Biomass Boilers Using Energy Crops Mr. Eric Ackerly Vice President Smart Building Products ( WBE Enterprise) 1180 Route 32 Wallkill, NY Phone: Fax:

What is a biomass boiler? A biomass boiler uses solid fuels much the same way coal boilers used coal. The fuel is augured into a burn chamber. The fuel burns/gasifies with the utilization of under-fire air. Heat is transferred through the boiler wall raising water temperature or steam pressure.

A typical biomass boiler plant

What is an Energy Crop? Energy crops can be anyone of the following: Soybeans Corn Wheat Switchgrass Fast growth willow, etc

Typical energy crop fuel

Cost comparison to Fossil Fuel

Delivery and Storage

Carbon Dioxide Emissions The net CO 2 emissions from corn is negative at the boiler. The corn plant sequesters more CO 2 during the growing process then the corn kernels emit during the combustion process.

Why corn? Why not Switchgrass? Corn is readily available and has other uses besides fuel Corn is traded like a commodity and futures can be secured to mitigate risk The residential corn market for stoves is very mature The feed industry supply and delivery is very mature i.e. Cargill, ADM, Blue Seal, etc

Availability of Supply

Corn Yield in the United States

Hurst Boiler and Welding Co. Founded 1970 in Coolidge Georgia Installations of over 10,000 solid fuel boilers Largest mid-range solid fuel boiler manufacturer in North America Outstanding working knowledge of all solid fuel types from waste wood to sugar cane

Solid Fuel Boilers Hybrid Under Feed Fredrick Stoker Water tube section Fire tube section Cyclone Separator Hand Ash or Automatic

Typical Layout Add on Building and interconnect services

Case Study Newark NY High School 200 HP Hurst Boiler Turnkey Cost = $469,950 Annual Therms Saved = 151,000 Annual Corn Used Bushels = 32,696 Annual Energy Savings = $54,459 Simple Payback = 8.63 Years

Thoughts and Questions What is a typical boiler replacement payback in energy savings only? Where are fossil fuel prices going? Is it possible to be green and cost effective? Is your next project a central boiler plant? Is existing infrastructure in place to keep installed costs down?

Summary Biomass boiler plants using energy crops can reduce today's cost of heating your buildings by 40% or more. Fuel is readily available CO 2 emissions are reduced significantly Energy Crops are renewable annually Corn is safe, it will not explode or contaminate the soil or ground water