2012 Conference

2012 Heating the Midwest Conference and Expo

April 25-27, 2012
Ramada Convention Center, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

**Scroll down to find hyperlinks to many of the conference presentations**

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

8:30 AM          Optional Pre-Conference Tour (separate registration fee applies)

  • School system heating – Barron, WI (middle school – pellet boiler (2.5 MMBtu/hr), high school – 15 MMBtu/hr wood chip boiler)
  • School system heating – Rice Lake, WI (Chip Tech gasifier – 9 MMBtu/hr)
  • Pellet production plant – Indeck Energy, Ladysmith, WI (90,000 tons/year)

Return to Eau Claire Ramada by 5:00 PM

5:00 PM          Registration Opens in Expo Lobby

6:00 PM          Vendor’s Reception for all sponsors, exhibitors, conference registrants and invited guests in the Expo Hall.

Concludes at 8:00 PM

 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

7:30 AM          Registration opens with continental breakfast in Expo hall

9:00 AM          Opening Plenary Session

Introduction and Welcome:
Brian Brashaw, Program Director, University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute and Chris Wiberg, Manager – Biomass Energy Services, Timber Products Inspection/Biomass Energy Lab

Opening Remarks
Paul Delong, Wisconsin State Forester, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry

Keynote Address:
Setting a Big Vision for Regional Biomass Heating Systems at the Industrial/Commercial Scale and at the School/Community Scale
Kenneth Smith, President and CEO, District Energy St. Paul, St. Paul, MN

“Federal Opportunities for Assisting the Development of Biomass Thermal Projects”
Stan Gruszynski, State Director, USDA Rural Development, Stevens Point, WI

 10:30 AM        Refreshment and Networking Break

11:00 AM        “USDA Wood-to-Energy Efforts: Restoring Economies and Ecosystems
David Atkins, Woody Biomass Program Manager, USDA Forest Service, Washington D.C.

Plenary Session Panel Discussion
Moderator: Denis Becker, University of Minnesota

12:00 PM        Lunch in Open Expo Hall

1:00 PM          Break Out Sessions 1 and 2 (Concurrent)

Session 1 – Biomass Resources in the Midwest
Moderator: Becky Phillip, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute

Availability and Location of Agricultural and Woody Feedstocks in the Midwest
David Ripplinger, Research Assistant, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

Biomass Quality and Combustion: Not all Biomass is Equal
Troy Runge, Director, Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI

Session 2 – Residential/Small Commercial Real World Projects – Success Stories
Moderator: Tony (T.J.) Morice, Marth Wood Shaving Supply, Inc.

Energy Upgrades in Low Income Housing in Vermont, Scott Nichols, President, Tarm Biomass USA, Lyme, NH

Small Commercial and Institutional Installations, David Dungate, President, ACT Bioenergy, Schenectady, NY

Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Per Carlson, Founder, AbioNova and Grant Gagner, Business Development Commercial Series, Woodmaster

Barron High School, Monti Hallberg, Superintendent, Barron, WI (File too large for posting. Please contact conference@heatingthemidwest.org to request)

Biomass Heat in Ohio, Scott Bagley, Wood for Warmth Renewable Heat Services, Athens, OH

2:45 PM          Refreshment and Networking Break

3:15 PM          Break Out Sessions 3 and 4 (Concurrent)

Session 3 – Biomass Thermal Benefits in the Midwest
Moderator: Chris Wiberg, Timber Products Inspection

Bio Energy in the Midwest
William Strauss, President, FutureMetrics, Bethel, ME

Renewable Energy Benefits from Biomass for a College Campus,” Dr. Joel Tallaksen, Biomass Project Coordinator, University of Minnesota West Central Research & Outreach Center

“Benefits from an Innovative Combined Heat and Power Plant”
Stacy Cook,Vice President of Operations, Koda Energy, Shakopee, MN (File too large for posting. Please contact conference@heatingthemidwest.org to request)

Biomass Opportunities for Enhancing Prairie Habitat
Paul Charland, Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Poynette, WI

Session 4 – Large Commercial/Institutional Real World Projects – Success Stories
Moderator: Tony (T.J.) Morice, Marth Wood Shaving Supply, Inc.

Eastern Illinois University: Biomass Gasification, Renewable Energy Center, Gary Reed, Director of Facilities Planning & Management, Eastern Illinois University

Ensuring the Sustainable Harvest of Forest-Derived Biomass for the University of Missouri’s CHP Plant,” Hank Stelzer, Associate Professor of Forestry, University of Missouri

Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co. – Biomass Gasifier, Andrew Zurn, Engineering Manager, Benson, MN

Chillicothe, Ohio Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lew McCreery, Forest Products Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Morgantown, WV

Linking Fuels Reduction and Wood Energy, Amanda Mott, Energy Project Specialist, Wisconsin State Energy Office, Madison, WI

5:00 PM           Sessions 3 and 4 conclude

6:00 PM          Thermal Heating Fair – Expo Hall Open

Click to view a PDF of the Thermal Heating Fair Flyer

“Sweden’s Success in Biomass – An Opportunity for the Midwest”
Bengt- Erik Löfgren

Marth Fiber Supply Heating Appliance and Fuel Overview
Tony (T.J.) Morice

“My Family’s Successful Transition from Propane to Wood Pellets”
Tim Hagen

HeatSmart Plus Heating Appliance Overview
Dave Jacoby

ABioNova/WoodMaster Heating Appliance Overview
Per Carlsson and Grant Gagner

Tarm Biomass USA Heating Appliance Overview
Scott Nichols

Messersmith Manufacturing Heating Appliance Overview
Gerry Guard

Thermal Heating Fair Closes at 9:00 PM

 

Friday, April 27, 2012

7:30 AM          Expo Hall opens with continental breakfast in Expo hall

8:30 AM          General Session

Austria’s Successful Rise in Biomass Heating
Hans C. Kordik, Counseler for Agriculture & Environment, Austrian Embassy, Washington, DC

The Successful Expansion of Biomass Heating in the Midwest: Lessons Learned from the Northeast Experience
Charlie Niebling, General Manager, New England Wood Pellet LLC, Steering Committee, Northeast Biomass Thermal Working Group

9:30 AM          Refreshment and Networking Break

10:00 AM       General Session: Advancing Biomass Thermal in the Midwest
Moderator: Pamela Porter, Biomass Energy Resource Center

Supporting Community-Driven Sustainable Bioenergy Projects”
Gary Atwood, Local Project Coordinator, Cook County Local Energy Project, Grand Marais, MN and Gloria Erickson, Local Project Coordinator, Ely, MN Alternative Energy Task Force

Project Feasibility And The Key Financial Variables Along The Way
John Jackels, Manager, Energy & Utilities, Baker Tilly, Madison, WI

Policy Strategies for Supporting Thermal Biomass in the Midwest
Dennis Becker, Associate Professor, Dept of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

11:30 AM        Closing Session

“Capitalizing On Heating the Midwest Conference: Conference Charge and Closing”
Chris Wiberg, Tony (T.J.) Morice, Pamela Porter, Becky Phillip, Michael Curci; Steering Committee Members, Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass

12:00 PM         Conference Closes

Click to view a PDF of the final conference program