Conference Program

10 AM - 5 PM

Optional Northeast Agricultural Biomass Heating Seminar

An all-day focus on the technical and commercial opportunities and challenges to the wider use of agricultural biomass in heating applications is being offered as a complement to the Northeast Biomass Heating Expo 2012.

Speakers will address current information on agronomics, densification, combustion, emissions and economics. The emphasis is on generating “local heat” from grasses, agricultural residues and other non-woody biomass crops.
 
The cost of this extra event is $29 for those attending the full Expo, and $49 for those attending only the one-day seminar. Learn more here >>

Optional Pre-Conference Tour

• ACT Bioenergy - boiler manufacturing facility (Schenectady)
• In woods logging/biomass chipping operation - Washington County
• Chiptec boiler installation- Hartford School (north of Saratoga)

The cost of this extra event is $50. Space is limited, so please sign up early. Register here >>

Registration Opens

Opening Plenary Session

• Master of Ceremonies - Charles Levesque, President, Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC, Antrim NH
  
  
• Welcome, Conference Chair - Jeff Souther, Sales Manager, American Biomass Distribution/WoodPellets.Com, Goffstown NH
  
  
• Welcome and Opening Remarks
  Frank Murray, President and CEO, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany NY
  
  
• Keynote Address: “Wood for Energy: Forests, Rural Community Vitality, and National Energy Policy”
  Carlton Owen, President and CEO, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville SC

Buffet Lunch

Breakout Session 1

Financing Biomass Thermal Projects – Smaller-Scale Residential and Commercial Projects

The operating cost advantages of biomass thermal installations in homes and small businesses are obvious.  But the installed cost hurdle has prevented many from being installed.  This session will provide guidance that can help overcome the financing hurdle for residential and small business biomass heating systems.

Moderator: Jose Ignacio Pedrajas, Prodesa

• A Tale of Instigating Market Transformation – New Hampshire’s Bulk-Fuel Fed Wood-Pellet Central Boiler/Furnace Rebate Program – Laura Richardson, NH Office of Energy and Planning, Concord NH
  
  
• Financing Residential and Light Commercial Biomass Thermal Projects - Net Positive Cash Flow from Day One – William Strauss, FutureMetrics, Bethel ME
  
  
• Energy Assistance Program Dollars Buy More Heat with Wood and Wood Pellets – Jon Strimling, WoodPellets.com, Goffstown NH
  
  
• State and Federal Incentives:  Support for Biomass Thermal at a Range of Scales – Eric Kingsley, Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, Portland ME

Specifiers Track

Key principles for biomass heating systems: selection, sizing, and design for maximizing system efficiency and minimizing client costs

Proper selection, sizing, and design of a biomass heating system can contribute to lower initial capital costs, increasing system efficiency, and lower overall emissions.  This session will discuss some of the common issues that are the root cause of poor system performance.  The session presenters all have experience with biomass heating systems and will provide insight and guidance based on their experience.  System types covered will range from large commercial and industrial woodchip systems to smaller pellet heating systems for commercial buildings.  Topics covered will include: 

• using bin-hour heating load method to predict annual fuel consumption,
• steps which can be taken during planning and evaluation to avoid poor system performance,
• remediation opportunities to improve an underperforming biomass heating system,
• installation guidelines to adapt to existing hydronic installations, and
• utilizing existing or adding circulation controls.

Moderator: John Karakash, Resource Professionals Group LLC, Harford, PA

• Ray Albrecht, Consulting Engineer, Westerlo, NY
  
  
• David Daniels, Alternative Energy Solutions International Inc., Wichita, KS
  
  
• Dan Wheeler, Maine Energy Systems, Bethel, ME

Economic Development Specialists Track

This track is designed for municipal officials, planners, and staff of economic development agencies who need to understand how to evaluate feasibility of larger biomass heating and combined heat and power projects, along with the role that power and heat purchase agreements, government-backed loans, and grants can play in overcoming initial cost barriers for these high ROI systems.  Presenters are system designers, operators, and funding experts with hands-on experience with project development and implementation in the Northeast.

District Heating – Can it Happen Here?

Biomass-based heating systems are as common in Europe as You-Store-It units in North America.  Is this the problem – that every household and every business needs to own its own “stuff”, as far as heating is concerned?  A panel of specialists in this field will provide a frank look at the barriers to district heating in the United States, along with a range of examples from multiple-residence to community scale of projects that are under construction in the Northeast – and the barriers that were overcome to get them off the ground.

