cost of O&M for gasification for biomass plant.

Figure 18: O&M Cost Estimates for Syngas Production (Biomass Conversion Technologies)

Heating system selection The flow chart67 below provides a guide for a user to select the most appropriate combination of

biomass fuel and heating system for their homes and facilities.

67

(Palmer & Tubby I. Hogan, 2011)

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Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Technology Readiness level (TRL) is a measure used to assess the maturity of evolving

technology during its development and operations68

. Below is a table listing the summary of

definition of each level.

Technology Readiness Level Definition69

TRL 1 Basic Research: Initial scientific research has been conducted. Principles are

qualitatively postulated and observed. Focus is on new discovery rather than

applications.

TRL 2 Applied Research: Initial practical applications are identified. Potential of material

or process to solve a problem, satisfy a need, or find application is confirmed.

TRL 3 Critical Function or Proof of Concept Established: Applied research advances and

early stage development begins. Studies and laboratory measurements validate

analytical predictions of separate elements of the technology.

TRL 4 Lab Testing/Validation of Alpha Prototype Component/Process: Design,

development and lab testing of components/processes. Results provide evidence that

performance targets may be attainable based on projected or modeled systems.

TRL 5 Laboratory Testing of Integrated/Semi-Integrated System: System Component

and/or process validation is achieved in a relevant environment.

TRL 6 Prototype System Verified: System/process prototype demonstration in an

operational environment (beta prototype system level).

TRL 7 Integrated Pilot System Demonstrated: System/process prototype demonstration in

an operational environment (integrated pilot system level).

TRL 8 System Incorporated in Commercial Design: Actual system/process completed and

qualified through test and demonstration (pre-commercial demonstration).

TRL 9 System Proven and Ready for Full Commercial Deployment: Actual system

proven through successful operations in operating environment, and ready for full

commercial deployment.

Below are tables that can be used to measure the severity of issues. The higher the rating, the

more sever the issues and the more likelihood the issues will happens.

Severity of issues rating definition

Catastrophic: Whole system crashes, need more than a month to repair 4

Critical: System doesn’t work, partial system crashes, need more than 2 weeks

to repair to setup

3

Moderate: System might or might not work but need more than 3 days to repair 2

Negligible: System can still work but might need short repair time 1

The reliability of appliances measures how likelihood do people need to clean or do maintenance

on the appliances. For example, some pellet stoves (depends on the size and manufacturer) need

to be fueled on daily basis, to be cleaned on weekly basis (such as scraping out and taking out the

68

(Technology Readiness Level) 69

(Technology readiness level definitions and descriptions)

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ash) and to be cleaned by professionals on a seasonal basis. The table below provides the rating

for the likelihood of issues.

Reliability- Likelihood of issues rating definition

Likely to occur: once a day 5

Probably occur: once a week 4

May occur: once a month 3

Unlikely to occur: once a year/yearly maintenance 2

Improbable: more than a year 1

In addition to introducing the idea of TRL, severity and reliability of issues, the table below

provides a rough estimate of TRL, severity and reliability of issues for all the conversion

technologies that mentioned in the Biomass Conversion Technologies section.

Technology TRL Severity of issues Likelihood of issues

Pellet furnace and stove 8-9 1-2 4-5

Homemade wood stove 7-8 1-3 4-5

Boiler 8-9 1 1-2

Gasifier 7-9 1-3 3-4

Grass pellet 7-9 1-2 4-5

Job creation The biomass industry significantly benefits the national economy and particularly benefits local

economies. In the region of the New England and New York State, it has been estimated that for

every 100,000 tons of pellets manufactured, 342 direct jobs are generated which include logging,

chipping, and trucking70

. Another study estimated that 3-5 jobs are created per MW produced

through biomass71

.

An “economic multiplier” is a value used to estimate the economic impact with the changes in

direct employment in an industry. Each multiplier is a quantified measurement of the strength of

the economic linkage between a specific industry job with the rest of the regional economy. As

the strength of the linkage increases, the size of the multiplier is greater and therefore the greater

the employment impact of the given sector to the overall economy72

. The economic multiplier

for biomass energy varies regionally, based on fuel sources, scope of the energy project,

population density and other factors. One study found an economic multiplier of 3.2 for the

entire supply chain. In other words, for every job created directly in the industry, another 2.2 jobs

70

(Biomass and Rural Economies) 71

(Using local fuel contributes to local economy, job creation and community security) 72

(Kay, 2002)

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are created in other industries or business as a result73

. Examples of indirect jobs supported by

the fuel cost savings include hiring of new workers at gas stations and auto repair shops and

hiring of more waitresses as result of opening new restaurants near pellet mills.

(Another reference related to job creation is “The economic benefits of an energy efficiency and

onsite renewable energy strategy to meet growing electricity needs in Texas”74

)

Incentives and economic benefits A new report by ECOPROG GmbH

says that while China, India and the

U.S. will experience the most biomass

power growth over the next five years,

Europe will continue to possess the

largest market in biomass industry75

and remain the biomass power leader.

Residential wood heating especially in

the form of ultra-clean pellet stoves

and boilers increased substantially in

many countries in Europe. This is

because of strict policy measures

combined with generous incentives.

As a result, the adoption and

technological advancement of biomass

appliances are more widespread in

European countries compared to United States76

.

The mandatory directive from the European Union (EU) Parliament to increase the renewable

energy production is the reason for providing such strong incentives for home biomass heating in

Europe. The European mandates required each nation within the EU to commit to the directive

by drafting Energy Action Plans. In the United States, Renewable Portfolio Standards only target

electricity production. Europe, on the other hand, has provision for renewable fuel heating in

European standards. As a result, incentivizing biomass appliances is the method that European

nations used to meet their renewable energy targets77

.

