Earlier this week, the Maine-based Farmers’ Almanac issued its winter outlook for both the United States and Canada. the almanac. The Farmers’ Almanac, which claims 80 to 85 percent accuracy bases its predictions on a secret mathematical formula using the position of the planets, tidal action of the moon and sunspots.

The almanac says that winter in the US will be cold in the East and milder in the West but that much of the country will still be colder than normal.  The almanac says that New England will get a “cold slap in the face” after missing last winter’s misery. Finally, residents of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes are expected to get the piles of snow that will be lacking elsewhere.

The almanac predicts that winter in Canada will not be as mild as last year, when temperatures were 4° C above normal and less snow. This year winter will make a comeback, bringing back much colder conditions during 2010-11, particularly to the eastern half of the country. This compares to the west, where milder temperatures will with a wetter forecast prevail.

In several weeks we will compare this to the New Hampshire-based Old Farmer’s Almanac.

US Federal agencies purchased or produced 2.3 TWh of electricity from renewable sources in FY09, representing 4.2% of the Government’s electricity and surpassing the goal of 3% set by EPAct 2005. This represents a 2x increase over 2003. The goal increases this year to 5% of total electricity from renewable sources, and increases again in 2013 to 7.5%.

Perhaps what is most fascinating is that this figure does not include non-electric renewable energy purchased or consumed by the Federal government — sources like bio-thermal space heating or solar thermal hot water. However, according to a Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) testimony, “The renewable sources of non-electric energy are often the most cost-effective means to displace fossil energy,” she explains.

With that acknowledgment, what steps can be taken to insure the adoption of these cost effective sources?

One way is increase subsidies to promote adoption, much like those in H.R. 5805: Thermal Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act of 2010. Unfortunately these are only focused on large scale applications. An alternative would be to look to other countries where these alternative technologies have been employed and implement their approach — incentives targeted at residential heating.

The State of New Hampshire’s Wood Pellet Boiler Rebate program is an example of such a program. It is narrowly focused on wood pellets, but removes much of the upfront cost of implementing a system that makes a homeowner energy self-sufficient.

A new study released by the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) and four other organizations outlines a bold plan that calls for a significant increase in the use of renewable resources for space heating to 25% by the year 2025.  In the plan, biomass gains the largest ground from 4% to over 18% followed by an increase in solar thermal (hot water) to 5% in the same period.

At first pass this is indeed bold with many competing interests – industry, regulation, environmental. However, it also has some merit worth considering. First, the Northeast has plentiful wood and biomass resources (see figure on forest land) and has a culture in many regions of wood-burning. Second, the use of wood for space heat (when done properly) is the “highest and best use” of this natural resource. If you do the math, you quickly realize that solar is not an economical option which is contrasted by wood heat which converts 80%+ of the stored energy in the wood to usable energy (heat).

Next, with the Northeast adopting stricter regulations on wood burning appliances, the new units that are installed reduce wood smoke emissions by 90% or more. One need look no further than Northern Europe where wood heat accounts for up to 30% of energy used with countries targeting even higher consumption to reduce their dependence on foreign energy sources.

Certainly there are limitations to the study, but to make progress one must begin with a plan, even a bold one.

You can find a summary of the report here and a copy of the full report here.

If you thought that forests were a rural phenomena, you will find the data compiled by a Dovetail Partners report eye-opening. In their report, Urban Wood Utilization and Industrial Clusters, they describe the growth of the urban forest in the lower 48 states from an area the size of Vermont and New Hampshire in 2000 to the size of Montana in 2050.

Equally interesting is the discussion about the volume of wood, removed annually from urban forests. The amount is significant — from 16 to 38 million green tons per year. This is more than the total annual harvests from America’s National Forests. Yes, you read that correctly.

This report focuses on an emerging urban wood-based industrial (business) cluster in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) metropolitan area. Examples of Twin Cities’ cluster-based wood utilization activities and corresponding cluster-building techniques are highlighted. Recommendations for advancing wood utilization activities on a community-wide basis are offered.

The complete report may be found here.

If you have ever wondered about the current state of research and development of technologies for utilizing wood for the production of energy, your wait is over.

A new report from the University of Tennessee Office of Bioenergy Programs and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities reviews the current state of R&D of technologies which utilize wood for the production of energy. It is a rather substantial and worthwhile read if you are curious about what the coming years may bring to woody biomass based industry. The report characterizes industry process designs, stage of development or commercialization, and suitability for the marketplace.

Go here to download a copy of  “Wood to Energy: A State of the Science and Technology” (PDF)

If you live in the State of Massachusetts and you were looking to buy a traditional (low efficiency) wood boiler, you are now out of luck.

As of December 26th, residents may only purchase EPA Phase 2 qualified wood boilers (like the Greenwood Aspen Series). The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) issued the regulation to protect air quality in neighborhoods across the Commonwealth by limiting the amount of pollution emitted by outdoor wood-fired boilers, also known as outdoor hydronic heaters.

To read the announcement click here. To review the regulation go here.

OK, after my last post this is almost embarrassing … ok, not quite. We were just notified that Greenwood received a 2008 Reader’s Choice Award for the Aspen Series outdoor wood boiler from Contractor magazine. Winners are chosen based on the top 10 single highest inquiries from the magazine’s monthly new product sections.

Look here for more information.

It always a nice surprise when someone notices your work. We were recently surprised by an award for Best Product of 2008 from BUILDERnews magazine.  Winners were selected because they reflected significant contributions to the homebuilding industry, by raising the bar and pushing the limits for technology, efficiency and affordability while taking into account environmental concerns. 

Take a read here to read more.

This past week we were in Vermont for the EPA’s announcement of the Phase II Hydronic Heater Program. After you get past the name (which is a general term that refers to pellet, corn and wood boilers) you might ask  yourself what is so significant about this program?

First, as a consumer it means that there will be able to identify cleaner wood and biomass products from other dirtier products. The cleaner products carry a White Tag rather than the Orange Tag (from the Phase I program). These new units are 90% cleaner than traditional wood boilers rather than 70% cleaner than those that complied with the Phase I standards. Some products (like the Greenwood Aspen Series) qualified for both Phase I and Phase II. 

The second distinction is that it places all residential biomass heating appliances in the same category. This is similar to a fuel mileage rating system for automobiles where SUVs and hybrids gas mileage can be compared. In the case of wood boilers, the rating provides you an understanding of what type of output you get based on your fuel preference or installation location. Indoor and outdoor products as well as pellet, corn and log wood fuels are all on the same scale. As a consumer you have more information in which to make your decision.

Expect to hear a lot more about the White Tag or for more information head to the EPA site.

Maine residents pay attention!

Finally someone has figured out how to provide meaningful financial help to those families who are in a tight spot this winter due to the high costs of heating fuel. The folks up in Maine are leading the US in providing an innovative loan program for qualified homeowners.

MaineHousing’s Home Energy Loan Program offers loans at a low fixed rate of only 3.95% (4.194% APR) for home improvements that increase home energy efficiency.

This program is more than a band-aid. For those that participate, it will provide long-term relief from energy costs. Our hats are off to Maine State Housing Authority.