ARLINGTON, VA–(Marketwire - April 13, 2009) - In celebration of Earth Day, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) wants you to know that today’s fireplaces and stoves can provide some quick and easy ways to make our planet AND your wallet green.
GREEN YOUR HOME
1) Clean the Air, Inside and Out
– All of the newest wood stoves are certified to strict EPA standards that cut emissions, both inside and outside, by more than 70% compared to uncertified stoves.
– Natural gas and propane-fueled stoves and fireplaces are also some of the cleanest burning fuel options available.
Most fireplace and stove products are efficiency-rated and assigned a score between zero and 100. Look for the highest efficiency rating — a higher score means the product can burn less fuel but still heat efficiently and effectively.
3) Heat in the Zone
People regularly use less than 40% of their home and using a fireplace, stove or insert to warm the rooms used most (zone heating) allows families to heat more efficiently by turning down their central thermostat, which also saves money — potentially 20-40% of their fuel bill.
4) Explore Renewable Fuels Options
Many of today’s stoves, fireplaces and inserts are engineered to burn biomass. These fuels are derived from renewable and sustainable sources such as wood, pellets, corn, and other alternatives.
5) Burn Wood Wisely
Although today’s fireplaces and stoves are cleaner than their older counterparts, using a newer product is only half the battle.
– Burn Wood Responsibly: Don’t burn trash or plastics, use only the recommended fuel for the product you have.
If you don’t have a fireplace or stove, or want to upgrade the one you have, the recently passed Economic Stimulus bill includes a 30% tax credit (up to $1,500) for the purchase of a 75% efficient biomass-burning stove (details on which stoves qualify are expected soon from the IRS).
2) Do the Math and Compare Costs
As the cost of heating oil and natural gas rise, using an energy-efficient wood or pellet stove combined with the tax credit could help you save money. You be the judge: apply our user-friendly calculator to compare the costs of burning different fuels.
3) Keep Heat Inside Your Home
No matter the product, it is important to keep heat within your home. Make sure that seals around windows and doors are tight and that your house is properly insulated.
While listening to the Noon Report last Saturday on WGN Radio 720 AM, I heard an interview worth passing along.
Max Armstrong interviewed Chuck Gomez, owner and operator of the Watseka Theatre in Iroquois County. The renovated art deco theater was reopened last year and within two weeks was faced with a whopping $8,000 utility bill. Uncertain how to keep the facility open, Gomez turned to a local business that manufactures corn stoves.
A detailed analysis revealed that the facility required five corn stoves: two in the actual theater, and one each in the lobby, cafe and balcony. The stoves passed inspection with flying colors.
Using an alternative — and readily available — energy source, the theater’s fuel cost has been reduced to just 50 cents per day. Asked by Armstrong whether the theater smells like burning corn, Gomez replied that the air-tight burning chambers result in no smell inside the theater, and what is smelled outside is the “smell of saving money.” Furthermore, the energy savings for one month alone paid for the corn stoves.
This may sound corny, but Watseka’s solution may be something our Orpheum Theatre board and other civic organizations may find worth investigating. — Robert D. Shipplett, Galesburg
Heating the alternative energy debate with wood pellets
By: Rachel Westberg
September 19, 2007
http://www.zwire.com/
If there was as good of a time as any to begin capitalizing on alternative energy, it would be now. Questions surrounding global warming have prompted citizens all around the world to look at how to become more environmentally friendly, including finding ways to lower the nation’s dependence on oil.
Chetek will soon be doing its part in “going green” as it is the new home of Community Energy Corporation, a manufacturing company whose goal is to be a leading provider of renewable energy solutions through the production of wood pellets. During the Chetek City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11, the council approved the development agreement with Community Energy Corporation, and construction is set to begin on the plant in the next couple of weeks, which will be located in Chetek’s industrial park.
Wood pellets are a type of bio-mass fuel, and one of many agricultural by-products that have the capability of being transitioned into energy. This renewable form of energy turns readily available waste products into clean sources of fuel. Wood pellets are exactly what they sound like-ground-up, dried wood processed into tiny pellets. The pellets are safe, clean burning, and easy to transport. With such an environmentally friendly appeal, James and Mary Bohl, who reside north of Barron, began considering developing a wood pellet plant. It just so happens that they chose Chetek as their location to build.
“I guess we were looking at something different to do as an additional business,” said James Bohl. “The area of alternative energy was something that intrigued us, and there is a lot of interest being generated in this market.”
A couple of years ago, Bohl and his wife Mary, who are also certified public accountants and own Bohl Associates Inc., in Barron. began toying with the idea of going into the business of producing alternative energy. To prepare for the venture, the couple spent time attending a variety of alternative fuel conventions throughout the world and researching their options. In late May 2006, the couple attended the World Bio-Energy and Wood Pellets Conference in Sweden. From that experience, the decision to produce wood pellets was solidified.
“From that conference and from our various field trips, we learned a lot about the industry,” said Bohl. “When we first began looking at alternative energy, we had no idea where we would head.”