73

(Biomass and Rural Economies) 74

(John Laitner, 2007) 75

(Simnet, 2012) 76

(Residential Appliance Incentives) 77

(Residential Appliance Incentives)

Figure 19: Savings on a $10,000 Biomass Appliance (Residential Appliance Incentives)

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European Incentives Examples Schemes to support uptake and new installations in many European countries, including UK

78:

Scheme Notes

Availability

Business Non-

profit

Public

sector

Private

Individuals

Carbon Trust

Biomass Heat

Accelerator

A technology accelerator project from the

Carbon Trust announced in April 2006, with a

£5m budget over 5 years. It aims to examine and

address the key barriers to the uptake of biomass

in the UK.

Trust Energy

Efficiency

Finance

Flexible loans for SMEs to allow investment in

energy saving equipment. Yes Yes Yes

CO2Sense

Investment Fund

Investment funding will normally be provided on

a 'revenue share' basis, where the funding is

repaid within a defined period, plus a small

royalty on related product sales / savings.

Yes,

within

Yorks &

Humber

Community

Sustainable

Energy

Programme

The Community Sustainable Energy Program

provides funds to community-based

organizations for feasibility studies and the

installation of micro-generation technologies

Yes

Energy

Entrepreneurs

Fund Scheme

DECC launched the 1st phase of the Energy

Entrepreneurs Fund scheme on 23 August 2012.

This is a competitive funding scheme to support

the development and demonstration of

innovative, new technologies, products and

processes in the areas of:

Energy efficiency and building

technologies

Power generation and storage

Yes Yes Yes

E.ON

Sustainable

Energy Fund

A grant from E.ON for community groups and

not-for-profit organizations planning to install

sustainable energy projects

Yes

Energy Saving

Scotland - small

business loans

(formerly Loan

Action Scotland)

The scheme allows a business to borrow between

£1,000 and £100,000 interest-free and repayable

up to 4 years and would be used to help a

business to reduce its energy consumption,

saving both money and CO2.

Yes

Enhanced

Capital

Allowance

Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a

business to claim 100% first-year capital

allowances on their spending on qualifying plant

and machinery.

Yes

Feed-in tariffs

A mechanism to support small scale generators

of renewable electricity, up to 5 MWe to

complement the Renewables Obligation for large

scale generators. Applies to AD but not currently

Yes Yes Yes Yes

78

(Grants and support)

Biomass Heating

Page 37 of 63

solid biomass.

Forestry Micro-

Enterprise Grant

Grants of between £2,500 and £25,000 will be

available towards buying new machinery or

equipment, building handling or storage facilities

or installing wood fuel systems.

It is funded by the Rural Development Program

for England and is administered jointly by the

Forestry Commission and the East Midlands

Development Agency.

If you are interested please call Anne Garner on

01673 843461 for a prospectus.

Yes

East Midlands

Forestry Micro-

enterprise Grant

Grants of between £2,500 and £25,000 will be

available towards buying new machinery or

equipment, building handling or storage facilities

or installing wood fuel systems.

Yes

Rural

Development

Program

The RDP is significant European funding for the

development of rural areas. Funding is available

for a wide range of activities including the

development and diversification of land based

businesses and the installation of biomass boilers.

Schemes are administered differently in different

areas of the UK:

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Yes Yes

Renewable Heat

Incentive

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) opened for

applications in November 2011, and provides

financial assistance to generators of renewable

heat, and producers of renewable biogas and bio-

methane. RHI is now also available in Northern

Ireland. Phase 1 is for non-domestic installations,

with support for domestic to follow in phase 2,

expected Summer 2013.

Yes Yes Yes Phase 2

Renewable Heat

Premium

Payments

The Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme

is a government scheme that gives money to

householders to help them buy renewable heating

technologies – solar thermal panels, heat pumps

and biomass boilers. As of next year, the

Renewable Heat Incentive will expand to cover

the domestic sector and the Green Deal will

come into force, so this is a short-term scheme

making one-off payments that will also allow us

to learn more about what people think of these

technologies and how they perform in a variety

of conditions.

Yes

Scottish

Community and

Householder

New schemes for communities and households in

Scotland; follow link on left for details Yes

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Renewables

Initiative

Wood Energy

Business

Scheme

A Forestry Commission Wales initiative which

aims to establish a network of wood fuelled

installations across Wales, producing clean heat

and electricity and strengthening the timber

supply chain.

Yes

WRAP

Anaerobic

Digestion Loan

Fund

The ADLF offers direct financial support to

organizations building new AD capacity in

England. It aims to ensure that food waste is

diverted from landfill or from other, less

environmentally sustainable operations, up the

waste hierarchy. The purpose of the loan fund is

to leverage or top up private sector funding (not

to replace it) or to materially accelerate the

projects.

Yes Yes

United States Federal Tax incentives The 2011 Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency offers a 10% tax credit (up to

$500 or a specific amount from $50- $300) when you retrofit your primary residence with a new,

high efficiency wood pellet stove by December 31, 2011. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of

2012 retroactively renewed this tax credit, expiring again on December 31, 2013. This credit

applies to energy efficiency improvements in the building of existing homes and for the purchase

of high-efficiency heating, cooling and water-heating equipment79

.

New York State programs

1. Solar, wind & biomass energy system exemption80

The law encourages the installation of equipment that generated electric energy from

biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste with 100% tax

exemption for 15 years between 1991 and 2014. This tax incentive is scheduled to expire

on December 31, 2014.

