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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCordova Feasibility Study NVE_burn_pile_preFS 2009Native Village of Eyak Feasibility Assessment for Biomass Heating Prepared by: Dalson Energy Anchorage, Alaska September 2009 Delivered to: Native Village of Eyak Autumn Bryson, Environmental Coordinator PO Box 1388 Cordova, Alaska 99574 September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 2 Table of Contents Page Introduction 3 Summary 5 Community Information 8 Biomass Energy Narrative 11 Local Feedstock Availability 15 Options 19 Alternative Options 20 Roadmap 21 Resources and Citations 22 Author 23 Cover Photo: Old Log deck on Eyak Corporation land, on the road toward the Copper River Delta, where wood samples were taken for testing September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 3 Introduction Feasibility Assessment for Biomass Heating for Cordova Alaska Dalson Energy (Consultant) was contracted by the Native Village of Eyak (NVE) to do a Feasibility Study for Biomass Heating in Cordova. The Project RFP stated: “The Community Burn Pile will better serve the community if it is transitioned from a community dump into local source heating fuel.” Cordova community burn pile Further direction from the NVE Executive Director was to specifically assess the available biomass that can be diverted from the Community Landfill and the Community Burn Pile that could be used as fuel in a biomass heating system for a district heat loop in the 2-block square downtown business district. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 4 Cordova Library and Community Center Louise Deerfield, Tom Miles and Dave Sharpe assisted Thomas Deerfield with this report. Dalson staff made two site visits to Cordova, reviewed available data, took biomass samples for testing, interviewed stakeholders and local authorities, researched available technologies and case studies, and prepared this report. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 5 Summary The principal question asked was: Can Cordova effectively use the community’s waste wood and cardboard to offset petroleum oil for heating purposes in community buildings? Although the literal answer is that it is technically possible to divert waste wood and cardboard for use as fuel in a heat-producing boiler, the practical answer is that since Cordova is a relatively small community it does not appear that sufficient volumes of clean, dry, useable feedstock can be generated in the form of waste wood and cardboard, used pallets, etc to justify the costs of equipment and facilities for processing and storing the feedstock, the capital costs of boiler and emission control systems, and the infrastructure costs to distribute valuable heat to community buildings. Cardboard recycle pile at baling plant. Note plastic bags, tarps, foam packing material in cardboard pile. (Other bales are aluminum to be shipped out). September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 6 The estimated cost of processing equipment for waste wood, including a suitable chipper and loader is $125,000 to $250,000. The processing equipment for cardboard would include a grinder or hammer-mill and cost an estimated $150,000 to $250,000 (these are not new equipment prices). Add to that the cost of heated, dry storage during summer months for winter usage, estimate $50,000, (assuming donated land). A suitable boiler system that could handle these low-grade materials with emission-controls and related hardware and software would add another $1M to 1.25M, and distribution infrastructure (to deliver the heat) could add $2M to $3M if the downtown area is the target. The total estimated cost could be $3.4M to $5M, not including land. Location of the boiler would be challenging, as the noise and stack emissions will present challenges for nearby residences and commercial enterprises. For ideal efficiency, the boiler system should be located as close as possible to the end users of the heat produced. Additionally, each building’s owner would be saddled with the cost of converting existing (typically oil-fired) heating systems to hydronic heat exchangers. Most of the buildings are older. Many have not yet done energy audits or energy efficiency upgrades, a precursor to heating system upgrades. Installation of a district heat loop in downtown Cordova would involve jack- hammering concrete sidewalks and alleyways to install insulated pipes, which inevitably leads to additional work with existing waterlines and other affected infrastructure. An estimated cost of $2M to $3M may be low. It should also be noted that it might be difficult to get all the property owners to commit to the additional costs and disruption of commerce inherent in such projects, in return for what may appear to be incremental savings. All things considered, the Consultant recommends against the pursuit of a biomass energy system for heating downtown Cordova buildings with existing wastewood and cardboard fuel. There are other recommended energy options that the community could consider. A viable community-scale biomass heating system will require harvesting of local forest feedstock. If the community is willing to include access to a sustainable source of forest feedstock resources, there are options that have been successful in other similar communities. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 7 The consultants suggest that the community of Cordova, including the City, the Electrical Co-op, the Native Village of Eyak and the Eyak Corporation, combine forces and efforts to create a renewable energy plan, starting with an independent community energy audit and an assessment of available energy efficiency strategies, as first steps toward more effective utilization of all available resources. The feedback from potential funding sources (Alaska Energy Authority, Denali Commission, USDA Rural Development, etc) is that communities must first undertake to quantify their energy uses and sources, then “tighten up” their energy usage with audits and energy efficiency efforts, and then undertake renewable energy projects—in that order. At this time, the target should be generating heat to offset heating oil. The technology for CHP (combined heat and power) systems is not yet viable for small (<2MWe) community-scale systems for rural Alaska. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 8 Community Information Cordova population: 2454 Households: 958 Heating Degree Days: 9565 Existing heating systems: Mostly Oil furnace and some Electric Cost of fuel oil in Cordova: $3.72 (ISER-UAA 8-15-09) Cost of fuel oil: $3.28 delivered (300 gallon keep-full service -Shoreside 9/10/09) Cost of electricity $/kWh: $.20 to .27 (residential -CEC 8/15/09) Fuel value of Cardboard: 6,000 to 7,000 Btu/Lb Dry Fuel Value of wood pallets: 6,000 to 8,000 Btu/Lb (dry & clean) Fuel value of landfill wastewood: 4,500-5,000 Btu/Lb (dry & clean) City Baler output (cardboard) 50-80 bales/yr (G. Rankin estimate) Bales are 1.6 cu. yd. (mixed with some foam & plastics) MSW Bales unsuitable as fuel (mixed content and very high m/c) Heating Oil cost for City buildings (2008): (no gallon volumes available) Fire & EMS: $6,913 Bldg Mntnce: $75,766 Recreation: $18,790 Pool: $115,458 Ski hill: $5,153 Camper Park: $2,952 Harbor Operations: $11,666 Sewer operations: $12,506 Water operations: $18,737 Total: $267,941 Source: Public Works September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 9 Cordova’s historical heating oil usage for individual residential and commercial buildings has not been gathered and collated by any source that the Consultant could access. City Public Works provided the data for City buildings. The local petroleum distributor considers the usage data to be proprietary, and is unwilling to release data on individual building usage. Several local businesses consulted were unable to provide information on heating oil usage. One small downtown business estimated usage at $200-400 per month in winter, but none of those interviewed were more definitive. The lack of collated data is not atypical in small rural communities. It points to the need for a community-wide energy audit. Typical examples: 1000 square foot home in Cordova climate: 50,000 to 200,000Btu/hr heat load 500-800 gallons heating fuel/year $1900 – 3,000/yr 2,000 square foot commercial building 150,000 to 300,000 Btu/hr heat load 1500 to 3000 gallons/yr $5,500 to 11,000/yr These examples can vary widely depending on building insulation, system efficiency, etc. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 10 CORDOVA FAA, ALASKA Station:(502177) CORDOVA FAA AP From Year=1949 To Year=2006 Heating Degree Days for Selected Base Temperature (F) Base Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Annual 65F 1282 1069 1087 840 640 427 335 352 508 788 1033 1206 9565 Heating Degree Day units are computed as the difference between the base temperature and the daily average temperature. (Base Temp. - Daily Ave. Temp.) One unit is accumulated for each degree Fahrenheit the average temperature is below the base temperature. Heating Degree Days - Average of all heating degree-day units recorded for the day of the year. Source: Western Regional Climate Center September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 11 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 feedstocks more economically attractive. In addition, the use of locally available fuel feedstocks creates local jobs for harvesting, gathering or processing, and in many cases contributes to cleaner air by avoiding the open-air burning of these materials. Open air burning of waste wood, forest residues and other combustibles is the least effective and most hazardous method of combustion. Especially in wet rainy climates, full combustion is not possible; therefore particulates and other emissions are high. In many jurisdictions, open air burning is legally restricted, and regulations for burn piles require controlled access, staffing and monitoring. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has fact sheets on rural waste management and open air burning at this link: www.dec.state.ak.us/eh/sw/April%202009%20Factsheets/Working/Factsheet%2 0HTMLs/2Rural%20Issues.html The use of waste wood from landfill diversion, combustible MSW (municipal solid waste), and C&D (construction and demolition) debris can be a valuable source of fuel, however the volumes required and the necessity for clean and dry fuel (for biomass furnaces/boilers) create a challenging situation, unless they are a supplement to a larger sustainable source of fuel feedstock for small communities. Typically, communities under 20,000 in population usually do not generate sufficient volumes of these waste materials to justify the capital costs of the systems needed to gather, store and process the materials, burn it in clean- burning boilers and distribute the heat in district heat loops. The principal heating fuel in Cordova for both residences and business buildings is fuel oil, delivered locally by tanker truck from Shoreside Petroleum Company, and stocked in individual oil tanks. The furnaces, boilers and other stoves that burn the fuel oil are usually electric fan-forced heated-air systems. A few are hydronic, where heated water (or other liquid) runs through radiant heat tubing, radiators or heat exchangers. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 12 Biomass heating systems fit into two typical 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 (cordwood), Chipped or ground (hogged) material, and Densified (pellets, bricks, pressed logs or pucks). System application is typically determined by size of heat load. 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. These are only rules of thumb, and do not take into account all local parameters. 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. 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 access to competitively priced pellet fuel. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 13 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 BTU value. Typically wet or unseasoned wood 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 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. MSW Incineration for heat recovery One suggested application was the burning of combustible waste diverted from the MSW and trash waste stream at the Cordova baler plant. The baler location is separate from principal residential districts and any heat produced could be used on-site for heating the building. A differentiation must be made between a waste wood burner and a MSW waste incinerator. Following is a discussion of the typical issues associated with waste incinerators. The option for a waste wood burner is below in the section called Alternative options Heat recovery from waste incinerators is often considered as an approach for reducing waste management costs, in large volume situations. Rule of thumb parameters describe the volume from communities of at least 20,000 population are required to justify the costs of MSW incineration equipment and infrastructure. The feasibility of recovering heat from an incinerator depends on a number of site-specific factors. In general, for heat energy recovery to be economically September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 14 feasible, large quantities of waste need to be burned near the locations where the large quantities of heat are needed. Therefore, a major concern is locating the incinerator as close as possible to the facilities that will use the recovered heat. In general, increasing the distance the hot water has to travel also increases the cost of the insulated piping, the amount of energy required to pump the water, and the amount of heat that is lost in transit. The cost of arctic pipe including installation is estimated at $100 per foot. So, every additional 10 feet of pipe adds $1,000 to the price of the system. In addition to the incinerator and insulated arctic pipe, such a system might include the following components: Heat recovery system at the incinerator, including a boiler, inducer fan, bypass system, breeching and stack pieces, and the control system. $250,000 Heat distribution system at the facility, including a heat exchanger, pump, expansion tank, piping, valves, fittings, and controls. $15,000 Engineering design (15%) Contingency (15%) Estimated total cost $350,000 (not including the incinerator or distribution piping). Operation and maintenance (O&M) requirements for a MSW incinerator heat recovery system are higher than conventional biomass systems, due to the mixed quality of the feedstock. Costs would include labor for general maintenance and periodic cleaning of the fire tubes, the electrical power to run the circulating pumps, the cost of replacement parts, and the cost of rebuilding the heat exchangers approximately every 10 years. For environmentally sound MSW incineration, highly specialized personnel must service air pollution control equipment regularly. Monitoring equipment is costly and requires aggressive maintenance and servicing by trained technicians. When incineration is done in a manner that has low adverse health and environmental impacts it is expensive. When it is done poorly (with low financial costs) it can be expensive in terms of human health and environmental impacts. United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 15 Local Feedstock Availability The City of Cordova has no accurate historical volume data on the community burn pile, as it is effectively unregulated. Community members (or anyone else) can drop off material there at all hours, since it is not fenced or gated, and have only a sign to remind them of the rules. Cordova Burn pile site Its location outside town is ideal for avoiding complaints from nearby residences or businesses, however that isolation also leads to some abuse of the site rules. Toxic combustibles and non-combustible material are dumped at the site, and require periodic cleanup by City staff. A recent study of burn pile use did not establish total volumes, but did estimate that 38% of the material dumped at the burn pile was unburnable items. The list of items dumped at the burn pile included tires, plastic, metal, fishnets, glass and household garbage. Cordova burn pile assessment; Native Village of Eyak, 2008 September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 16 Effective diversion of appropriately clean and dry combustible material from the burn pile would necessitate regulated access. Fencing and a gate, with operating hours that were manned by City staff, could result in more accurate estimates of the quantities of appropriate biomass boiler material. Cordova Community Burn pile Sign Other communities have installed chippers and chip vans at landfill sites to process clean dry usable waste combustibles. Significant volumes of material are necessary to justify the capital costs of equipment, plus labor and M&O costs for the operations. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 17 Baler Plant The Cordova Baler plant compresses unsorted MSW (municipal solid waste) into bales for burial at the landfill. Unsorted MSW is not appropriate fuel for small community-scale energy systems. Cardboard is also baled at the plant, in quantities estimated by the operator at 50-80 bales per year (@ 400 pounds total 10-16 tons year). Cardboard can be a relatively good fuel source, however processing is more complex and expensive than wood. To be suitable as fuel, the cardboard must be clean, dry and uncontaminated by plastics, foam packing, etc. The volumes of cardboard fuel required to justify the capital and operating costs of a suitable system are orders of magnitude greater than what is available in Cordova. Log Decks on Eyak Corporation Land There remain several significant log decks from old logging operations approximately 20 years ago. Wood loses Btu value over time, typically at a rate of 3% to as much as 10% per year, for whole decked logs. However, moisture and oxidation are the primary causes of the losses, so logs that are protected can retain a significant amount of their heating value over many years. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 18 Although most of the wood from the exterior of these log decks is of little value, some of the logs inside the piles have been protected from rain and oxidization. (see photo on report cover) Samples were cut from protected logs inside an old log deck on Eyak Corporation Land near the airport, in July 2009, and sent for analysis to a certified testing lab. Lab Test results: Species: Hemlock M/C: 57% Ash: .08% Volatile Matter: 34.68% wet 82.09% dry BTU/LB: 3620 wet 8571 dry Estimates made by visual inspection of several log decks indicate that 25% to 40% of the wood is still valuable as fuel feedstock. Considerable effort will be required to remove the exterior layers of logs, to access the better material interior to the piles. It is strongly suggested that this operation be undertaken soon, as the losses continue and more logs lose all significant value every year. Alder There are also considerable amounts of alder grown in around the log decks and along the roads leading to them. It is conceivable that this material could be added to the list of available feedstock. The harvesting would almost certainly need to be manual, as the material is too small for feller-buncher equipment and the land too rocky, soft and uneven for mower-style equipment. It would be interesting to experiment with the idea of hand harvesting and immediate chipping into rolling chip vans or trucks. Similar operations are common in Latin America and Northern Europe. This idea was discussed with local Forest Service staff, and considered plausible. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 19 Options A community scale biomass heating system or systems could be deployed in Cordova for specific buildings, such as the planned Cordova Center, the hospital, school or firehouse. The key requirement is a long-term sustainable supply of woody biomass fuel feedstock, from the forests near Cordova. The planned Cordova Center building’s proximity to the community pool and City Hall point to the opportunity for a multi-building system, with a mini-district heat loop of approximately 1-4MMBtu, which could be either cordwood (if smaller <1MMBtu) or woodchip boiler system. That location in the center of town, below downtown shops and surrounded by businesses may be challenging for smokestack considerations. Even the cleanest burning biomass boilers occasionally emit excess smoke, usually at startup and if ever stoked with wet fuel. If a biomass heating system is to be considered for the planned Cordova Center, it is strongly suggested that the pre-design planning incorporate the biomass system. It is much less expensive to incorporate auxiliary heating systems in pre- construction planning than to attempt integration on existing buildings. There are many examples of successful deployments of small to medium-scale biomass heating systems in Montana (Fuels for Schools), Craig and Tanana in Alaska, and projects planned for Tok and Delta Junction. A recent study done for the Talkeetna School indicated a 250 cord per year cordwood system would displace up to 90% of the heating oil used for a 50,000 square foot school. The acreage required was estimated at 16 acres per year, at 20 tons/acre. Northern Economics, Inc. Su Valley High School: Wood Heat Analysis. Prepared for Matanuska Susitna Borough. September 2009. 