Download or read book The Potential for Wood Energy and Biomass Fuels in Alaska written by Dmitry S. Halinen and published by Nova Science Publishers. This book was released on 2011-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Goal three of the current U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service strategy for improving the use of woody biomass is to help develop and expand markets for woody biomass products. This book explores the existing volumes of renewable wood energy products (RWEP) that are currently used in Alaska and the potential demand of RWEP for residential and community heating projects in the state. Data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census and the U.S. Department of Energy have been used to build a profile of residential and commercial energy demand for Alaska census tracts. If fuel oil prices increase to the levels experienced in 2008, there would be a strong economic incentive to convert heating systems to use solid wood fuels.
Download or read book Wood Energy in Alaska written by David L. Nicholls and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biomass resources in Alaska are extensive and diverse, comprising millions of acres of standing small-diameter trees, diseased or dead trees, and trees having lowgrade timber. Limited amounts of logging and mill residues, urban wood residues, and waste products are also available. Recent wildfires in interior Alaska have left substantial volumes of burned timber, potentially usable for biomass energy. Motivated, in part, by rising fuel prices, organizations across the state -- including businesses, schools, and government agencies -- have all expressed an interest in wood energy applications. Numerous sites have pursued feasibility studies or engineering design analysis, and others have moved forward with project construction. Recent advances in biomass utilization in Alaska have been enabled by numerous factors, and involve various fuel sources, scales of operation, and end products. Already, thermal wood energy systems are using sawmill residues to heat lumber dry kilns, and a public school heating system is in operation. Management policies on national forests and state forests in Alaska could determine the type and amounts of available biomass from managed forests, from wildland-urban interface regions, and from salvage timber operations. Biomass products in Alaska having potential for development are as diverse as wood pellets, cordwood (firewood), compost, wood-plastic composite products, and liquid fuels. In addition, new technologies are allowing for more efficient use of biomass resources for heating and electrical generation at scales appropriate for community power. This case study review considers successes and lessons learned from current wood energy systems in Alaska, and also considers opportunities for future bioenergy development.
Download or read book Developing Estimates of Potential Demand for Renewable Wood Energy Products in Alaska written by Allen M. Brackley and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011-04 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is concerned with the existing volumes of renewable wood energy products (RWEP) currently used in Alaska and the potential demand for RWEP for residential and community heating projects in the state. By using peak prices from the fall of 2008, the potential value of a British thermal unit (Btu) from various fuels has been calculated to identify those situations where wood-based fuels are economically competitive or advantageous when compared with alternative fuel sources. If fuel oil prices increase to the levels experienced in 2008, there would be a strong economic incentive to convert heating systems to use solid wood fuels. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find report.
Download or read book Assessing the Potential for Conversion to Biomass Fuels in Interior Alaska written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In rural Alaskan communities, high economic, social, and ecological costs are associated with fossil fuel use for power generation. Local concerns regarding fuel prices, environmental contamination, and the effects of global climate change have resulted in increased interest in renewable energy sources. In this study we assessed the feasibility of switching from fossil fuels to wood energy in rural Alaskan villages in forested regions of interior Alaska. Modeling results based on recent data on rural energy use, demographics, economics, and forest dynamics indicated that the installation costs of biomass systems would be recouped within 10 years for at least 21 communities in the region. In addition, results showed that all but the largest remote communities in the interior could meet all their electrical demand and some heating needs with a sustainable harvest of biomass within a radius of 10 km of the village. Marketable carbon credits may add an additional incentive for fuel conversion, particularly if U.S. prices eventually rise to match European levels. Biomass conversion also offers potential social benefits of providing local employment, retaining money locally, and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire near human habitation. This analysis demonstrated that conversion to biomass fuels is economically viable and socially beneficial for many villages across interior Alaska.