Moderator:  Andi Colnes, Biomass Energy Resource Center, Montpelier VT

• Tim Maker, President, Community Biomass Systems (an overview of challenges to biomass distributed heat at different scales, and an example of an installation at Godard College in Vermont this is paying its way without outside incentives)
  
  
• Darek Letkiewicz, O’Brien and Gere (development of a community-scale district heating system in Smethport, PA – coordinating many players and many interests)

• Peter Bloomfield, Concord Steam (challenges of managing and expanding a distributed heating and power business in Concord, NH, now operating entirely on wood fuel)

Refreshment Break, Vendor Fair

Breakout Session 2

Existing Buildings + Biomass Heat = Sustainable Solution

According to the International Energy Agency, in the United States and Canada 69% of existing residential buildings and 63% of existing commercial buildings were built before 1980.  Unlike new construction which can be designed to optimize solar gain and minimize heat load, improving the performance of existing buildings (residential and commercial) is dependent on specific retrofits that improve efficiency and lower carbon emissions. This panel focuses on the potential of biomass heating to improve the efficiency and lower the carbon footprint of existing buildings in the Northeast.

Moderator: Alice Brumbach, New York Biomass Energy Alliance, Syracuse NY

• Racking Up the Points to Score Big for Biomass Heating in LEED Projects - Gordon William (Bill) Root, Jr, PE, Charlotte, VT
  
  
• Standards and Certification for the Biomass Industry - Are They Important? – John Jones, Building Performance Institute, Malta, NY
  
  
• Working Forests for Home Heating: Building a Local Cordwood and Wood Pellet Industry to Supply Low-Income Fuel Assistance Programs –Jennifer Hushaw, Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC, Antrim NH
  
  
• Combining weatherization with pellet stoves = huge savings and comfort – Guillermo Metz, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, Ithaca, NY

Specifiers Track

Alternative approaches to system sizing and operation, and providing the full range of support required for a biomass heating system installation

Not all successful application/installation of a biomass heating system starts and ends with selection and sizing of the heating system.  Systems can also be tailored to meet building load in many ways such as cascaded boiler controls, advanced buffer management, and the option to make several boilers operate seamlessly as one system. In addition to selecting and managing the technical requirements, this session will also address the importance of incorporating resource assessment, environmental permitting, grant writing, fuel subsidies, and carbon offsets to meet the full needs of the client.  Examples ranging from large commercial to single building heating systems will be covered.

Moderator:Michael T. Palko, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Williamsport, PA

• Eric Epner, Fuss & O'Neill, Inc., Manchester CT
  
  
• Scott Nichols, Tarm USA, Lyme, NH
  
  
• Dave Frank, SunWood Biomass, Waitsfield, VT

Economic Development Specialists Track

This track is designed for municipal officials, planners, and staff of economic development agencies who need to understand how to evaluate feasibility of larger biomass heating and combined heat and power projects, along with the role that power and heat purchase agreements, government-backed loans, and grants can play in overcoming initial cost barriers for these high ROI systems.  Presenters are system designers, operators, and funding experts with hands-on experience with project development and implementation in the Northeast.

Biomass CHP – The Next Big Thing

Biomass-based Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems extract most of the energy stored in their wood chip and pellet feedstocks, but they bring with them special engineering and finance challenges.  Examples of biomass-based CHP plants under construction throughout the Northeast prove that there are answers to each challenge that have won over industrial and institutional decision-makers.  A panel of speakers with hands-on experience in developing biomass CHP systems will discuss conditions under which biomass CHP is the best choice for their clients.

Moderator:  Mike Hagin, Honeywell Building Solutions

• Jim Olmsted, Senior Engineer, Antares Group (economics and financial feasibility for a typical commercial/industrial facility that is considering biomass CHP, and some examples of a range of projects now underway in the Northeast)
  
  
• Larry Martin, O’Brien & Gere (a discussion of biomass due diligence, fatal flaw analysis and best practices for developing biomass alternatives; key drivers for successful projects with examples of projects where biomass CHP has been the preferred option)
  
  
• Richard Bellefleur, Wellons FEI (coordinating the installation of CHP with an industrial, wood-fired boiler system at the VA hospitals in Chillicothe, Ohio and Canandaigua, NY)

• Daniel Kempland, Turbosteam (Example of a biomass CHP opportunity being developed for a Northeast client, including system design engineering with environmental impact, economic proforma and preliminary drawing package, as well as the process of achieving a $2 million biomass incentive award)

“Real Project” Presentations, Vendor Fair

A lightning round of presentations on real projects and technologies.  12 presenters will be invited to describe project or technology in 3 minutes or less.  Attendees will be encouraged to visit table/easel presentations following lightning round, on trade show floor.