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. According to the Port Graham Biomass Feasibility Study, there are approximately 250,000 tons of woody biomass within ¼ mile of that community. They estimated that 5,000 tons a year could be sustainably harvested on a 50-year rotation. 1,000 to 2,000 tons per year is an amount likely required for a village-scale biomass heating system. Port Graham Village Council, Final Report Potential Biomass District Energy Production in Port Graham, Alaska, May 2008 September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 20 Alternative Options A small, manually fed “waste wood burner” furnace could be considered for “shop heat” at the baler plant. Several versions of shop heaters in the range of 250,000 Btu per hour are available, and typically sold for about $8-10,000. This type of heater could burn waste wood, broken pallets, etc that could be separated out of the waste stream manually by shop staff. A typical example is the 250,000 Btu furnace from Biomass Combustion Systems (Massachusetts), designed for commercial and industrial facilities 5,000 square feet and smaller, (open rooms) The all-steel, hot-air furnaces are chunk-wood burners compatible with wood scrap such as truss, pallets, saw mill and recycling and other wood waste, according to the company. The price tag for these furnaces is $9,000, not including taxes, shipping or installation. (There are many vendors and versions of these burners, this is only an example) The Cordova Forest Service is planning forest-thinning operations for 2010. NVE is planning Moose habitat enhancement projects (alder removal). The DOT has ongoing road clearing operations that result in Alder cutting. The airport operations regularly clear land for flight approach clearing. All of these operations could be included in a biomass energy fuel source program, however the base amount will, as stated previously, necessarily be from nearby forestland. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 21 Roadmap Find out how much you need and how much you waste, plug the holes, and then find better ways to create what you need. From an anonymous “old energy sage” In many communities similar to Cordova, a community-wide energy audit, followed by an energy efficiency program to eliminate waste, have been shown to be effective (and necessary) first steps toward improved stewardship of local resources. The process also builds local awareness and sense of community effort. An independent energy audit could gather and collate all energy inputs for the entire community, residential, commercial, municipal and industrial. The full disclosure of energy usage and costs is usually eye-opening for the community. It is important to get an independent energy auditor, not financially connected to a utility, energy system vendor or specific technology. Quantification also leads to recognition of opportunities for increased efficiency. Every community has waste and inefficiencies. Escalating costs drive the interest in alternatives. Comparing local patterns of usage and costs to other communities usually leads to a call for greater attention. Energy efficiency programs come next, and are the low-hanging fruit of energy alternatives. Insulation, building envelope tightening, ducting and ventilation upgrades, and burner efficiency upgrades are usually cheap compared to new systems. Often the payback for these efficiency upgrades is very quick. 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. The Eyak Corporation forestlands are the apparently best source for a sustainable supply of woody biomass in the volumes required. Locally produced wastewood, pallets, etc can supplement the forest biomass. 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. Cordova has the resources to accomplish these projects. The requisite community commitment is the next step. September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 22 Resources Consulted/interviewed for this report: Autumn Bryson, NVE Scott Madison, NVE Mark King, NVE Jason Borer, Eyak Corporation Luke Borer, Forester Clay Koplin, Cordova Electric Co-op Charles Sink, Chugachmiut Nathan Lojewski, Chugachmiut Theresa Benson, USFS Bob Behrends, USFS Bruce Campbell, USFS Steve Patterson, USFS Ray Koleser, USFS Martin Moe, Cordova Chamber of Commerce Jim Nygaard, Cordova School District Tom Cohenour, City Public Works Todd Cook, City Public Works Greg Rankin, City Baler plant & Landfill Doug Pettit, local businessman Bruce Lechner, Shoreside Petroleum Jim Baumgartner, Alaska DEC Alaska Energy Authority Denali Commission USDA Rural Development ISER UAA Institute of Social & Economic Research - University of Alaska Anchorage Burning Garbage and Land Disposal in Rural Alaska; Alaska Energy Authority And Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation; Emswiler & Crimp May 2004 http://www.akenergyauthority.org/AEAdocuments/BurningGarbage.pdf Northern Economics, Inc. Su Valley High School: Wood Heat Analysis. Prepared for Matanuska Susitna Borough. September 2009. Port Graham Village Council: Final Report Potential Biomass District Energy Production in Port Graham, Alaska, May 2008 Native Village of Eyak; Cordova Burn Pile Assessment, Summer 2008 BBI International, AURI AITKIN COUNTY, MN; BIOMASS UTILIZATION ASSESSMENT, June 2009 September 2009 Cordova Biomass Energy 23 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). 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 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