Download or read book Developing Estimates of Potential Demand for Renewable Wood Energy Products in Alaska written by Brackley and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-02-14 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Goal three of the current U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service strategy for improving the use of woody biomass is to help develop and expand markets for woody biomass products. This report is concerned with the existing volumes of renewable wood energy products (RWEP) that are currently used in Alaska and the potential demand for RWEP for residential and community heating projects in the state. In this report, data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census and the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency have been used to build a profile of residential and commercial energy demand for Alaska census tracts. By using peak prices from the fall of 2008, the potential value of a British thermal unit (Btu) from various fuels has been calculated to identify those situations where wood-based fuels are economically competitive or advantageous when compared with alternative fuel sources.
Download or read book Biomass Conversion Opportunities written by and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Developing Estimates of Potential Demand for Renewable Wood Energy Products in Alaska written by Allen M. Brackley and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Goal three of the current U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service strategy for improving the use of woody biomass is to help develop and expand markets for woody biomass products. This report is concerned with the existing volumes of renewable wood energy products (RWEP) that are currently used in Alaska and the potential demand for RWEP for residential and community heating projects in the state. In this report, data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census and the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Agency have been used to build a profile of residential and commercial energy demand for Alaska census tracts. By using peak prices from the fall of 2008, the potential value of a British thermal unit (Btu) from various fuels has been calculated to identify those situations where wood-based fuels are economically competitive or advantageous when compared with alternative fuel sources. Where these situations are identified, the Btu usage has been converted to equivalent volumes of wood energy products. Data have been presented so potential demand is available by census tract. No attempt has been made to define the rate of conversion or the time that it will take for total conversion to renewable wood energy. The ultimate rate of conversion is a function of government policies that encourage conversion, costs associated with converting, and price of alternative fuels. If fuel oil prices increase to the levels experienced in 2008, there would be a strong economic incentive to convert heating systems to use solid wood fuels. If all of the liquid fuels used by the residential and commercial sectors in Alaska were converted to solid wood energy, it is estimated that 1.3 million cords of material would be required annually.
Download or read book Wood Energy in Alaska Case Study Evaluations of Selected Facilities written by United States Department of Agriculture and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-02-14 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biomass resources in Alaska are extensive and diverse, comprising millions of acres of standing small-diameter trees, diseased or dead trees, and trees having lowgrade timber. Limited amounts of logging and mill residues, urban wood residues, and waste products are also available. Recent wildfires in interior Alaska have left substantial volumes of burned timber, potentially usable for biomass energy. Motivated, in part, by rising fuel prices, organizations across the state-including businesses, schools, and government agencies-have all expressed an interest in wood energy applications. Numerous sites have pursued feasibility studies or engineering design analysis, and others have moved forward with project construction. Recent advances in biomass utilization in Alaska have been enabled by numerous factors, and involve various fuel sources, scales of operation, and end products. Already, thermal wood energy systems are using sawmill residues to heat lumber dry kilns, and a public school heating system is in operation. Management policies on national forests and state forests in Alaska could determine the type and amounts of available biomass from managed forests, from wildland-urban interface regions, and from salvage timber operations. Biomass products in Alaska having potential for development are as diverse as wood pellets, cordwood (firewood), compost, wood-plastic composite products, and liquid fuels. In addition, new technologies are allowing for more efficient use of biomass resources for heating and electrical generation at scales appropriate for community power. This case study review considers successes and lessons learned from current wood energy systems in Alaska, and also considers opportunities for future bioenergy development.
Download or read book The Potential for Biomass District Energy Production in Port Graham Alaska written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This project was a collaboration between The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) and Chugachmiut - A Tribal organization Serving the Chugach Native People of Alaska and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Tribal Energy Program. It was conducted to determine the economic and technical feasibility for implementing a biomass energy system to service the Chugachmiut community of Port Graham, Alaska. The Port Graham tribe has been investigating opportunities to reduce energy costs and reliance on energy imports and support subsistence. The dramatic rise in the prices of petroleum fuels have been a hardship to the village of Port Graham, located on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. The Port Graham Village Council views the forest timber surrounding the village and the established salmon industry as potential resources for providing biomass energy power to the facilities in their community. Benefits of implementing a biomass fuel include reduced energy costs, energy independence, economic development, and environmental improvement. Fish oil-diesel blended fuel and indoor wood boilers are the most economical and technically viable options for biomass energy in the village of Port Graham. Sufficient regional biomass resources allow up to 50% in annual heating savings to the user, displacing up to 70% current diesel imports, with a simple payback of less than 3 years for an estimated capital investment under $300,000. Distributive energy options are also economically viable and would displace all imported diesel, albeit offering less savings potential and requiring greater capital. These include a large-scale wood combustion system to provide heat to the entire village, a wood gasification system for cogeneration of heat and power, and moderate outdoor wood furnaces providing heat to 3-4 homes or community buildings per furnace. Coordination of biomass procurement and delivery, ensuring resource reliability and technology acceptance, and arbitrating equipment maintenance mitigation for the remote village are challenges to a biomass energy system in Port Graham that can be addressed through comprehensive planning prior to implementation.