2. Residential wood heating fuel exemption81

New York exempts 100% retail sales of wood used for residential heating purposes from

the state sales tax

3. Commercial and Industrial efficiency program82

79

(Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit, 2013) 80

(Local Option - Solar Wind & Biomass Energy Systems Exemption, 2013) 81

(Residential wood heating fuel exemption, 2012) 82

(NYSEG(Gas) - Commercial and Industrial Efficiency Program, 2013)

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NYSEG and RG&E offer rebates to non-residential customers installing energy

efficiency equipment that pay a natural gas systems benefits charge. For example:

Furnaces: $100 (92% efficiency) Steam boiler: $200 (82% efficiency)

Condensing boiler: $1000-$6000 (90% efficiency), and many more

4. Energy Conservation Improvements property tax exemption83

Qualifying energy-conversation improvements to homes are exempt from real property taxation

to the extent that the addition would increase the value for the home. The exemption includes

general municipal property taxes, school district taxes and special ad valorem taxes.

Spreadsheet

An Excel spreadsheet was created that accompanies this report to provide fuel cost comparisons

between different fuels, to calculate the savings from using biomass, and to estimate the total

jobs created directly and indirectly from biomass and reductions in carbon dioxide and other

emissions. This section provides a detail explanation of each section/step in the “User Interface”

worksheet in the Excel spreadsheet.

Introduction

The “User Interface” worksheet is highlighted in several colors: pink, green and yellow. The

section that is highlighted in pink is a brief instruction and reference(s) for the section below.

The yellow highlighted section ask for user’s input which could ranges from asking the user to

select an option from a top down menu or to put an value in this section. Lastly, the green

highlighted section contains formulas to calculate the required calculation. The data in this

section will change automatically based on user’s input or the default value. Users should not

change any formulas or value in this section; the cells are locked.

83

(Energy Conservation Improvements Property Tax Exemption, 2013)

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Step 1

Step 1 asks the users to select the county that they are interested in. Users can select the county

by clicking B9 and a top down menu will show up. The counties in B4 represent the 8 counties in

the Southern Tier region in the New York. User’s input in this section will change some values

in step 6.

Step 2

Step 2 asks the users to select the sector that they represent. Two options are available for users

to select: Residential or non-residential. This step affects the fuel cost in step 3 automatically.

Step 3

3

Heating Oil Gallon 500 $4.00 $37.0 $2,000.0 38% http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Energy-Prices-Data-and-Reports/Energy-Prices/Home-Heating-Oil/Monthly-Average-Home-Heating-Oil-Prices.aspx

Electricity kWh $0.17 $51.6 $0.0 0% http://www.eia.gov/beta/state/data.cfm?sid=NY#Prices

Natural Gas Therm $1.07 $13.4 $0.0 0% http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/#prices

Propane Gallon $2.39 $33.5 $0.0 0% http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Energy-Prices-Data-and-Reports/Energy-Prices/Propane/Monthly-Average-Propane-Prices.aspx

Firewood Cord $142.00 $20.8 $0.0 0% http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lincoln/sites/default/files/home_heating_fuels_ec1628-e.pdf , http://evanslandscaping.com/fw/main/Firewood-9.html , http://inspectapedia.com/heat/Current_Heating_Cost_Table.htm

Wood Chip (20% moist) Ton $125.00 $12.6 $0.0 0% http://www.forest2market.com/blog/Northwest-Wood-Chip-Prices-Level-Off

Wood pellets Ton 5 $200.00 $15.1 $1,000.0 47% http://www.thewoodburners.com/fuel_pellet.php

Grass pellets Ton $220.00 $20.9 $0.0 0% http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1839&context=utk_gradthes

Kerosene Gallon 200 $4.30 $39.8 $860.0 15% http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Energy-Prices-Data-and-Reports/Energy-Prices/Kerosene/Average-Kerosene-Prices.aspx

Coal Ton $200.00 $10.7 $0.0 0% www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/fuels/

Total fuel cost $3,860.0

Total Btu 141,689,286

Fuel Price per

MMBtu ($ per

MMBtu)

Percentage of

your home/

facility is

heated by fuel

Fuel CostFuel Type Fuel unitTotal fuel unit

used in 1 yearDefault price

Your fuel price if it

is different from

default price

Price Reference

Your current summary of heating

Step 3: Specify the amount of fuel(s) you have been using for heating every year at column C. If your fuel price is different from the default price, please specify at column E. The total

fuel cost for current heating is listed at G29 and total BTU produced from fuels is listed at G30. Note: reference for this section is based on EIA fuel comparison calculator

(www.eia.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls )

Biomass Heating

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Step 3 requires users to fill out the total amount of fuel that they use each year at column C based

on the units given in column B. Column A represents the common fuels in the region. The

default price is given in column D. If users think the price they are paying for is different from

the default price, users can input their price at column E. The fuel price per million Btu is listed

at column F. Column F will update automatically if the user’s fuel price is different from the

default price. Fuel cost for heating is calculated by multiplying total fuel unit with the fuel price

and it is listed at Column G. Column F represent the percentage of your house or facility is

heated by each type of fuel. The reference for the fuel price is listed at Column I. G30 represents

the total Btu your facility or house uses each year for heating.

Step 4

Step 4 asks the users to specify the desired new percentage of each fuel that their facility or home

will be heated with at Column C. In this step, the users should generally input some percentage

or increase in the percentage of house or facilities heated by biomass. The users should make

sure that the total percentage (C46) is 100%, otherwise, a warning sign will be shown at the cell

C47. The table will update automatically at column D and E based on user’s input in column C.

The new total fuel cost for heating with biomass is listed at E46.

4

Heating Oil Gallon 30% 392.9 $1,571.7

Electricity kWh 0% 0.0 $0.0

Natural Gas Therm 0% 0.0 $0.0

Propane Gallon 0% 0.0 $0.0

Firewood Cord 0% 0.0 $0.0

Wood Chip (20% moist) Ton 0% 0.0 $0.0

Wood pellets Ton 70% 7.5 $1,502.8

Grass pellets Ton 0% 0.0 $0.0

Kerosene Gallon 0% 0.0 $0.0

Coal Ton 0% 0.0 $0.0

100% Total $3,074.5

Step 4: Specify the percentage of fuels to be used at column C (be sure to consider some percentage for

biomass). Make sure the total percentage is 100%. Total fuel cost is listed at E46.

Fuel Cost

Percentage of

home/facility is

heated by this fuel

Your summary if switch to use partial biomass

Fuel TypeTotal fuel unit

should used in 1 yearFuel unit

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Step 5

Step 5: Individual fuel savings listed at B50

5 Individual savings when

using new fuel percentages

Savings/year $785.5

B50 in step 5 represents the individual savings when using biomass. This savings is calculated by

using the original fuel cost in step 4 subtracts the new fuel cost with biomass in step 5.

This chart represents a comparison between the original fuel cost and the new fuel cost with

using biomass. The bar chart on the left represents the fuel cost for your original system. Each

color represents a fuel type and the total cost of the system is listed on the top of the bar chart.

The bar chart on the right represents the fuel cost of the new system with biomass (or more

biomass percentage) based on your input in step 4. Based on the chart above, it is clearly shown

that the total fuel cost for the system with more percentage of biomass is lower than your original

system.

$4,110.00

$3,450.18

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

$3,500

$4,000

$4,500

Orignal Fuel Cost Fuel Cost with biomass

Comparison of fuel cost for original and modified system

Coal

Kerosene

Grass pellets

Wood pellets

Wood Chip

Propane

Natural Gas

Electricity

Heating Oil

Total

Biomass Heating

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Step 6

This section is only applicable to residential sector. Assume every house/condominium in your

county reduces only the percentage of oil and propane in the same percentage the user listed in

step 4, while other fuel remains unchanged. The resulting total fuel cost savings in the county is

shown in B61, be aware the unit is in terms of million dollars. G56 lists the total number of

houses in the county. Line 58 lists the percentage of each fuel used by average houses/condos in

the county. The reference for the number of houses/condos in the county and percentage of each

fuel is listed at row 19 and columns AE-AM of this worksheet. Note: wood is assumed to be

firewood.

The chart on above provides a comparison between the total fuel cost for the original system in

term of million dollars at the user’s county and the new system that every house reduce the

percentage of oil and propane same percentage as the user did. Similar to the chart in step 5, the

left bar chart represents the original system and the bar chart on the right represents the system

6

County Houses/Condos # 19,583

Fuel type Utility gas Heating oil, kerosene Propane Wood Electricity Coal or coke

Fuel percentage 49.60% 21.90% 11.30% 7.80% 7.30% 21.90%

Original fuel cost (million dollars) $14.99 $18.24 $8.54 $3.66 $8.49 $5.26

Fuel cost with your model (million dollars) $14.99 $5.47 $2.56 $3.66 $8.49 $5.26

County's Fuel Savings

(million dollars) $18.74

Step 6: This section is only applicable for the residential sector. Assuming every house/condo in the county reduces only the percentage of oil and

propane the same percentage that you listed in section 4, the total fuel cost savings for the county is listed at B61. Note: reference for this section is at

line 24, AE-AM in this worksheet.

Tompkins

Residential sector: If all households in your county changed to the percentage of biomass that you chose

$50.77

$40.04

$0.00

$10.00

$20.00

$30.00

$40.00

$50.00

$60.00

Original Your fuel percentage

Fuel cost (million dollars) at your county if every house reduced the percentage of oil and propane same percentage as you did

Coal or coke

Electricity

Wood

Bottled, tank,LP gas

Fuel oil, kerosene

Utility gas

Total

Biomass Heating

Page 44 of 63

with the percentage reduction of oil and propane. The total fuel cost is listed on the top of the bar

chart. According the chart above, less money is used on the fuel for heating in the new modified

system compared to the original system.

Step 7

This section provides an estimate on the amount of jobs created both directly and indirectly

through entire biomass supply chain. There are three different ways to calculate job creation in

the region:

A range of jobs created per 100,000 tons of pellet

A range of jobs created per million dollars (from fuel savings)

A range of jobs(directly and indirectly) created using economic multiplier

The range of jobs created is shown in line 65. If the users feel the parameter for job creation is

different from the default value, the user can provide their values on line 64.

Step 8

Low end High end Low end High end Low end High end low end high end

Default 342 350 7 22 1 1 2.2 4

Your value

Range

Direct jobs/ 100,000 tons of pellet Multiplier - indirect jobs

Step 7: This section is only applicable for the residential sector. Total job created from the county's fuel savings is listed on row 64. There are mainly three ways to calculate job creation: jobs created with

every 100,000 toms of pellet being manufactured, jobs created with every million dollars savings with using biomass, and lastly direct and indirect job created using economic multiplier (3.2 for biomass in

New York). You can change the parameters in row 69 if you would like to use different numbers. Note: Rerence for this section is: Biomass and Rural Economies

(http://biomassthermal.org/resource/PDFs/Fact%20Sheet%205.pdf )

Measures

7 Economic Impact based on county's fuel savings

Direct jobs/million dollars Multiplier - direct job

8

CH4 (CO2-equivalent

kg)CO2 (kg)

N2O (CO2-equivalent

kg)

CH4 (CO2-

equivalent kg)CO2 (kg)

N2O (CO2-

equivalent kg)

Heating Oil 5.2 5128.8 12.4 4.1 4030.5 9.7

Electricity - - - - - -

Natural Gas 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Propane 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Firewood 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Wood Chip (20% moist) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Wood pellets 66.0 0.0 103.3 99.2 0.0 155.2

Grass pellets 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Kerosene 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Coal 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Individual-Total emission

(kg)71.2 5128.8 115.7 103.3 4030.5 164.9

Individual-Reduced CO2 (kg) 1098.3

County-Total emission (kg) 1,394,327.1 100,436,777.5 2,264,890.0 2,022,330.4 78,929,579.5 3,229,528.2

County-Reduced CO2 (kg)

Step 8: Amount of reduced carbon dioxide from using biomass is listed at F88 and F90. Note: Reference for this section is:

http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/climate/docs/ghgCalculatorFuelCombust.xls

21,507,198.0

* The health effect of methane and nitrous oxide is not in the scope of the project. For more information on the health effect of methane, please visit:

(http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/chemfs/fs/Methane.htm); nitrous oxide please visit (http://ehs.columbia.edu/NitrousOxideHealthHazards.pdf).

