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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStebbins Comm Assoc Biomass FS 6-20-2011   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Stebbins Alaska Feasibility Study for Biomass Heating System Stebbins IRA building –Winter 2009/10 Prepared by Dalson Energy, inc. Anchorage, Alaska June, 2011   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Summary The Stebbins Community Association (SCA) was awarded a grant from the US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Award number DE-EE0002598/001 The original intent of the grant was to prepare a Feasibility Study (FS) on the use of a biomass heating system for the Stebbins Community Association (SCA) building known locally as the IRA building. The 4,096 square foot IRA building is used as offices, community hall, guest rooms, and pantry storage for foods, and was originally outfitted with a community kitchen, showers and bathrooms. The building is currently heated with imported diesel fuel burned in a conventional oil-fired hydronic boiler. SCA contracted with Dalson Energy (Dalson) to complete the study. In the course of the project, Dalson proposed the idea of converting the study into a pilot project with additional funding from other sources. Additional funds were raised from the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) to construct a prototype biomass “Boiler in a Box,” however the necessary funds to deploy the system in Stebbins were not available, and the Stebbins Community Association was unable to add any of its own funding. Consequently, the feasibility of deploying such a system in Stebbins was determined to be “not feasible at this time.” This report will make suggestions to improve the likelihood of feasibility in the future. The Feasibiity Study aimed to accomplish these goals: • Determine the economic and technical feasibility of a biomass heating system at the IRA building in Stebbins • Determine the technical feasibility of burning the only available biomass fuel in many Alaskan coastal communities—saltwater driftwood • Determine the readiness of the community for such a project SCA authorized the preparation of a grant application to Norton Sound Economic Development Council (NSEDC) for their 2011 “Outside Entity” Grant Program, to continue toward deployment and integration of a prototype system, help with job training and operational costs, system testing, and the dissemination of lessons learned to other interested communities. A $60,000 grant was applied for from NSEDC, but it was not granted. Without the additional funds, and with no available match funds from SCA, it was impossible to deploy the biomass system in Stebbins at this time.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Community Information STEBBINS POPULATION: 598 (2009) LOCATION: Stebbins is located on the northwest coast of Alaska, on St. Michael Island, on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. It lies 8 miles north of the village of St. Michael and 120 miles southeast of Nome. ECONOMY: The Stebbins economy is based on subsistence harvests supplemented by part-time wage earnings. The City, Native organizations and schools provide the only full-time positions. The commercial herring fishery has become increasingly important, including fishing on the lower Yukon. 18 residents hold commercial fishing permits. Residents subsist upon fish, seal, walrus, reindeer and beluga whale. Gardens provide vegetables during the summer months. A Stebbins/St. Michael Reindeer Corral Project was completed in 1993 for a herd on Stuart Island. The reindeer were essentially unmanaged, and are now believed to no longer exist on the island. HISTORY The Eskimo village of “Atroik" or "Atowak" was recorded in 1898 by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. The Yup'ik name for the village is Tapraq and the name Stebbins was first recorded in 1900. The first U.S. Census occurred in 1950, indicating 80 Yup'ik Eskimos. The City government was incorporated in 1969. LATITUDE: 63 degrees 31 minutes North LONGITUDE: 62 degrees 17 minutes West Address: Stebbins Community Association P.O. Box 71002 Stebbins, AK 99671-0002 Heating Degree Days: 13,500 (est) IRA Building specs: Existing heating system: Hydronic Oil furnace Cost of fuel oil in Stebbins: $5.61/gal (Jan 2011 Tapraq Fuel) Estimated fuel oil usage: 4,000 gallons annually Estimated heating cost with fuel oil at $5.61/gal = $22,440/year Estimated heating cost with wood at $300/cord = $12,000/year (40 cord estimate) Fuel value of Seasoned Driftwood (at 25% Moisture Content): 7,000 to 8,000 BTU/lb (est)   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Biomass Energy Narrative Woody biomass has become a significant fuel alternative across North America, especially in rural and off-road communities in Alaska. The escalating costs of petroleum fuels combined with additional transportation costs