National Bioenergy Day on Wednesday, October 21
October 21 will mark the Third Annual National Bioenergy Day with multiple open-houses being held across the state to showcase how advanced wood heating is being used to heat affordable housing and public buildings, helping reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
South Main Apartments in Waterbury will open its doors to local residents, inviting them to come and learn more about an industry that provides significant local benefits. Developer, Downstreet Housing & Community Development set out to create affordability for every resident by choosing wood heat. The event in Waterbury will be one of dozens of events across the United States and Canada held to raise awareness about bioenergy, and one of 2 events locally in Vermont. “High Efficiency wood heat contributes a great deal to our local economy and helps keep forests and the forest industry in Vermont more resilient,” said Dave Frank of Sunwood Systems. "It starts with one tree, then a forester, then a logger. A local furniture company might take part of the tree, and then the rest is processed into pellets at a local pellet mill. Then, a local installer installs a wood pellet boiler that is fueled by the local pellets. With the twist of the dial, folks stay warm and it all stays in Vermont!"
Bioenergy refers to the generation of electricity and heat from wood and other organic materials. In 2013, approximately 23% of all renewable energy consumed nationally was from wood (EIA, 2013) – more than wind and solar combined and second only to hydroelectric energy. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has continued to support bioenergy’s role in protecting the health of forests on federal lands, saying, “Renewable wood energy is part of the Obama Administration’s ‘all of the above’ energy strategy. The Forest Service works with its partners to support the development of wood energy projects that promote sound forest management, expand regional economies and create new rural jobs.” Here in Vermont, the 2015 Clean Energy Report shows that 4.8% of jobs are in the clean energy field making it a national leader.
Bob Cleaves, President and CEO of Biomass Power Association says, “Today, all across the country, people are learning about bioenergy and how it helps local economies and forests.” Here in Vermont, the opportunity to see advanced wood heat in action by stopping by one of 6 locations allows you to see how the wood supply chain supports local communities, while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Businesses and homeowners alike reap significant benefits when switching to a more sustainable, local fuel source. Additionally, a typical single family home can see substantial savings annually when switching from fossil fuel heat sources to advanced wood heat. To learn more about advanced wood heating, incentive options of up to $5,500 and to see a listing of all of the local participating sites, go to www.revermont.org. To see a listing of all the sites participating in the U.S. and Canada, go to www.bioenergyday.com/events.
South Main Apartments | 36 State Drive, Waterbury, VT | Open-house from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm | for more information, contact Dave Frank with SunWood Biomass 802-279-7900
Montpelier District Heating Plant | 122 State Street, Montpelier, VT | Two Tours: 9:30 – 10:30 am and 11:00 am – 12:00 pm | for more information, contact Joe Aja – State of Vermont Project Manager [email protected]
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