The City of Prince George, British Columbia, recognized Bioenergy Day this year with a video detailing how the city uses waste wood from its nearby Lakeland Mills to heat nearly a dozen downtown buildings.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/cRa7oeWQTVQ
The First Law of Thermodynamics states, “Energy cannot be created or destroyed, energy can only be changed from one form to another,” and bioenergy does just that. The energy obtained from the sun is stored within plants. Plants like trees and woody biomass are used as renewable energy sources that are converted into electricity and carbon neutral gas.
Around the second to last week in October, National Bioenergy Day takes place. This year it’s the eight annual Bioenergy Day on Oct. 21, and on this day, the innumerable benefits bioenergy produces are recognized. At various locations across the country, groups get together to learn more about bioenergy and how their community can be less reliant on fossil fuels while using resources grown locally that have already served their first purpose.
Unlike solar and wind energy, bioenergy can be produced day or night and in any weather. The electricity and heat generated from wood and organic materials is a sustainable solution for the residue and waste produced by agricultural and forest-based industries. Naturally, bioenergy is a domestic energy source that works to keep American forests healthy, provides a place for biomass to be reused and prevents the open burning of agriculture residuals.
Read the full piece here: https://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/community-voices-recognizing-the-benefits-of-bioenergy/article_8b678770-1009-11eb-b839-838df7aa6615.html
Save the date for a virtual event to mark the Eighth Annual Bioenergy Day on October 21st! Even though in-person events are difficult to pull off these days, we won’t let that get in the way of a day to celebrate bioenergy in all its forms.
Be on the lookout for the details and agenda for our live video event, which we will announce soon. Hope you can join us on Wednesday, October 21st at 1pm EDT / 10am PDT to hear about the benefits of bioenergy across the country.
Mayor Karen Goh celebrated National Bioenergy Day with local companies and Independence High School students.
Mt. Poso Cogeneration Company, Macpherson Energy Corporation, DTE Biomass and Independence High School’s Energy and Utility Career Academy hosted a ceremony and presentation recognizing Wednesday as National Bioenergy Day in Kern County.
The Mt. Poso plant was converted to run 100 percent locally sourced woody biomass fuel, instead of coal, and is delivering 44 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to the California grid, according to a press release. It produces clean, low-emissions power exclusively from woody biomass fuel. The wood used to fuel the power plant comes from landfill diversion construction waste and agricultural sources.
“What an excellent experience for the students to learn about the benefits of bioenergy,” said Dean Juola, principal of Independence High School, in a press release. “Biomass is a valuable renewable option. Biomass is considered a renewable energy source because its inherent energy comes from the sun and because it can regrow in a relatively short time. Since California’s objective is to be 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, plants like Mt. Poso provide a huge benefit.”
Read more at Bakersfield.com: https://www.bakersfield.com/news/local-companies-celebrate-national-bioenergy-day-with-independence-high-school/article_cdc73f44-f5e7-11e9-bef6-0398d56e41d6.html
Delivery trucks unload wood chips to be converted into bioenergy that will provide power to Susanville and adjacent communities. USDA Forest Service photo by Amanda Oliver.
Perched at the edge of the Great Basin, the city of Susanville, California, has experienced high winds, heavy snowfalls, and wildfires that disrupt power supplied on the regular grid. Fortunately, the city’s 20,000 residents, as well as those in surrounding rural communities, aren’t left in the dark for long.
Just 20 minutes away in Wendell, California, the Honey Lake Power plant is busy converting wood waste into energy to bring the lights back on. Honey Lake normally provides its electric output to San Diego Gas & Electric under a long-term power purchase agreement. In the event that Lassen County is disconnected from the larger California electric grid, Honey Lake supports local grid reliability by providing power to the Lassen Municipal Utility District, the local power district, for the town of Susanville and adjacent communities.
This 30-megawatt bioenergy electrical generation facility is one of seven bioenergy plants in California with special contracts authorized by the state legislation to obtain 80% of their feedstock from forest biomass from high hazard zones, such as those with trees killed by fires, wind events, insects and disease.