One of the first conferences the Bohls attended was in St. Louis, Mo. The event focused on energy from agriculture. It was there that wood pellets piqued their interest. What particularly struck the Bohls’ interest about wood pellets was that with this form of alternative energy, unlike others such as ethanol or bio-diesel, pellets do not require a government subsidy to make them work. Manufacturing pellets, therefore, is more of a stable alternative-fuel industry.
“Economically, pellets stand on their own,” said Bohl. “It makes more sense for me to put in a pellet stove and burn pellets than burning LP or fuel oil. There is a savings there by doing that. We didn’t really want to rely on the government to create that savings. If they pull a plug on a subsidy for your investment, all of a sudden you have nothing.”
Bohl explained that right now, the savings an individual can gain with burning pellets to heat a house versus the other forms of energy can be anywhere from 30-70 percent, depending on what fuel a household is burning. He added that every year in North America, there are 125,000 to 150,000 new pellet/corn stoves sold each year, proving that the demand for such forms of alternative energy is increasing. Ironically, the biggest demand for pellets in North America is actually in the European market. Approximately 25 percent of the pellets produced in North America go to Europe, said Bohl. While this may be true, the Bohls are not currently looking at exporting their products overseas.
The building for the plant will be located directly behind the Parker Hannifin building in Chetek’s industrial park and will be a part of that tax increment financing district. Being located near a number of saw mill operations, Chetek became an ideal location for the venture.
“We also figured with what happened with the bio-diesel plant and that not going in, the city would be enthusiastic about having someone else coming in,” said Bohl. “Granted, we’re not going to be the size that they were, but the city has been very good about helping us get started. We’re very enthusiastic about coming to Chetek.”
The building will be approximately 4,800 square feet, and all machinery and operations will be held inside, with the exception of a rotary driver, which must be located outside. Bohl hopes that the plant will begin by employing 8-10 full-time individuals, but that number could grow depending on how the business progresses and how many shifts they decide on employing. Bohl anticipates selling pellets for $130 per ton, and anticipates selling a 40-lb. bag for $2.60. At a retail store, pellets often go $200 per ton and $4 per 40-lb bag.
According to Bohl, they are looking at getting the building up by the end of fall before the frost sets in, and hope to begin construction by October. By the end of winter or the beginning of spring, the Bohls hope to see the plant up and running.
In a brief description of how the wood pellets are made, Bohl explained that wood chips, saw dust, end pieces from various wood work places, etc., will come into the plant. Items that need to be ground will be ground into small chips. All of the products are then blended and mixed and go through a dryer to bring it to a level of 10 percent moisture. A hammer mill then grinds the pellets up even further. Once finely ground, the products go into a pelleting machine where they are made into pellets. The pellets then go through a sealer and cooler and finally bagged and sold.
“It’s not a complicated process at all,” said Bohl. “There are a couple of tricks, but it’s pretty straightforward.”
Bohl explained that the building will house two pellet mills, allowing the plant to produce similar levels of production as larger, one-mill plants. The hope is to have an output of 12,000 tons a year, depending on the availability of their sources of wood. The capacity, with both mills, will be twice that, however. In addition, the Bohls also hope to experiment with pelleting various other items, such as corn stalks. Along with being a cleaner fuel to burn, wood pellets can also be made by using waste materials, such as old wooden pallets, downed trees, or home-building material.
Over the past couple of years, with the demand for wood pellets rising, many more similar plants have been built. Currently, Bohl feels that there may be only six plants in Wisconsin, with the nearest one being in Marathon. Bohl also noted, however, that with the cost of trucking increasing, he feels that similar regional plants will become increasingly present. Although still a year or two down the line, the Bohls are not opposed to creating more plants in the area.
“We would like to see this as the beginning point of an operation that goes to many locations,” said Bohl. “We’d like to have plants scattered in places where we feel they can economically be feasible. It is really our thought that in the future there will be similar plants throughout the Midwest between 50 and 100 miles apart. This is, hopefully, just a starting point.”
The Bohls are excited about the prospects of their new business, and noted it is easy to be positive when you believe in something.
“The commitment is there, and hopefully, the rewards will follow,” said Mary.
After doing business as accountants for over 20 years, going into business to manufacture alternative energy may seem like quite a jump. For the Bohls, the reward of manufacturing wood pellets is in actually seeing the end product, a welcome change of pace from the intangible rewards of doing someone’s tax returns.
“If the business doesn’t make it manufacturing pellets, we can always go into business making animal feed,” joked James.
Other city news
In other city action, the council approved the airport committee’s request to allow camping on airport property for pilot and passengers camping in grass tie-down areas. This would be an exception to the no-camping regulations.
The curfew ordinance was also under review during the council meeting. After short discussion, per Chetek Police Chief Mark Petersen’s request, the council agreed to take out a section of the ordinance. The section in question dictates that the first time a minor is detained for curfew violation, a parent, guardian shall be advised, personally if known, or by registered mail. The change allows the discretion to issue a warning or citation for the infraction to be up to the police officer on duty without immediately involving parents. The recommendation would be made to the police commission.
