Wood-Pellet Fired Biomass Boiler

Preliminary Technology Assessment

What is This Technology?

Biomass boilers use agricultural, forest, urban, and industrial residues and waste to generate heat. Advances in biomass boilers have delivered efficiencies of 90% or better, comparable to state-of-the art gas-fired condensing boilers. This form of heating also has a limited long term effect on the environment because the carbon in biomass is part of the natural carbon cycle, while the carbon in fossil fuels is not.

Why is GSA Interested?

For facilities in remote locations, biomass boilers have the potential to provide mission assurance, because significant quantities of fuel can be stored/produced on site. Additionally, recent advances in biomass boiler operation and efficiency, coupled with reduced fuel cost resulting from state incentives for companies using beetle-killed trees for biofuel applications,have made this technology potentially cost-effective, while contributing to federal goals of energy security and carbon reduction, and supporting state policy objectives.

COST EFFECTIVENESS. The vendor estimates a 3- to 10-year payback on the equipment through energy savings. Measurement and validation is possible with a high degree of reliability because the technology itself sub-meters energy.

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE. The biomass boiler technology being evaluated uses wood pellets, which are more standardized and denser than wood chips. Pelletized fuel reduces facility size and complexity, the size of on site storage requirements, and required operator skill relative to alternative biomass boiler technologies.

DEPLOYMENT POTENTIAL. In addition to validating this technology’s real-world performance, a key component of this assessment will be to develop guidance needed to prioritize its potential for deployment by GSA, should the technology’s performance prove out. initiatives).

Adapted from a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Green Proving Ground program, in association with a federal laboratory, is subjecting the wood-pellet-fired biomass boiler to real-world measurement and verification in GSA buildings. Findings from that investigation will be available in late 2013 or early 2014.

If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Green Proving Ground Program at GPG@gsa.gov.