make locally-available fuel feedstock more economically attractive. In addition, the use of local fuels creates local jobs for harvesting, gathering or processing. The principal heating fuel in Stebbins for both residences and business buildings is fuel oil, delivered to Stebbins by Barge and stocked in a Tank Farm, then transported to individual oil tanks. Biomass heating systems typically fit into two categories: The first is stoves or fireplaces that heat space directly through convection and radiation, and typically burn cordwood or pellets. The second category is hydronic systems where the stove, furnace or boiler burns cordwood, woodchips or pellets to heat liquid that is distributed to radiant piping, radiators or heat exchangers. Community scale hydronic systems, called district heating loop systems, (common in Europe), are usually large boilers that supply hot liquid to several or many buildings, sometimes a whole village or town. Biomass fuel systems fit into three general categories, by the fuel type: Solid chunks, logs or sticks (cordwood), Chipped or ground (hogged) material, and Densified material (pellets, bricks, pressed logs or pucks). System application is typically determined by size of heat load: (These are only rules of thumb, and do not take into account all local parameters) Loads up to 1MM Btu/Hr often use cordwood or pellet systems. Loads over 1MMBtu/Hr often use woodchip boilers. Loads over 10MMBtu/Hr (Industrial-scale) systems often use hog-fuel (lower- grade feedstock) and require additional particulate and emission controls. Description of System types: Cordwood systems are more labor intensive, have lower capital cost and are less complex. Multiple cordwood boilers can be stacked to meet higher heat loads.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Woodchip systems can be more automated and less labor intensive, but require more upstream equipment (chippers, loaders, augers, etc) and significantly higher capital costs. Pellet systems are the most automated, and have lower capital costs, however they require reliable access to competitively priced pellet fuel. System Feedstock requirements are determined by three parameters: Building heat load BTU content of the fuel Efficiency of the boiler system Building heat loads are determined by square footage, orientation and usage, as well as energy efficiency factors like insulation, moisture barriers and air leakage. BTU content of biomass fuels is reduced by moisture content (MC). The reduction is mathematically equal; 30% MC means 30% reduction in potential BTU value. Typically wet or unseasoned wood (over 25% MC) makes poor fuel. Biomass boiler efficiency varies from <60% to 80% (manufacturer’s claims), and is strongly affected by the BTU value and MC of the fuel. Emissions from Woody Biomass combustion In comparison to other fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum oil), wood has low nitrogen oxides (NOx); carbon monoxide (CO, a product of incomplete combustion); sulfur dioxide (SO2); and mercury (Hg) emissions. Effective methods of particulate control have been developed to remove most of the particles from the exhaust air of wood combustion facilities. In addition, unlike fossil fuels, wood is a carbon-neutral source of energy, meaning it does not increase the amount of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), cycling through the atmosphere. Stebbins Fuel Supply Stebbins, as well as many northern coastal Alaskan communities, has limited resources in terms of local annual growth of trees. In many cases there is virtually no significant available firewood other than beach driftwood. Every Spring, the rivers uproot and carry downstream a significant amount of upriver trees and logs. Some river communities harvest this wood with boats (“river logging”) for local use as firewood. Most of the river-borne trees and logs are believed to make it out into the ocean. Some are then returned by tides and on-shore winds to the beaches. Most Western-facing Norton Sound Communities collect significant amounts of driftwood from these river-delivered trees and logs. Stuart Island, northwest of Stebbins, seems to be in the direct line of driftwood returning from the Yukon River upper delta, and subsequently has large collections of driftwood logs.