Vermont Farmers Food Center Heats with Biomass – UVM Extension Ag Engineering

Rob Steingress (VFFC), Bill Kretzer (12 Gauge Electric) and Greg Cox (VFFC) perform final inspections before the initial firing of the boiler.

UVM Extension and others supported the recent installation of a 341,200 BTU/hr (output) multi-fuel biomass boiler at the Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) in Rutland, VT. The boiler heats the Farmer’s Hall building with the capability to use several alternative fuels to displace propane. The boiler was fueled primarily on wood pellets but was also able to feed and burn grass biomass pucks. This demonstration project carried a cost premium when compared to a typical propane heater installation. That premium is paid back over time due to recurring fuel cost savings. A simple payback period of 2.2 to 8.0 years is feasible against a cost premium of $51,255 for the boiler depending on the fuel used and the amount of use. For more details about the project and the economic performance please see the report.

This project was funded by The Vermont Bioenergy Initiative (VBI) of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM), and an anonymous donor in partnership with The Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) with support from Smalley Mechanical, Lohsen Plumbing and Heating, 12 Gauge Electric, Renewable Energy Resources (RER) and UVM Extension.

A variety of fuels can be burned in an automated biomass boiler equipped with improved ash removal and adjustable air controls. Shown here (R to L) are wood chips, grass and ag biomass pucks and wood pellets.

Report Citation:

Callahan, Christopher W. (2016). Biomass Boiler Installation at The Vermont Farmers Food Center. Bennington, VT: UVM Extension with Funding from The Vermont Bioenergy Initiative. Retrieved from http://blog.uvm.edu/cwcallah/files/2016/05/Summary-Report-VFFC-Biomass-Boiler-Project-FINAL-2016-04-09.pdf