Maine Energy Systems

Viable alternative energy sources in Maine

80% of Maine residences are heated with fuel oil. ^[2] Maine Governor John Baldacci formed the Governor’s Wood to the Energy Task Force in order to determine the viability of biomass, and wood pellets in particular, as a source of heating for Maine.

The Governor’s Wood to the Energy Task Force in 2008 published clear estimates by the Maine Forest Service that the forests of Maine are under-utilized and 5.8 million green tones per year could be sustainably harvested in Maine in addition to the 18.6 million tones per year currently harvested . ^[3] The Maine Forest Service findings went on to report that an additional 3.8 million green tones per year could be harvested sustainably from New Hampshire and Massachusetts. ^[4] If 10% of Maine’s residences Were converted to wood pellet fuel, It Would require ~ 650,000 tons of green wood per year ^[5] making large scale wood pellet heating a possibility in Maine. It is MESys’ goal to make wood pellet fuel a primary heat source for a large number of residences in Maine.^[6]

Calculations on the economic impact of foreign oil on the Maine economy made by Co-Director and economist Dr. William “Bill” Strauss have been published. Bill Strauss’ work “How to Cure Maine’s Addiction to Heating Oil” suggests that it’s a lot of money. fuel would remedy this drain on the economy. ^[7]

Work with regulatory agencies

Much of Maine Energy Systems is working with the industry. Wood pellets in Maine and the surrounding regions. As a result, rules and regulations have been used to regulate the installation and use of cordwood and coal stoker boilers have been frequently applied to pellet boilers. Co-Owner Dr. Harry “Dutch” Dresser Jr. has been instrumental in helping to achieve parity in heating regulations between wood pellets and heating appliances and in some jurisdictions. Pellet heat in water and water in Europe;^[8] As wood pellet boilers are used in the United States it is necessary that the regulations be directly enforced. Currently the lack of wood pellet fuel based appliance regulations requires regulatory agencies to hold wood pellet boilers to standards established for a different solid fuel source, such as cordwood, even though the operation of a cordwood boiler bears no resemblance to the operation of an automatic wood pellet boiler. ^[9] Maine Energy Systems involvement with the following:

The Maine DEP has found that some wood pellet boilers are suitable for EPA Phase II certification based on standard European test results under EN 303-5. ^[10] Vermont DEC certification is nearing completion as the time of this writing (August 2011) on the same basis. ^[11] Use of these test results is as often as possible, but US agencies are frequently reluctant to use non-US test standards. The testing considered for these certifications is mainly used for the construction of buildings. The boilers issued certification has particulate emissions values ​​nearly ten times lower than the US EPA requirements. ^[12]

The Maine Fuels Board has spent a lot of time looking at it. The Board HAS reconnu the actual attributes of modern pellet-fired boiler systems and is Proposing changes to icts Installation regulations ^[13] That will bring virtual parity entre les rules for automatic pellet fueled boilers and conventional liquid and gaseous fuel boilers.

Work with academia

The carbon neutrality of wood pellets fuel has been the focus of academic discussions recently. A study by the Manomet group proposed a model on the effects of biomass energy on atmospheric carbon levels. With this model a carbon debt occurs at the time of harvest and a carbon dividend occurs. ^[14] This model describes wood pellet as a source of less than carbon neutral energy source. MESYS co-director and economist Bill Strauss has written a review of this study which was published in the July 2011 issue of Biomass Power & Thermal Magazine, ^[15]claiming that there are other methods of modeling biomass energy and that they have been investigated in the Manomet study. Strauss claims that the chosen Manomet model ignores the carbon dividend accumulated prior to harvest by the trees being harvested. ^[16]

MESYS has sponsored Worcester Polytechnic Institute student Major Qualifying Project to find and design the best method for automated ash removal for a wood pellet boiler. ^[17] The project used Axiomatic design as well as the design methods to fully explore the functions of an ash removal system. Two systems have been prototyped and tested; a screw conveyor system and a novel cyclonic separator and vacuum system.

Globalism

Maine Energy Systems’ involvement in the transition to wood pellet heat has required the development of global relationships. This year’s Maine Energy Systems directors and Dutch Strauss were keynote speakers at the 2011 World Sustainable Energy Conference Days in Wels, Upper Austria. ^[18]

MESYS Relationships with Austrian Business The United States to be built and used in Maine. ^[19]

Contractor training

Since 2008 Maine Energy Systems has been offering a wide range of services to the world of pellet boilers. ^[20] Training currently focuses on the Austrian OkoFEN AutoPellet pellet boiler and the Auto-Pellet Air, hot air furnace. ref> http://www.okofen.co.uk </ ref> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> </ p>

References