For other health effects from burning fuels and biomass, please see: "The Hidden costs of energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and

Use," The National Academies Press, 2010)

Emission Gas

Fuel Type

Your current emission Your emission with biomass

Emission Gas

Biomass Heating

Page 45 of 63

Step 8 represents the amount of greenhouse gas emission (methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous

oxide) from burning each fuel. The table on the left represents the total emission from your

current house or facility. The table on the right represents the total emission based on your input

in step 4. Since carbon dioxide contribute the most to the global warning, the spreadsheet focuses

on the reduction of carbon dioxide instead of other emissions. The total reduction in carbon

dioxide is listed at F83. Note: the emissions here exclude the processes of fuel extraction and

transportation.

The chart above presents a comparison of greenhouse gas emission between the current system

and modified system (with (more) biomass). The left hand side of the chart represents the

emission from the original system and the right hand side of the system represents the emission

from the modified system. The chart shows that the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through

combustion is dominant compared to methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Moreover, the

modified system produced less carbon dioxide than the original system.

Conclusion

This report has reviewed and analyzed the potential benefits of using regionally available biomass for

heating and perhaps cogeneration of electricity. A spreadsheet was developed to allow individuals,

businesses, and institutions to evaluate and chose biomass heating systems by quantifying the individual

savings and benefits. It also shows the overall benefits for the example region, the Southern Tier of New

York State. The results show that large cost savings, regional economic benefits, and greenhouse gas

CH4 (CO2-equivalent

kg)CO2 (kg)

N2O (CO2-equivalent

kg)

CH4 (CO2-equivalent

kg)CO2 (kg)

N2O (CO2-equivalent

kg)

Series1 71.2 5128.8 115.7 103.3 4030.5 164.9

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Gre

en

ho

use

Gas

Em

issi

on

(C

O2

-eq

uiv

aln

et

kg)

Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Systems

Current emissions Emissions with biomass

Biomass Heating

Page 46 of 63

reductions would accrue with wider use of biomass heating to replace oil, propane, and kerosene fuels.

Even more benefit would accrue if heating were combined with cogeneration. The review of the

available technologies and capital costs shows that technologies are generally available and mature for

large scale users who have some personnel and space available for operations and management. Also

mature technologies are available for pellet heating for widespread small scale applications such as home

heating. We hope that this work will assist in the adoption of cost-effective and environmentally-

beneficial energy usage by individuals, businesses and institutions.

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Appendix A: Biomass projects in New York State

Project profile 1: Biomax100 at Morrisville State College, Morrisville, NY

In December 2012, Morrisville State College installed a new biomass gasifier (BioMax 100), a

combined heat and power (CHP) system near the Commons I residence hall. The BioMax system

was designed and installed by Community Power Corporation (CPC) of Colorado. It can gasify

wood pellets, wood chips and other biomass resources to generate heat and electricity to two on-

campus residence hall buildings.

The efficiency of this CHP system is over 61% and requires an average of 2.4 tons of feedstock

per day. In optimal operation, it can produce 100kW continuous power to 125kW peak capacity.

At 75% availability, it will produce more than 657,000 kWh each year and at least 350,000 Btu

of heat in every hour. This CHP system guaranteed a 15% - 20% savings to Morrisville College.

Although the BioMax 100 runs on wood chips and wood pellets, Morrisville State College is

planning testing the feasibility of the system using waste products as feedstocks -- like cardboard,

paper, cartons, etc. Eventually the system will switch its feedstock from wood chips to waste

material produced at school to further save fuel cost and create a more sustainable environment.

Different types of feedstock that will be tested in the BioMax 100

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BioMax 100 system

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Project profile 2: ACT Bioenergy boiler at Cayuga Nature Center, Ithaca, NY A 0.5 MMBtu wood chip boiler was installed at Cayuga Nature Center in 2009 to heat the

facilities of the center. This boiler supplied by ACT Bioenergy replaced heat previously provided

by propane boilers which remain in place as back-up. The total system installed cost was

approximately $155,000. The boiler provides an annual savings of $13,000 in heating costs and

uses locally available wood chips as feedstock. The heat transfer efficiency of the system ranged

between 80% - 90%. The feed system typically requires minor attention about once a day

A 10 foot x 10 foot chip storage bin was built next the containerized boiler and hold fuel that

lasts for 3 days. A larger barn was also built that allows a dump truck to deliver loads of up to 10

ton of chips at a time.

The boiler is estimated to reduce net carbon dioxide emission by 45 tons per year which is

equivalent to carbon dioxide emission from eight average-sized cars.

Facility crew & wood chip boiler

Chip bin auger/stirrer

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Wood chip boiler and storage bin

Project profile 3: Hurst Biomass Boiler at Wagner Lumber, Cayuta, NY Wagner Lumber is a groups of sawmills in New York and Pennsylvania that help clients in

logging and timber management as well as serving lumber customers around the globe. A

15.05MMBtu (450 horsepower) Hurst boiler is installed at a facility of Wagner Lumber located

at Cayuta, New York. For fuel the boiler uses green waste such as sawdust or wood chips from

the sawmill. They have moisture content of around 28%. The boiler facility uses 25-30 tons of

wood chips per day and generates around 11.72 MMBtu of heat per day (350hp) in winter. The

steam generated from the boiler system is used to heat up its facilities. 15-18 tons of ash is

generated and is removed once a year. The feed system typically needs minor attention about

once a day.