“From my own observations, I see a lot of juveniles walking around town well after midnight,” said Alderman Bill Waite. “They’re looking for mischief at that time of night. I think if we tighten up the ordinance, it could possibly curb a lot of these recent break-ins and other crimes.”
In addition, the council also opted to recommend that the police commission require that a police officer log at least 50 miles per shift in the squad car.
“In my opinion, [the police officers] are slacking,” said Waite. “I think the officers need to show what they are doing on their shifts. I see squad cars pull into the police department at night and it is literally hours before they pull out again.”
PIERCE CITY. Mo. — Don’t expect Bill Harvill, a Stark City contract poultry producer, to just sit back and wring his hands over rising costs to keep chickens warm.
Neither will he give up on looking for support from the government to help manufacturers that make corn-burning stoves and the farms that use them.
Harvill has spent $45,000 to install corn-burning stoves in three of his broiler houses. He says the stoves cut propane costs by at least 90 percent.
The subject of a meeting held March 30 at the Shoal Creek Revival Church southwest of Pierce City was burning corn to heat poultry houses and the need for government money to help build and use the stoves.
Harvill said last year he used 8,000 gallons of propane at a cost of $1.10 a gallon ($8,800) to heat a 16,000-square-foot house.
Heat cost for the same size house using 1,000 bushels of corn at $4 per bushel was $4,000, according to his information. A bushel of corn generates the same amount of heat as 5.5 gallons of propane, he said.
“I have been upset for five years. I do not like depending on foreign oil. High propane costs are driving us in the poultry industry crazy. Propane costs are holding us hostage,” he said.
Harvill and his son-in-law, Joe Guinn, have 14 broiler houses that can each hold 32,000 birds. They get seven flocks a year, 3,136,000 chickens. Harvill and Guinn are contract growers for Tyson Foods. Tyson owns the birds and provides feed. Contract growers supply housing and care for birds.
To make the alternative heating adjustment, Harvill turned to Steve Schoen, whose family owns Schoen Equipment Inc., Freistatt. Schoen sells corn-burning stoves. Most are designed to heat smaller spaces.
Harvill obtained a 450,000 British thermal unit capacity stove that he adjusted to supply heat to a poultry house. He has spent $45,000 to install such stoves in three of his poultry houses.
His stoves were made by SRS, a company in Pocahontas, Iowa.
Randy Severson, a partner of SRS, is working with Harvill to further improve and enlarge the heating system to 600,000 Btu capacity.
The March 30 meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Southwest Missouri Resource Conservation and Development, Republic.
A large portion of the meeting consisted of an audio-visual presentation given by Debbie Schoen, secretary-bookkeeper at Schoen Equipment.
The presentation highlighted desired actions sought from the Missouri Legislature:
Give farmers an equivalent incentive to burn in biomass renewable energy systems.
Provide low-interest loans for farmers and private companies to build and use corn-burning stoves.
Give tax credits to insure continued use of biomass energy.
Provide grants for farmers and private companies to explore new ways to use biomass energy.
Give tax credits to poultry growers to motivate hauling litter to crop farms to use as fertilizer to grow corn.
Her program included data on how burning corn to heat poultry houses leaves drier and cleaner air as opposed to using propane. Cleaner and drier air benefits the birds and helps control the odor.
My husband, Elbert Crosby, and I own a 92-year-old Vermont business located on Rt. 7 in Danby. Originally, a farm machinery/grain operation, changes over time in our business have included adding building materials and hardware of all types, along with a 30-year association with True Value. And, even though we have grown, we love it when customers remark that they are thankful we have not turned into a “big box.” That we have kept the old town feeling and willingness to please customers.
However, the most exciting and rewarding change that I have seen has been selling the longtime fuel oil business. The impetus for the sale was partly due to our belief in alternative fuels. We are dealers for many different brands of pellet stoves, corn stoves and indoor and outdoor corn/pellet furnace boilers.
We believe in these alternative energies so strongly that of our small staff, half of us are using pellet/corn heat. We have gone even further by placing operating demo stoves in some of our local stores so that people can actually see how these stoves work and how effective they really are. Plus we have three stoves in operation in our own store which has enabled us to cut our oil consumption considerably. We plan to switch to a hot-air boiler in the next year and become totally oil free.
And, Elbert and I plan to install an outdoor corn boiler at our own home. As with the hot air furnace at the store, the outdoor corn boiler will allow us to use our existing hot-water piping.
This is our fourth year of selling alternative fuels and stoves. We carry five or six different brands of stoves. We have not had a shortage of either wood pellets or corn. Even though we sell these products, we like folks to be aware that they can save even more by buying corn in bulk from a couple of local farmers. We offer a pellet pre-buy program with delivery options.
We pride ourselves on becoming knowledgeable users of this technology and welcome sharing our expertise and excitement with anyone that comes in to our store. In fact, one of the “fun” requirements of this old-time business is that we don’t let customers leave until they have seen our corn stove in operation. We know that they will become believers — not only because the stoves are economical but also because the technology is environmentally friendly due to the “clean” burning — little creosote and smoke. So clean, that all of our stoves are mobile-home approved.