Schmid Biomass Boilers in Maine

Many miles traveled and a few changes since my last post to "Burning Wood". In my new role as Product Manager for Northline Energy of Edmonds, Washington, I am pleased to report that the first two Schmid Boilers in North America are up and running and saving their owners on heating energy bills this winter.

The first is a 900 kW Schmid UTSR hot water boiler at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle, Maine. The boiler is supplied with a water cooled moving grate to permit it to operate efficiently on premium wood pellets while allowing for future experimentation with alternative agricultural pellet fuels. An ASME boiler vessel was produced in Ontario and mated to the firebox on site under Northline and Schmid supervision.

The wood boiler is located in the existing boiler room of the Mailman Trades Building and connected via underground piping to the main plant in the Christie Complex across the street. When final changes to piping and distribution are complete, pellets will meet most campus needs in all but the coldest design conditions.

A grand opening celebration was held in October. See: New NMCC wood boiler to save money, reduce carbon footprint.

Real time graphical interface illustrating the silo, UTSR and buffer tank tied into the main systems at NMCC.

The pellet silo is situated within the walls of the old coal bin. A plumb bob probe updates the pellet level on screen.

 The second is a UTSP 700 kW steam boiler at Millinocket Regional Hospital in Millinocket, Maine. The UTSP is an underfed retort stoker design, ideal for this system, which will burn only wood pellets. Again the ASME pressure vessel was produced in Ontario and mated to the Schmid firebox and subsystems on site. A new boiler building and adjacent silo were constructed at the rear of the Hospital to accommodate the boiler, automatic de-ashing systems and controls. Since start up in December, the Hospital has burned almost no fuel oil.

Schmid quality is equal to the best in the world and the controls are sophisticated without becoming overly complex or touchy. They appear to strike the right balance between technology and reliability in operation. See linked the Bangor Daily News article for the owner's comments: Millinocket hospital saving money with new biomass boiler, using pellets made in Maine

Schmid "Personal Touch" interface on the control panel provides key operating parameters at a glance.

Joe Graf from Eschlikon, Switzerland, makes final adjustments to pneumatic cleaning during Commissioning.

I am very pleased to be working with Northline to bring these Swiss engineered biomass boilers to the North American market. We are looking forward to the next round.

Wood Boilers in Our Future

At the Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass conference last week, we were witness to the rapid growth of our industry and had the opportunity to join forces with competitors, customers and regulators to set the stage for a greater contribution to a sustainable energy future for New England.

The conference host organizations and organizers came together to produce what amounts to a position paper for biomass thermal energy in the Northeast. In a very responsible manner, this group started with the available forest feedstocks, first removing all the inaccessible fiber, then removing that already used in pulp and paper and lumber harvesting. Finally, that remaining for biomass thermal is cut in half in order to be conservative.

Similarly, an evaluation of energy crop yields is cut in half, again, to be conservative. Taking these two sources of near carbon neutral fiber together, the authors estimate that we can provide 25% of our thermal energy needs using biomass grown and harvested annually here in the Northeast. To say this is exciting would be an understatement; it allows for a renewed sense of optimism. One can begin to imagine a diverse energy economy, in which wood and energy crops join with wind, hydro, solar and traditional fuels to provide cost effective resources, prosperity and a sustainable future for our region.

The position paper and the accompanying brochure will be important tools in implementing this vision. Our government entities and private industry will need to commit and cooperate if we are to realize the potential. To get to this level in fifteen years, while aggressive, appears achievable. Share the vision and spread the word among your legislators, regulators, industry leaders and building operators. The "A Bold Vision for 2025" brochure and white paper are available on the Vital Technologies website at http://vital-air.com/news_story.php?id=7.

Viessmann Kob Boilers

While heating with wood is an old tradition in our part of the world, it has an even longer run in the mountains of central Europe. The arrival of Viessmann Pyrot and Pyrtec pellet and chip boilers marks a joining of these traditions. Made by the Austrian family firm Kob, now part of the Viessmann Group, these boilers are clean and efficient. Here are some shots of our first installation at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

These two shots are of the new boiler, boiler room and silo at the U.S. Forest Service new White Mountain National Forest headquarters complex in Campton, New Hampshire. The facility also comprises a biomass fueled diesel generator that puts excess power back on the grid. All the heat and electricity required for operation of the entire campus can be fueled with wood pellets.