Considering wood heat? Take a tour and learn how to burn

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image001 (1)The New Hampshire Wood Energy Council (NH WEC) is sponsoring six guided tours of working wood chip and wood pellet heating systems at convenient locations across New Hampshire October 21 through October 24. The tours are free and open to the public.

The six tours will feature visits to 16 different commercial and institutional sites including public schools, municipal buildings, hospitals, office facilities and private businesses.

“This is an opportunity for anyone to come see what clean and efficient, modern wood heating systems are all about,” said Rick DeMark, coordinator of the NH Wood Energy Council and Executive Director of the North Country Resource Conservation and Development Council. “You can talk with municipal and school officials, facility managers and business owners about their experience using wood chips and wood pellets to affordably heat their buildings. There is no better way to learn about this heating option than to see a working system and talk with the owner.”

Over 100 institutional and commercial building owners in New Hampshire have switched from heating oil or propane in the last five years alone. They do so to save money, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels by switching to renewable energy, and keep fuel dollars in the NH economy. Heating cost savings over oil or propane can be as much as 50%. NH homeowners and businesses export over $1 billion annually by relying on imported fossil heating fuels.

Tours will be held the following dates and at these locations. All tours start at 1 p.m. and end before 5 p.m.

Tuesday October 21
1) Southeast NH Tour
· Rockingham County Complex, Brentwood (start/end) WOOD CHIP

· NH SPCA, Stratham WOOD PELLET

· Urban Forestry Center, Portsmouth LOGWOOD
2) North Country Tour
· Littleton Hospital, Littleton (start/end) WOOD CHIP

· CAI Technologies, Littleton WOOD PELLET

· White Mountain School, Bethlehem WOOD PELLET
Wednesday, October 22
3) West-Central NH Tour
· Sullivan County Complex, Unity (start/end) WOOD CHIP

· Whelen Engineering, Charlestown WOOD PELLET

· Claremont High School, Claremont WOOD PELLET

· Discussion of HotZero District Heating Project , Claremont WOOD CHIP
Thursday, October 23
4) East Central NH Tour
· Carroll County Nursing Home, Ossipee (start/end) WOOD PELLET

· Tuftonboro Town Office WOOD PELLET
5) White Mountain National Forest Administrative Complex Tour, Campton WOOD PELLET

Friday, October 24
6) Upper Valley Tour
· Hanover High School/Middle School, Hanover (start-end) WOOD CHIP

· Lyme School, Lyme (start/end) WOOD PELLET

· Enfield Elementary School, Enfield WOOD PELLET
Registration required. For more information, go to www.nhwoodenergycouncil.org or Ellingwood@inrsllc.com.

Funded in part by a $250,000 three-year grant from the U.S. Forest Service, the NH Wood Energy Council provides advice, support and direct assistance to municipal, school and business building owners considering modern wood heating as an affordable and renewable alternative to expensive and non-renewable heating fuels like heating oil and propane.

The program can provide trained experts to meet with community or business leaders to help them evaluate their options and determine whether heating with wood is right for their building. These “coaches” also help project leaders connect with qualified vendors and engineers. These services are without charge. In addition, the program can help fund the cost of feasibility studies that do a thorough analysis of project economics, engineering and technology options. Some aspects of assistance require an application.

The program has already provided assistance to municipal, school and business projects ranging from schools, to public libraries to churches in Antrim, Colebrook, Conway, Derry, Fremont, Gorham, Henniker, Hollis, Littleton, and New Hampton.

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!