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Stuart Island, Alaska Summer 2010 This study was unable to identify any published studies or credible estimates on the annual volumes of trees and logs that are floated down every spring on major Alaska rivers. Dalson was also unable to identify any credible estimates of the “recharging” ability of ocean-delivered driftwood on Northwestern Alaskan beaches. Officially, there is a process to gain a permit from the State of Alaska to legally harvest driftwood from State land (beaches). This regulation appears to be generally unenforced, and knowledge of required permits is not widespread, especially among rural village residents. The regulation pertaining to salvage of beach logs is found at 11 AAC 71.400 -430. http://forestry.alaska.gov/pdfs/09statreg2008final.pdf The following statement is from the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry (DOF): “The State of Alaska does not currently have a known commercial use of beach wood in the Stebbins Area. There may be personal use in the area that would affect the viability of this concept. The State owns all timber (AS 45.50.235) that is located with-in waters of the State unless it is branded with a State registered brand associated with a commercial timber operation. The State owns the water and authorizes all activities below the mean high water mark (MHW). The activities above MHW are authorized by the upland owner. Technically if logs occupy the   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     ground above MHW on the beach when the tide goes out or water level recedes, the uplands owner has title to the logs. On most beaches that have significant amounts of deposited logs, the majority of the logs tend to be above MHW. Personal Use of Beach Wood: A generally allowed use on state land is the use of dead and down wood for personal warming and cooking fires while camping, hiking, etc. Any other wood use requires a personal use permit. Use of beach wood for personal use (for home heating) is generally allowed by default due to the low significance of the use. Technically it should be handled in the same manner as the personal use permits that DOF issues in the upland areas. In the upland areas of the state DOF has designated areas of personal use and issue permits for cutting. We (DOF) do this in order to manage and mitigate the use relative to other resources. Commercial Use of Beach Wood: There are no known commercial timber operations in the Stebbins area, therefore the beach wood when floating or located below MHW is owned by the State. Under AS 45.50.235 and 11AAC71.400 the Division of Forestry may sell the abandoned timber. In Alaska this is done through a beach log salvage permit (11ACC 71.405) that is administered out of the DOF Southern Southeast Office (Ketchikan). The permit is valid for commercial use in a DOF defined section of beach. Typically DOF excludes areas around communities, sawmills, log storage areas, cataloged anadromous streams, and other environmentally sensitive areas. The DOF also requires the concurrence of the upland owner for the activity to be permitted. If the upland owner does not want the activity, DNR does not permit the salvage operation. The selection of the applicant is on a first come, first serve basis (11ACC 71.410) and the applicant is allowed one permit at a time that is valid for one year. In Southeast Alaska, because of the commercial use of the water ways by commercial timber operations, we publish a notice of intent to claim abandoned timber and this expense is part of the cost of the permit. The method DOF would likely use to manage a Stebbins area request would take a similar path to the commercial use permit, but would be done in order for the public and agencies to understand what is happening with the public resource not so much to protect a commercial timber owner's interests. The intent in the process would be to not conflict with an existing use or another resource while managing the concerns of the upland owner. The area that the community would be permitted to operate would be defined in both extent and time frame. The cost of a commercial beach log salvage permit is presently at $1,000.00/ year plus the advertising cost. DOF would likely sell the wood under the provisions of AS 38.05.810 (Public and charitable use) if it was determined by review to be in the State's best interest. The fee DOF would charge would be commensurate with costs (publication, administration, etc.).” (DOF Statement modified slightly for clarity)   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Beached Driftwood on Stuart Island –Summer 2010 The concept of burning saltwater driftwood in a hydronic boiler is controversial. The commonly held belief is that the salt embedded in saltwater driftwood when heated in combustion will result in acid accumulations that will damage the steel of the boiler systems. Additional concerns are about emissions from combustion of saltwater driftwood. Traditional Native Alaskans find the controversy to be somewhat entertaining. They have a history going back thousands of years of using saltwater driftwood logs as firewood for heat and cooking. Their experience does not validate any particular challenges to burning saltwater driftwood, except to be careful to avoid getting sand on the chain while cutting the wood with a chainsaw. River-caught firewood in Tanana, upriver from Stebbins, is purchased from individuals and contractors for $200-300/cord. Firewood in St. Michaels, on the other side of the island from Stebbins, has an estimated market rate of $250-300/cord. For the purposes of this study, the higher cost of $300/cord was used, considering the high cost of fuel for boats and chain saws in Stebbins. In many other rural communities, the establishment of a consistent purchaser for cords of wood in a biomass heating system has catalyzed the formation of small wood supply businesses. Typically the market price and the quality of delivered wood tend to stabilize as parameters are understood and widely accepted.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     The required fuel supply to offset the estimated current usage of fuel oil (4,000 gallons/yr) is estimated to be 35-40 cords of firewood, burned in a High Efficiency-Low Emissions (HI- LE) cordwood water heating system. An example is the GARN WHS by Dectra Corporation. Several units have been successfully deployed in other Alaskan communities, both on-road and Bush (rural, off-road). Garn WHS cordwood hydronic system installation The construction of a prototype Garn system installed into a Conex Shipping container was catalyzed by this Feasibility Study, as a pilot project. Although the system benefits from simplified installation, it does require community support and significant commitment for integration with existing building systems, operations and maintenance labor. Fuel BTU Value Price/Unit Conversion % COST PER MILLION BTU #2 Fuel Oil 139,400 BTU/gal $6.00 /gal 75 $57.39 Electric - Resistance 3,412 BTU/kWh $0.45 /kWh 95 $138.83 Cordwood 18,000,000 BTU/cord $300.00 /cord 80 $20.83   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Stebbins IRA Building –Summer 2010 Site Specifications and Parameters The IRA building is Stebbins is a 4,096 square feet, one-story building. It was built in 2003 with a grant, and was designed by an Anchorage firm. The building uses an oil-fired hydronic (hot water) heating system, as is common in Alaska. The building also has an interior water tank and pumping system, designed for regular deliveries of truck-delivered water. It has an oil-fired water heater and a specially designed Arctic sewage system consisting of an external building with a holding tank for wastewater. On the first visit to the building in May of 2010, it was determined that the water and sewage system was non-functional, and apparently had been “broken” for some time. Dalson staff advised the SCA President that the domestic water and waste water systems would need to be fully functional before a biomass heating system could be deployed. Other building deficiencies and deferred maintenance were noted, including broken windows with cardboard taped over the openings, missing weather-stripping and poorly fitting exterior doors.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Dalson staff advised the SCA President that all maintenance issues would need to be addressed prior to any effective deployment. Standard advice to potential renewable energy system grantees is that energy efficiency and conservation efforts must always precede renewable energy system deployments. Unfortunately, in the year since this project was started, no significant progress has been made on the water system or other deferred maintenance on the building. Dalson suggests that all existing systems be repaired and deferred maintenance brought up to date, prior to re-application for deployment of a renewable energy system. There are grants available for weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades through the State of Alaska. http://www.aidea.org/aea/ Gladys Pete drawing Stebbins community layout –DOE workshop 2010   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Operations and Maintenance Operation of a biomass heating system for this project will involve gathering, processing and seasoning of approximately 30-40 cords of wood. It is estimated that a cord of wood will replace 100 gallons of heating oil. Wood from Stuart Island could be gathered in typical fishing/hunting skiffs, with about one cord per load as probably the maximum safe load, depending on the size of the boat. Another option would be to raft the wood and tow it behind a boat. Rafting will lengthen the drying time before the wood is ready to burn. Target dryness for properly seasoned firewood is between 20% and 25% MC (Moisture Content). The most common combustion and emission problems are due to burning wood with too high MC. Storing of the seasoned wood will be especially important, as the winter winds in Stebbins tend to drive the snow into any uncovered space. One suggestion is the use of a modified storage container (Conex). The container will need vents cut to release moisture, but not allow wind-driven snow into the box. This might be helped by placing the storage container in line with the direction of the predominate winter wind. A Conex will also allow the wood to be secured, avoiding the likelihood of theft. Siting a storage container near the boiler system will facilitate wood transfer to the boiler, however sufficient room to access the storage area for deliveries, and to allow for processing (cutting to length and splitting if necessary) must also be taken into consideration. Typically the maintenance of a cordwood biomass heating system involves regular removal of ash (2x week) and monthly checking of fluid levels and overall inspection of system for blockages or fire hazards. Seasonal testing of liquids is required, as well as sending samples of ash and heating liquid for analysis. Nearly all system maintenance issues can be minimized by regular inspection and cleaning, and most importantly, only burning properly seasoned firewood in the boiler. Summary & Recommendations Although it was determined that the Stebbins Community Association was not prepared to take ownership and assume operations of a biomass heating system at this time, the study and exposure of the concept has contributed to the overall interest in such systems. A prototype “Boiler in a Box” (GARN Cordwood Water Heating System pre-installed in a shipping container) was built and shown to several agencies prior to shipping from Anchorage. The prototype generated significant interest in the concept of building and pre- installing a biomass thermal system in a shipping container for “Plug and Burn” deployment.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Consultant recommends that SCA seek and sign up for the frequently available workshops and webinars designed to assist Native communities, for example DOE EECBG workshops. Project Champions Fred Pete, Sr. was the original “project champion” in Stebbins. At the start, he was the President of the Stebbins Community Association. Mr. Pete initiated the DOE EECBG grant application process with assistance from Joan Herrmann of Alaska Project Solutions Inc. Fred and the SCA Council hired Dalson Energy to be the Project Coordinator, Dalson was able to help get additional funding from AEA to build the prototype Boiler in a Box built, subsequently shipped to Nome. Gladys Pete, SCA Tribal Coordinator, has been essential to the project. During the term of the project, Fred Pete was replaced as President of SCA. As is common in transitions of authority, the project suffered from lack of continuity of the attention and authority of the original Project Champion. Expenditures and Funds Remaining Department of Energy EECBG Funds Disbursed to SCA, as of 5/2011: $47,160. (90%) of Total $52,400.00 Grant $5,240. (10% Hold Back by DoE until completion of project and this FS report) Options Stebbins can apply to the Alaska Energy Authority’s Renewable Energy Fund (Round V) in Summer 2011. Lessons learned from the process of this Feasibility Study can be applied to strengthen the application. Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation has funding available to assist in projects including renewable energy deployments. The Outside Entity grant program will be again available for applications in 2011. The challenges to a woody biomass heating system include establishing a sustainable supply of feedstock, matching technology and capital cost to available human and financial resources, and identifying an appropriate site near end users. Other challenges contributed to the finding of “Not Feasible At This Time.” Political turnover and the resulting instability, along with ongoing administrative challenges that plague Stebbins are unfortunately not unusual in small remote Alaskan villages.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     An alternative method of deployment would to use a system similar to the cooperative system employed by AVEC (Alaska Village Electric Cooperative) where the system is owned and operated by a professional team from outside the village, and the heat (and/or power) is sold to the local community. A similar system is used by ANTHC (Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium) through their ARUC (Alaska Rural Utility Collaborative) program, where water and sewer systems are operated by outside professionals, who train and manage local operators, thus ensuring more consistent and reliable services to the local community. It appears that the net result of the effort by Stebbins Community Association to hire the Consultant and work toward determining feasibility and eventual deployment has been significant. Interest from other rural communities has grown from news of the SCA project, and AEA has commissioned a second prototype to be built by the Garn manufacturer, Dectra, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pending the outcome of the success of deployment of the 1st and 2nd prototypes, it is possible that manufacturing of these systems will be started in Alaska. The eventual goal will be to build and deploy many of these units in rural Alaska, perhaps as many as 200 or more. As the feasibility study and potential prototype deployment unfolded, it became apparent