The boiler is inspected once per year and shut down for maintenance twice every year. During

the inspection and shutdown period, the personnel in the facility start up their backup system.

The backup system is an oil boiler which uses #2 heating oil. The cost of the heating oil is $3.65-

$3.75/gallon and it is loaded by a 45-50 gallons truck. It is much more expensive to supply the

needed heat from the oil boiler backup and they try to carry out the maintenance time of the

biomass boiler as quickly as they can.

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Hurst boiler

Heating system to control the moisture of wood

Sawdust as the feedstock

Moving wood

Project profile 4: Grass Pellet Stove @ Big Red Barn, Cornell University

The grass pellet stove installed at Big

Red Barn is the Quadra Fire Mt.

Vernon AE Fireplace insert pellet stove.

The heat output of this stove is between

14,600 and 60,200 Btu/hour depending

on the feed rate setting used. It has a 7-

day programmable wall thermostat that

allows automatic room temperature

control. The pellet feed rate is around 1

to 5 lbs/ hour depending on the feed

setting (1-5 settings). However, it is

used more for ambiance than heat. It

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only runs when people are present which is often in the evening.

The cost of this facility was around $4,198. Once a year, a technician come in from Hearth &

Home comes to clean and inspect the stove. So far, there has only been one time that Hearth and

Home was called in for a problem with the unit’s controller over the past 5 years. Therefore, the

technology readiness for this facility was very high.

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Appendix B: Technology Readiness Level descriptions84

84

(Technology readiness level definitions and descriptions)

TRL 1 Definition TRL 1 Description

Basic Research. Initial scientific

research begins. Examples

include studies on basic material

properties. Principles are

qualitatively postulated and

observed.

Basic principles are observed. Focus is on fundamental

understanding of a material or process. Examples might

include paper studies of a material’s basic properties or

experimental work that consists mainly of observations of the

physical world. Supporting information includes published

research or other references that identify the principles that

underlie the material process.

TRL 2 Definition TRL 2 Description

Applied Research. Initial

practical applications are

identified. Potential of material

or process to satisfy a technology

need is confirmed.

Once basic principles are observed, practical applications can

be identified. Applications are speculative, and there may be

no proof or detailed analysis to support the assumptions.

Examples are still limited to analytic studies. Supporting

information includes publications or other references that

outline the application being considered and that provide

analysis to support the concept. The step up from TRL 1 to

TRL 2 moves the ideas from basic to applied research. Most of

the work is analytical or paper studies with the emphasis on

understanding the science better. Experimental work is

designed to corroborate the basic scientific observations made

during TRL 1 work.

TRL 3 Definition TRL 3 Description

Critical Function, i.e., Proof of

Concept Established. Applied

research continues and early

stage development begins.

Includes studies and initial

laboratory measurements to

validate analytical predictions of

separate elements of the

technology. Examples include

research on materials,

components, or processes that

are not yet integrated.

Analytical studies and laboratory-scale studies are designed to

physically validate the predictions of separate elements of the

technology. Examples include components that are not yet

integrated. Supporting information includes results of

laboratory tests performed to measure parameters of interest

and comparison to analytical predictions for critical

components. At TRL 3 experimental work is intended to verify

that the concept works as expected. Components of the

technology are validated, but there is no strong attempt to

integrate the components into a complete system. Modeling

and simulation may be used to complement physical

experiments.

TRL 4 Definition TRL 4 Description

Laboratory Testing/Validation of

Alpha Prototype

Component/Process. Design,

development and lab testing of

technological components are

performed. Results provide

evidence that applicable

component/process performance

The basic technological components are integrated to establish

that the pieces will work together. This is relatively "low

fidelity" compared with the eventual system. Examples include

integration of ad hoc hardware in a laboratory and testing.

Supporting information includes the results of the integrated

experiments and estimates of how the experimental

components and experimental test results differ from the

expected system performance goals. TRL 4-6 represent the

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targets may be attainable based

on projected or modeled systems.

bridge from scientific research to engineering, from

development to demonstration. TRL 4 is the first step in

determining whether the individual components will work

together as a system. The laboratory system will probably be a

mix of on-hand equipment and a few special purpose

components that may require special handling, calibration, or

alignment to get them to function.

TRL 5 Definition TRL 5 Description

Laboratory Testing of

Integrated/Semi-Integrated

System. Component and/or

process validation in relevant

environment- (Beta prototype

component level).

The basic technological components are integrated so that the

system configuration is similar to (matches) the final

application in almost all respects. Supporting information

includes results from the laboratory scale testing, analysis of

the differences between the laboratory and eventual operating

system/environment, and analysis of what the experimental

results mean for the eventual operating system/environment.

The major difference between TRL 4 and 5 is the increase in

the fidelity of the system and environment to the actual

application. The system tested is almost prototypical. An

example in PV might be the fabrication of devices that closely

match or exceed the expected efficiency targets but is

fabricated in the lab manually with minimal automation.

Scientific risk should be retired at the end of TRL 5. Results

presented should be statistically relevant.

TRL 6 Definition TRL 6 Description

Prototype System Verified.

System/process prototype

demonstration in an operational

environment- (Beta prototype

system level).

Engineering-scale models or prototypes are tested in a relevant

environment. This represents a major step up in a technology’s

demonstrated readiness. Examples include fabrication of the

device on an engineering pilot line. Supporting information

includes results from the engineering scale testing and analysis

of the differences between the engineering scale, prototypical

system/environment, and analysis of what the experimental

results mean for the eventual operating system/environment.