Biomass typically includes urban tree trimmings, sawmill by-products, and forest-derived fuels like the tops of saw logs, wood chips and slash.
When it comes to biomass, the Lassen National Forest has plenty to offer. Honey Lake Power burns between 150,000 and 200,000 tons of woody biomass per year, including about 140,000 bone dry tons acquired from forest thinning and fuels reduction on 10,000 acres of public and private lands. Of this, it’s estimated that the Lassen supplies up to 20% – wood waste that would otherwise be burned on site, either in planned pile burns or as fuel for the next wildfire. Much of this fuel is classified as ladder fuels that allow flames to reach the tops of larger trees.
The Lassen National Forest has provided more USDA Forest Service feedstock to Honey Lake Power in the last two years than any other forest in California.
“Bioenergy offers other significant environmental and consumer benefits, including improving forest health, protecting air quality and providing the most dependable renewable energy source,” said Deb Bumpus, forest supervisor for the Lassen National Forest.
October 23, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
AFS Energy Systems located in Lemoyne, PA a recognized leader for over 30 years in renewable biomass thermal
energy system design, manufacturing, supply and installation announces receipt of a Purchase Order for yet
another prestigious project award.
Located at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC the 12 MW Hot Water Expansion Reciprocating Grate
Stoker fired Biomass Hot Water Generator Boiler System will add to an existing system in UBC’s existing boiler
room.
All-Pro Services Ltd. of Port Coquitlam, BC is the Design Build Contractor chosen by the University for the project
and will be working with AFS to provide all the system components and services necessary for a turn-key project
delivery.
Robert Jang the General Manager for All-Pro Services Ltd. commended AFS and specifically John Frailey Senior
Engineer for his diligence in providing all the required information that met the challenges of adding 12 MW to the
existing equipment in an existing space with a ‘state of the art’ proven technology that meets the needs of one of
the recognized premier institutions looking to continue to meet their GHG emission reduction goals.
The project is scheduled to be completed by mid 2020 prior to the heating season.
Web site links
www.afsenergy.com
www.all-proservices.ca
www.buildingoperations.ubc.ca
Join Mt. Poso Cogeneration, DTE, MacPherson, & Independence High School on October 23rd in recognition of the Seventh Annual Bioenergy Day.
Mt. Poso Cogeneration will be marking the occasion, along with dozens of other groups across the country, by hosting a lunch at Independence High School.
October 23rd to Mark the 7th Annual National Bioenergy Day in Kern County
We are pleased to announce that the 7th Annual Bioenergy Day will take place on October 23rd during National Forest Products Week.
Bioenergy Day is a great way to educate the public about the importance and benefits of biomass power. In previous years participants have invited local schools, politicians, and media outlets to share how bioenergy positively impacts the community.
To help you prepare for this year’s Bioenergy Day we have posted an updated Bioenergy Day Participation Guide 2019. The guide includes suggestions for Bioenergy Day events, template letters to the press and community, as well as numerous tips and planning guidelines for a successful Bioenergy Day.
As always, feel free to reach out to Carrie Annand at carrie@usabiomass.org with any questions. We look forward to helping you make Bioenergy Day 2019 a big success!
The city of Prince George celebrated Bioenergy Day today with an open house to their Downtown Renewable Energy System.
The system heats 11 downtown buildings using water heated with sawmill residue at Lakeland Mills. Locations include City Hall, the Four Seasons Pool, and the Public Library.
The city recently added the Wood Innovation and Design Center, Plaza 400 and the Law Courts to their roster of buildings heated with the system. The piping is nearly three kilometres and reaches as far as the RCMP detachment on Victoria Street.
According to the city, by displacing consumption of natural gas for heating, the Downtown Renewable Energy System has reduced the City’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2200 tonnes annually.
Steven Mercedes, supervisor for the city, said the system is “cleaning the air, one building at a time.”
National Bioenergy Day is made possible by contributions from:
