Wood Stove Heat Exchanger

Vt capital weighs heating downtown with wood

Looking to wean itself form foreign oil, Vermont's capital and several other cities and towns are considering whether to create a wood-fueled district heating system for city buildings and schools, one into which residents and businesses eventually could hook up.

Burlington, Randolph, Middlebury and Brattleboro are examining similar ideas. Interest ranges from what Newport City Manager John Ward called a "very preliminary" review by the planning commission there to a technical feasibility study under way in Burlington to Montpelier's plan, which goes before voters Tuesday.

With a population of about 8,000, a wealth of forested hillsides and a chilly climate -- the average daily temperature in January is 16.4 degrees -- Montpelier is seen by many as an ideal candidate for such a system.

On Tuesday, residents will vote on a proposed $2.75 million bond issue to develop the system, which would use mainly wood chips.

Establishing a district heating system for downtowns that uses wood as the fuel is the norm in parts of Europe. Backers see financial savings, a way to keep their energy spending circulating in the regional economy and a way to reduce carbon emissions. Skeptics see a big up-front expense, though Montpelier is being helped by state and federal grants.

Mayor Mary Hooper says the project will pay for itself through savings on heating oil and save the city money overall. When businesses along the routes of the new pipes that will carry hot water through the downtown see that, they'll sign on, too -- though the project's finances don't depend on anyone other than three city buildings and two public schools signing up, Hooper says.

Adam Sherman, interim director of the Montpelier-based Biomass Energy Resource Center, and the city's consulting project manager, Harold Garabedian, said there are other benefits as well:

-- Cleaner air: With one central, wood-fired heating plant replacing separate chimneys on each of the five public buildings that would be served by the system initially, Montpelier is expected to cut its emissions of acid rain-causing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide by up to 11 tons a year.

-- Keeping energy money local: Rather than supporting the global oil industry, backers say, the money the city is paying for heating fuel would end up in the hands of loggers and wood chip processors in Vermont, other northeastern states and neighboring Quebec.

-- Combatting climate change: Carbon emitted by burning wood is reabsorbed by forests, setting up a recycling system of sorts in which carbon is taken in by trees, low-grade trees are cut and used for fuel (the best ones go for higher-end uses like furniture), carbon is released when the wood chips are burned and reabsorbed by trees. Fossil fuels theoretically are part of a similar cycle, but it takes millions of years.

Furnace Parts, Wood Burning Stoves & Heat Exchangers | Frucola

Yes. We know that it’s hot in a lot of the country. So, providing warmth for your home is probably not at the top of your ‘to-do’ list.

Still, next winter, when it’s cold, you’ll be glad you did. You’ll be glad you gave heating your home some thought.

Why? Why is it a good time to be thinking about how you heat your home? It’s simple really.

Energy prices, gas prices and heating prices keep going up and up. Yes, up and up, even more.

So, now is the time to think about heating your home with wood. Yes, wood!

One of their many wood burning stoves from Alternative Heating & Supplies could be just the ticket to keep your home heated for less than you spent last winter. That’s right.

Why? And, how? How can I heat my home for less than it cost me last year?

You can heat your home with wood. Think about it.

What does it cost to have the oil truck come to your house and fill your tank for your oil stove. Ha!

Now, how much more does that cost than hoping in the pickup and going out to where they’re clearcutting some land. You may be able to get the wood for free! That’s better, isn’t it?

Maybe it’s furnace parts that you want. Well, Alternative Heating & Supply has those, as well.

Or, maybe you’re after a heat exchanger . Maybe you don’t know what a heat exchanger is? If you do, and you need one, you know you need one!

Call Alternative Heating & Supply at 1-888-881-1602. Do it right now. Call them today.

Popular Science

Popular Science

Popular Mechanics

Popular Science

How to Buy and Sell (Just About) Everything, More Than 550 Step-by-Step Instructions for Everything From Buying Life Insurance to Selling Your Screenplay to Choosing a Thoroughbred Racehorse