TRL 6 begins true engineering development of the technology

as an operational system. The major difference between TRL 5

and 6 is the step up from laboratory scale to engineering scale

and the determination of scaling factors that will enable design

of the final system. For PV cell or module manufacturing, the

system that is referred to is the manufacturing system and not

the cell or module. The engineering pilot scale demonstration

should be capable of performing all the functions that will be

required of a full manufacturing system. The operating

environment for the testing should closely represent the actual

operating environment. Refinement of the cost model is

expected at this stage based on new learning from the pilot

line. The goal while in TRL 6 is to reduce engineering risk.

Results presented should be statistically relevant.

Biomass Heating

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TRL 7 Definition TRL 7 Description

Integrated Pilot System

Demonstrated. System/process

prototype demonstration in an

operational environment-

(integrated pilot system level).

This represents a major step up from TRL 6, requiring

demonstration of an actual system prototype in a relevant

environment. In the case of a new PV module, this will

include a full-scale pilot line capable of producing such

modules. Examples include manufacturing the PV devices on

a manufacturing pilot line with operations under primary

control of manufacturing. Significant amount of automation is

expected at the completion of this phase if the cost model for

full-scale ramp requires it. 24-hour production (at least for a

relevant duration) is expected to discover any unexpected

issues that might occur during scale up and ramp. Supporting

information includes results from the full-scale testing and

analysis of the differences between the test environment, and

analysis of what the experimental results mean for the eventual

operating system/environment. Final design is virtually

complete. The goal of this stage is to eliminate engineering

and manufacturing risk. To credibly achieve this goal and exit

TRL 7, scale is required as many significant engineering and

manufacturing issues can surface during the transition between

TRL 6 and 7.

TRL 8 Definition TRL 8 Description

System Incorporated in

Commercial Design. Actual

system/process completed and

qualified through test and

demonstration- (Pre-commercial

demonstration).

The technology has been proven to work in its final form and

under expected conditions. In almost all cases, this TRL

represents the end of true system development. Examples

include full-scale volume manufacturing of commercial end

product. True manufacturing costs will be determined and

deltas to models will need to be highlighted and plans

developed to address them. Product performance

improvement plan needs to be highlighted and plans to close

any gap will need to be developed.

TRL 9 Definition TRL 9 Description

System Proven and Ready for

Full Commercial Deployment.

Actual system proven through

successful operations in

operating environment, and

ready for full commercial

deployment.

The technology is in its final form and operated under the full

range of operating conditions. Examples include steady state

24/7 manufacturing meeting cost, yield, and output targets.

Emphasis shifts toward statistical process control.

Biomass Heating

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Appendix C: List of NYS Certified Outdoor Wood Boilers Models85

Manufacturer Model

Certified

Emission Rate

(lb/MMBtu,

heat output)

Classification

Minimum

Setback

(feet)

Fuel

Woodmaster 30KW 0.04 Residential 100 Cord wood

Woodmaster 60KW 0.04 Residential 100 Cord wood

Central Boiler Maxim 250 0.066 Residential 100 Wood pellets

Heatmor 200 SSP 0.07 Residential 100 Wood pellets

Polar Furnace G3 0.08 Residential 100 Cord wood

Central Boiler E-Classic 3200 0.08 Commercial 200 Cord wood

Central Boiler E-Classic 2400 0.12 Commercial 200 Cord wood

Hawken Energy,

Inc. GX10 0.14 Residential 100 Cord wood

LEI Products Bio-Burner

BB-100 0.145 Residential 100 Wood pellets

Woodmaster 60KW 0.16 Residential 100 Wood pellets

Central Boiler E-Classic 1450 0.18 Residential 100 Cord wood

Polar Furnace G2 0.19 Residential 100 Cord wood

Hardy

Manufacturing KBP270 0.20 Residential 100 Wood pellets

Nature's

Comfort LLC GT-6000 0.22 Residential 100 Cord wood

Piney

Manufacturing Optimizer 250 0.23 Residential 100 Cord wood

Pro-Fab

Industries

Empyre Pro

Series 200 0.23 Residential 100 Cord wood

Greentech

Manufacturing

Crown Royal

RS7400-E 0.236 Commercial 200 Cord wood

85

(List of NYS Certificed Outdoor Wood Boiler Models)

Biomass Heating

Page 57 of 63

Piney

Manufacturing Optimizer 350 0.291 Commercial 200 Cord wood

Heatmor 200 SSR II 0.315 Residential 100 Cord wood

Piney

Manufacturing

Economizer

100 0.315 Residential 100 Cord wood

Hardy

Manufacturing KB165 0.316 Residential 100 Cord wood

Central Boiler E-Classic 2300 0.320 Residential 100 Cord wood

Central Boiler E-Classic 1400 0.32 Residential 100 Cord wood

Biomass Heating

Page 58 of 63

Appendix D: More resources on biomass

A guide to feasibility studies

Palmer, D., Tubby, I., Hogan, G. and Rolls, W. (2011). Biomass heating: a guide to

feasibility studies. Biomass Energy Centre, Forest Research, Farnham.

Websites:

http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/BEC_TECHNICAL/BES

T%20PRACTICE/38215_FOR_BIOMASS_3_LR.PDF

A guide to medium scale wood chips and wood pellet systems

Palmer, D., Tubby, I., Hogan, G. and Rolls, W. (2011). Biomass heating: a guide to

medium scale wood chip and wood pellet systems. Biomass Energy Centre, Forest

Research, Farnham.

