Wood Heat in VT Schools Residential Wood Heating Personnel: Staff

For many years, the VT Departments of Public Service and Forests, Parks and Recreation have cooperated to promote the use of wood for energy applications.

During the 1980’s it became increasingly apparent that steadily rising electric rates were beginning to strain the resources of local school districts which had built new schools with electric heating systems in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The high cost of heating was beginning to effect comfort, indoor air quality and instruction.

VT Forests, Parks & Recreation (FPR) and Public Service Department (DPS) specialists spent countless hours promoting the use of modern, automated wood-chip heating systems to school boards, administrators and facilities managers throughout the state. With the help of a group of committed local citizens, Calais Elementary School installed one of the first successful school wood-chip heating systems in 1986. The system continues to save local taxpayers thousands of dollars annually.

By early 2007, thirty Vermont public schools were utilizing wood-chip heating systems and several more schools have systems in some stage of planning or construction. Overall, wood-chip heated schools saved Vermont taxpayers an estimated $760,000+ in energy costs during the 2005-2006 heating season, compared with fuel oil.

In addition to FPR and DPS personnel, schools considering a conversion to wood heating have two excellent additional sources of information and direct project assistance.

In 1993, the Department of Public Service and the VT Superintendents Association joined forces to create the VT School Energy Management Program to provide direct assistance with energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to school districts throughout the state. The Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC), an independent non-profit organization, was recently created in Vermont to assist in the development of biomass energy projects across the US and around the world.

Additional Resources

• 2008 Wood Chip Users Conference Set

• Wood-Chip Heating Systems- A Guide for Institutional and Commercial Biomass Installations; BERC, 2004. (Large File)
• Wood Pellet Heating Guidebook
• 2007 Annual Biomass Heating Conference Report
• Vermont Wood Fuel Supply Study
• Potential Wood Chip Fuel Suppliers
• Preliminary Assessment: Biomass Heating System & CHP System, Johnson State College
• Feasibility Study-Central Wood Heating for Belchertown Schools (PFD Format)
• Glossary of Wood Chip Heating Technology