Construction work is underway on a biomass boiler heating loop for an office complex housing multiple state agencies in New York.
The $3m project will heat the complex in the town of Ray Brook, which hosts the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Adirondack Park Agency and State Police Troop B.
The wood pellet-fuelled boiler system is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 390 tonnes per year as well as save on energy costs and support the region’s forestry industry.
The project is an outgrowth of the state’s Renewable Heat NY initiative, which aims to help grow the high-efficiency/low-emission biomass heating market. It will be undertaken by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) in partnership with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the state police and the parks agency in support of governor Andrew Cuomo’s BuildSmart NY scheme, which calls for a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption by all state agencies by 2020.
In a press statement, NYPA said the project “will demonstrate the advantages of using biomass for heating while providing experience for manufacturing, operating, and maintaining biomass boilers, which will improve the ability of both sectors to compete with traditional energy projects”.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will provide a $300,000 funding grant toward the project, with the remaining cost to be split between the agencies housed in the complex.
“The Ray Brook Biomass Project is another big step towards Governor Cuomo’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy sources,” said DEC commissioner Basil Seggos. “There are a host of benefits associated with this project, including creating jobs in the Adirondack region, keeping energy dollars in New York, lowering heating costs, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and promoting sustainable forest management.”
Source: Decentralised Energy