Websites:

http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/BEC_TECHNICAL/BES

T%20PRACTICE/37821_FOR_BIOMASS_2_LR.PDF

A guide to small log and wood pellet systems

Palmer, D., Tubby, I. Hogan, G. and Rolls, W. (2011). Biomass heating: a guide to small

log and wood pellet systems. Biomass Energy Centre, Forest Research, Farnham.

Websites:

http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/BEC_TECHNICAL/BES

T%20PRACTICE/36491_FOR_BIOMASS_1.PDF

Biomass Heating

Page 59 of 63

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content/uploads/2011/11/standards-table.jpg

(n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from RenewableEnergyWorld.com:

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conversions-not-so-cut-and-dried.jpg

(n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Canadianbiomassmagnize.ca:

http://www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca/images/stories/2009/June-

2009/EpiFluidizedBedBoiler.jpg

(n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Pelletsdirect:

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Power Association: http://biomasspowerassociation.com/pages/about_facts.php

Akram, M. (n.d.). Nitrous Oxide Health Hazards. Retrieved May 2013, from

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Bergman, R., & Zerbe, J. (2004, May 24). Primer on Wood Biomass for Energy. Retrieved February 2013,

from USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry Technology Marketing Unit:

http://www.esf.edu/scme/wus/documents/primer_on_wood_biomass_for_energy.pdf

Biomass and Rural Economies. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2013, from Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC):

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Biomass Burn Characteristics. (2011, June). Retrieved February 2013, from Ontario Ministry of

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Biomass Conversion Technologies. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from EPA Combined Heat and Power

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Biomass Technology Review. (2010, October 21). Retrieved March 2013, from Biomass Power

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Bubbling fluidized bed gasifier. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2013, from

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bfb-gasifer-principle.jpg

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Cherney, J. H. (n.d.). Grass for BioHeat on Farms. Retrieved January 2013, from

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Christiane Egger; Christine Ohlinger; Bettina Auinger; Briqitte Brandstater; Nadja Richler; Gerhard Dell.

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Energy Conservation Improvements Property Tax Exemption. (2013, Feb 19). Retrieved March 2013,

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Grants and support. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Biomass Energy Center:

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ma=PORTAL

Heating Fuel Comparison Calculator. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2013, from EIA:

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Hidden costs of energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use. (2010). Retrieved May

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Homemade Wood Stoves. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2013, from Keep-It-Simple-Firewood: http://www.keep-

it-simple-firewood.com/homemade-wood-stoves.html

Biomass Heating

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Homemade Wood Stoves. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2013, from Savvy Homemade:

http://www.savvyhomemade.com/homemade-wood-stoves.html

How Gasification Works. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from ALL power Labs:

http://www.gekgasifier.com/info/gasification-basics/gasification-explained

How much does it cost to clean chimney. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2013, from Home advisor:

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esd.ny.gov/RegionalOverviews/SouthernTier/InsideRegion.html

John Laitner, M. E. (2007, September). The Economic Benefits of an Energy Efiiciency and Onsite

Renewable Energy Strategy to Meet Growing Electricity Needs in Texas. Retrieved May 2013,

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Kacvinsky, E. J. (n.d.). Wood Pellet Stove 101. Retrieved March 2013, from Kinsmanstoves:

http://www.kinsmanstoves.com/pdf/pelletstoves101.pdf

Kay, D. L. (2002, December). Economic Multipliers and Local Economic Impact Analysis. Retrieved

November 2012, from http://minnesotafuturists.pbworks.com/f/PAPER-+02-Economic-

Multipliers-Kay.pdf

List of NYS Certificed Outdoor Wood Boiler Models. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Department of

Environmental Conservation: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/73694.html

Local Option - Solar Wind & Biomass Energy Systems Exemption. (2013, Oct 11). Retrieved March 2013,

from Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency:

http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NY07F&re=0&ee=0

Mahajam, M. B., & Shah, S. R. (2006). Biomass Power Plant on Campus. Retrieved March 2013, from

http://biomasspowerassociation.com/docs/PRI%20-20Bioenergy_and_Greenhouse_Gases.pdf

Methane. (2012, December). Retrieved May 2013, from Wisconsin Department of Health Services:

http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/chemfs/fs/Methane.htm

Method for Calculating Efficiency. (2013, April 10). Retrieved April 2013, from EPA:

http://www.epa.gov/chp/basic/methods.html

Mohammed Shehata. (n.d.). The Auspices of Tri-generation in the Data Center. Retrieved March 2013,

from Pts consulting: http://ptsconsulting.com/user-

content/documents/Articles/PTS%20Perspective%20-%20Trigeneration%20In%20DCs.pdf

Biomass Heating

Page 62 of 63

New York Woody Biomass Feedstock Suppliers and Processed Biomass Fuel Manufacturers. (n.d.).

Retrieved March 2013, from Watershed Agricultural Council Forestry Program:

http://www.nycwatershed.org/pdfs/biomass_producers_web.pdf

NYSEG(Gas) - Commercial and Industrial Efficiency Program. (2013, April 30). Retrieved May 2013, from

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency:

http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=NY89F&re=0&ee=0

O'Carroll, C. (2012, October 1). European Biomass Power Generation. Retrieved March 2013, from

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presentations/Cormac_OCarroll.pdf

Palmer, D., & Tubby I. Hogan, G. a. (2011). Biomass heating: a guide to feasibility studies. Retrieved

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http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/BEC_TECHNICAL/BEST%20PRAC

TICE/38215_FOR_BIOMASS_3_LR.PDF

Pellet Stoves. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Harman Stoves:

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Rankine Cycle. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Wikipedia.org:

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Requirements for OWB Owners. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2013, from Department of Environmental

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Residential Appliance Incentives. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2013, from Alliance for Green Heat:

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Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit. (2013, Jan 4). Retrieved March 2013, from Database of State

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