that the success of the first deployments was critical. The need for the communities involved to be capable of independent operations and financial stability became more important elements of the total project parameters. Stebbins Community Association may become a qualified candidate for one of the subsequent deployments of biomass heating systems by following the examples of other communities in seeking professional outsourcing of operations of their core infrastructure systems. Roadmap A community-wide energy education process would be helpful in building awareness of energy costs and alternatives. Successful renewable energy projects involve not only a local project champion and grant funding, but also widespread community involvement. Energy audits are a cost-effective method of identifying the energy use, losses and inefficiencies of any building. The SCA IRA building could benefit from an assessment of existing energy use and potentials for reduction of waste and heat loss. Energy efficiency programs come next, and are the low-hanging fruit of energy alternatives. Insulation, building envelope tightening, ducting and ventilation   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     upgrades, and burner efficiency upgrades are usually cheap compared to new systems. Often the payback for these efficiency upgrades is very quick. (NOTE: Many of these upgrades have already been accomplished in Stebbins with assistance from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation and Alaska RuralCap) The accomplishment of these steps: an energy audit and energy efficiency program, will help build the necessary community spirit and cohesion necessary to make the next step to renewable energy projects. These steps are also requisite to gaining grant funding for renewable energy projects. A community-scale biomass energy project will require community involvement and collaboration. This level of community cohesion is challenging in small rural and subsistence-based communities. The costs, the collaboration and the process to accomplish this are significant, and will require the dedication of a community champion (advocate) with the backing of the community, and the support of an involved SCA Board of Directors and President. With dedicated and focused effort, the community of Stebbins can realize the benefits that are being granted to other communities in rural Alaska. The capacity exists in the community to set and accomplish these goals.   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Family generations in Stebbins, 2010   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Resources Consulted/interviewed for this report: Gladys Pete, Tribal Coordinator Stebbins Community Association (SCA) Fred Pete, Sr., SCA Peter Martin, Sr., SCA David Frederick, Alaskan Heat Technologies (Garn rep in Alaska) Martin Lunde, Dectra Corporation (manufacturer of Garn systems) Devany Plentovich, Alaska Energy Authority, Biomass Program Manager Dan Parrent, US Forest Service Ron Brown (retired) AEA Rick Rogers, Alaska Dept of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry Steve Patterson, US Forest Service Alaska Energy Authority Denali Commission USDA Rural Development ISER UAA Institute of Social & Economic Research - University of Alaska Anchorage All photos by Thomas Deerfield   Dalson  Energy,  Inc.   Anchorage  Alaska     Consultant/Author of this report: Dalson Energy is a Renewable Energy Consulting and Emerging Technology Research firm based in Anchorage. Dalson staff and partners have decades of experience in construction project management, project development consulting and renewable energy technology research. Dalson teams with licensed engineers, architects and designers in Alaska, Canada and Lower 48. Dalson Energy has worked with Alaska Energy Authority, Alaska Center for Energy & Power, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Washington State CTED (Community Trade & Economic Development) and California Energy Commission on biomass energy technology research. Dalson’s President, Thomas Deerfield, has been involved in biomass energy RD&D since 2001, winning and managing grants from NREL (National Renewable Energy Labs), USFS (US Forest Service), and CEC (California Energy Commission), as well as many other public and privately-funded RE projects. He has managed the field- testing of biomass CHP systems, including the first grid-connected biomass gasification CHP system in the US. (budget $1.2M, finalized 2007) Thomas co-founded Shasta Energy Group (SEG), a 501c3 nonprofit, and managed wind energy research, biomass energy feasibility studies, energy efficiency for buildings, and hydronic heating system research design and development (RD&D). He also initiated a rural economic development think tank and has engaged his writing skills to assist many other renewable energy project initiatives. Thomas Deerfield Dalson Energy Anchorage, AK 907-277-7900