March 2017 Newsletter

Greetings!
If you’re interested in learning more about Unique Biomass Thermal Energy Deployments in the Upper Midwest, join us on April 10 at the 2017 Heating the Midwest Conference & Expo, co-located this year with the International Biomass Conference & Expo at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, MN.
One deployment for highlighting during the conference panel is a Community Center Wood Chip Storage, Handling and District Heating system slated for summer 2017.
The project will utilize self-sourced wood chips in a new hot water district heating system to meet 88 percent of the heating requirements for the community center. An annual savings of $28,000 will be realized using wood chip fuel and 85 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions will be avoided. This installation will serve as a template for future installations.

To learn more about this biomass project and equipment attend the Biomass Preparation, Handling and Storage Workshop being held in conjunction with many other conference events on April 10-12, 2017. Register today at 2017 International Biomass Conference and Expo and the Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass Conference.

See you there!

Bruno Zagar
Secretary/Treasurer
Heating the Midwest Inc.


In This Newsletter:

  • North Central Area’s Biomass Reboot
  • BTEC Update
  • Northeast Biomass Heating Conference & Expo
  • Wood Stove Design Challenge
  • Itasca Community College Install
  • LinkedIn
  • Funding Opportunities
  • Free Publications
  • Ideas for SWET
  • Become an Action Team Volunteer
  • Call for news

North Central Area’s Biomass Reboot

After 30-plus years of operation, a biomass heating system at a school in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was replaced by the company that originally built it.
In January 1982, the same year that a small welding and manufacturing company in Bark River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was officially incorporated, it built and installed a biomass heating system at the nearby North Central Area’s high school building in Powers, MI.

Read full story here.


BTEC Announces New Technical Engagement Manager David Bancroft
Washington, DC, February 27, 2017 – The Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) is pleased to welcome David Bancroft as its new Technical Engagement Manager. David has a broad range of experiences in government, non-profits, and renewable energy over a 30-year career. In addition to augmenting BTEC’s management team, he will be the lead on BTEC’s technical projects.

Northeast Biomass Heating Conference & Expo
Held in Burlington, VT, April 10-12, 2017. Speakers, panel discussion, tours, the expo and more make this the premier thermal biomass event for industry, government, researchers and non-profit stakeholders.
More information can be found here.

Wood Stove Design Challenge
The Alliance for Green Heat has annouced the fourth Wood Stove Design Challenge, returning to the National Mall in Washington, DC in November 2018.
The event will be free and open to the public and includes rigorous testing of the next generation of technology that can make wood stoves consistently cleaner, more efficient, easier to use and, like solar energy, a renewable source of electricity.
Read full article here.

Itasca Community College Biomass Install

Congratulations to Itasca Community College on the install of your new Messersmith Biomass Boiler. Itasca was founded in 1922 as a two year public college. They serve 1200 students with 40 full time faculty. The average class size is 24 students. The main focus is in Natural resources, pulp and paper, geographic information systems and power generation- to name a few.
The use of forest residue as a heating fuel has a great potential to provide a renewable, clean source of energy while investing in rural economies.

More information and pictures can be found here.


HTM has joined LinkedIn

Heating the Midwest Incorporated has created a LinkedIn page. Follow the page to stay up to date with what we’re working on!

Click here to follow us.


Free Publications

Biomass Magazine and Pellet Mill Magazine are free to subscribers in the USA.  Here’s link to sign up and there is also free e-newsletters, free webinars and more:

BTEC Newsletter:  If you are interested in receiving the Biomass Thermal Energy Council’s weekly biomass newsletter and other news releases, you are encouraged to sign-up at: http://biomassthermal.org/mailingForm.asp

Have Biomass Project Ideas for SWET?

Michigan Statewide Wood Energy Team
Contact: Ray Miller- rmiller@anr.msu.edu
Minnesota Statewide Wood Energy Team
Contact: Mark Lindquist- mark.lindquist@state.mn.us
Wisconsin Statewide Wood Energy Team
Contact: Olivia Shanahan – PSC – Olivia.Shanahan@wisconsin.gov

Heating the Midwest – Become an Action Team Volunteer!

If you have a specific area of interest related to biomass thermal, we welcome your participation in one or all of HTM’s three action teams-Biomass Combustion Technologies, Policy & Benefits, and Biomass Resources & Demographics. Is your time often stretched? No problem. Time committed to the HTM effort is volunteer time. The teams meet monthly via conference call, and calls are limited to one hour in respect of members’ time and busy schedules. Members may choose to volunteer more of their time individually to support Action Team specific projects as they arise.  The work of each of the action teams involves developing “boots on the ground” projects for spurring action, discussing industry challenges in each sector and how to possibly address, networking and supporting the overall goals and vision of the Heating the Midwest with Renewable Biomass initiative in an effort to grow demand and expand marketing opportunities in the biomass thermal sector, and create awareness of biomass thermal. Following is a list of the schedule for the action team calls:
Biomass Combustion Technologies Action Team
Meets first Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. CST
Biomass Policy & Benefits Action Team
Meets second Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. CST
Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team
Meets third Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. CST
For more detailed information on the Biomass Combustion Technologies Action Team, please contact Andrew Murray (andrew.treeguy@gmail.com); for the Biomass Policy & Benefits Action Team, please contact Marcus Grubbs (marcus.a.grubbs@gmail.com); and for details pertaining to the Biomass Resources & Demographics Action Team, please contact Becky Philipp at bphilipp@auri.org or via phone at (218) 280-8575.

Call for Your Midwest Biomass Stories and Events for March Newsletter

As you’ve seen month after month; companies, governments, and communities around the Midwest are making progress on biomass heating and combined heat and power (CHP) programs and projects. If you have a story or event to contribute for next month, please submit by close of business the 3rd Wednesday of the month to kloeffler@heatingthemidwest.org.  And, if you’d like to be on the list to receive upcoming newsletters, please contact Kelsey Loeffler at kloeffler@heatingthemidwest.org.