Download or read book Wood Energy for Residential Heating in Alaska Current Conditions Attitudes Expected Use written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pacific Northwest and Alaska Bioenergy Program Year Book written by Pacific Northwest and Alaska Bioenergy Program (U.S.) and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Estimates of Wood Energy Demand for Residential Use in Alaska written by Jean M. Daniels and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Opportunities for Woody Biomass Fuel Crops in Interior Alaska written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Feasibility of Using Wood Wastes to Meet Local Heating Requirements of Communities in the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska written by David L. Nicholls and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Use of Wood Energy for Lumber Drying and Community Heating in Southeast Alaska written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The inadequate transportation infrastructure and undeveloped markets for sawmill residues in southeast Alaska are among the factors that limit the use of this forest resource. This study considers the potential use of sawmill residues to supply two bioenergy systems that would produce thermal energy for (1) community heating and (2) a lumber dry kiln in Hoonah, Alaska. The proposed community heating system would be a direct combustion system, burning approximately 1,450 green tons (1.315 green metric kilotons) of wood fuel per year to provide heating for seven centrally located buildings in Hoonah. Additional sawmill residues would be used in another system to provide process heat for a proposed 25,000 board foot (41.3 m3) dry kiln. The Hoonah sawmill typically produces as much as 5 million board feet (8,255 m3) of lumber per year, primarily from western hemlock and Sitka spruce. The processing of this amount of lumber would result in an adequate volume of residue to provide a fuel source for the heating requirements of the proposed projects. Wood residue from the sawmill is assumed to be available at no cost other than for transportation. Use of wood fuel for community heating would save an estimated 65,000 gallons (2.47 kL) of heating oil per year. Avoided fuel costs would be approximately $91,500 per year based on No. 2 fuel oil at a market price of $1.40 per gallon ($0.37 per liter). Based on a project life of 25 years and a contingency rate of 25%, the expected after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) for the community heating portion of the project is 29.6%. Total installed costs for the 1,195,000 Btu/h (350 kWthermal) community heating system, including distribution piping and its installation and backup oil systems, are estimated to be $631,000. For the lumber dry kiln, in the second heat-generating system, economic results were less favorable, with expected energy savings of $82,900 per year and an after-tax IRR of 24.1% (also assuming 25% contingency). Estimated installed cost of the 1,536,000 Btu/h (450 kWthermal) dry kiln system with a backup oil system is $513,800.
Download or read book Wood Energy in Alaska written by David L. Nicholls and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cordwood Energy Systems for Community Heating in Alaska written by David L. Nicholls and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wood has become an important energy alternative in Alaska, particularly in rural areas where liquid fuel costs can be substantial. In some cases, wood fuel is readily available to communities, increasing the attractiveness of wood energy. Wood energy systems in rural Alaska can also lead to employment gains as well as benefits to local cash economies. Many Alaska villages are now considering wood as a fuel source for community heating, several have completed feasibility studies, and others are moving forward with design and construction activities. Cordwood is readily available in many regions of Alaska, although not always in commercial quantities. However, for many small-scale applications, efficient cordwood systems could be a viable energy option. In this paper, we provide a qualitative review of factors such as wood fuel availability, cordwood system size, wood fuel cost, wood quality, labor, fuel drying, and underground piping. Other general observations are noted, based on case studies of operating cordwood systems in Alaska.