• John Culpepper, North Country School, Lake Placid NY
  Comparison of fully automated chip/pellet plant and cordwood gasifie; all biomass from FSC certified forest management

• Marc Caluwe, Hydro-to-Heat-Convertor, Burlington MA
  Decorative indoor wood boilers – overview of 4 projects

• Tom Wilson, Wilson Engineering, Meadville PA
  Crawford (PA) Central thermally-led biomass CHP district energy project

• Robert Clark, USDA Forest Service, Durham NH
  Thermal biomass saves Maine’s rural communities – Jobs Up and Costs Down

• Mike Wilson, Northern Forest Center, Portland ME
  Model neighborhood project: Keeping heating dollars at home in the Northern Forest

• Mark Weiss, Reciprocal Energy, Sandwich NH
  Large scale suspension combustion biomass for campus combined heat and power

• Dan Arnett, Ernst Conservation Seed, Meadville PA
  The planning, funding and construction of a densification facility dedicated to warm season grasses

• Tim Volk, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse NY
  SUNY ESF Gateway woody biomass CHP system

• Scott Nichols, TARM USA, Lyme NH
  Matching building load with cascaded boilers and advanced buffer tank management

• Charlie Cary, Biomass Combustion Systems, Worcester MA
  Public sector road clearings and tree trimmings – an untapped thermal opportunity

• James Knight, Pelletco, Orono ME
  Study of the benefits of using a composite biomass fuel

• Scott Williamson, Pelletstoveservice.com, Rehoboth MA
  A service standard for the biomass heating industry

Reception, Vendor Fair (heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar)

• The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator (D-NY) (Invited)
  
  
• The Honorable Chris Gibson, US. Congress (R-NY) (Invited)

Special Breakfast Presentation

• “Looking Back; Looking Forward -- A 5th Anniversary Review of Programmatic Investments of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and Discussion of Future Priorities”
  Carlton Owen, President/CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities

Day Two Plenary Session

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wood Energy Initiative: A New Partnership Supporting Biomass Thermal in the Northeast

USDA has developed new a collaborative effort involving key federal agencies to launch a new Wood to Energy Initiative toward concrete action to catalyze use of woody biomass in meeting renewable biofuel needs to heat American homes and businesses.  USDA is now preparing to implement key provisions of the Wood Energy Initiative, including the formation of “support teams” at the state or regional level.  This panel of key USDA personnel and partners will focus on these exciting developments and how this initiative could work in the Northeast.

• Tony Ferguson, Director USDA Forest Service, Northeast Area State and Private Forestry, Newtown PA
  
  
• Dave Atkins, Program Leader, Wood Energy Initiative, USDA Forest Service, Washington DC (via live video feed)
  
  
• Tony Crooks, USDA Rural Development Renewable Energy Policy Specialist, Washington DC (via live video feed)
  
  
• Mike Palko, PA Bureau of Forestry, Williamsport PA

9:45 - 11:15 AM

Economic Development Specialists Track

 This track is designed for municipal officials, planners, and staff of economic development agencies who need to understand how to evaluate feasibility of larger biomass heating and combined heat and power projects, along with the role that power and heat purchase agreements, government-backed loans, and grants can play in overcoming initial cost barriers for these high ROI systems.  Presenters are system designers, operators, and funding experts with hands-on experience with project development and implementation in the Northeast.

Financing Biomass Thermal Projects – Larger Scale Projects

The operating cost advantages of biomass thermal installations in schools and for industrial process heat are substantial.  But the capital costs for a conversion or retrofit continues to be a challenge.  This session will give attendees new ideas and will discuss proven methods for capitalizing medium to larger scale projects.

Moderator: William Strauss, FutureMetrics, Bethel ME

• Navigating the Federal Agency Funding Process- a Guide to Grants and Loan Guarantees – Sarah Aubrey, Prosperity Ag and Energy Resources, Mornovia, IN
  
  
• PACE and Geo Focusing: Linking PACE Communities to Investor Supplied Funds – Dick Henry, The Jordan Institute, Concord NH
  
  
• Financing Small and Medium Scale Biomass Fueled CHP Plants – Jose Ignacio Pedrajas, Prodesa
  
  
• Using the ESCO process to successfully pay for and install the East Lycoming School District Biomass Boiler – Richard Skinner

Specifiers Track

Building a team for successful integration and operation of biomass heating systems for commercial facilities

This session will focus on the importance of taking a team approach that helps to ensure that all the players focus on the fundamental operation and system design for adapting large and small commercial heating systems to perform efficiently with biomass fuels.   The session will provide the viewpoints from the owner, operator, architect, engineer and manufacturer regarding the necessity for collaboration.  Control strategies for primary plant equipment using sources of biomass will be discussed relative to balancing loads and utilizing distribution equipment to maximize fuel efficiency.  Design methodologies used to select and size biomass boilers in concert with other heat sources will be reviewed.  Presenters will highlight best practices for operating equipment and fuel sourcing/storage to minimize maintenance and meet emissions regulations.  Data from actual case studies will demonstrate high performance and low emissions.

Moderator: Daniel Woodside, CSArch, Albany, NY

• David Dungate, ACT Bioenergy, Schenectady, NY
  
  
• Kevin Schaefer, CSArch, Albany, NY
  
  
• John Culpepper, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY

Education and Outreach to Promote Local Heating Solutions

How can we get people to choose high-efficiency, clean biomass heating if they don’t even know that it’s an option?  Effective outreach programs lay the groundwork for successful project implementation at the community level, and for the spread of clean biomass heating projects throughout communities and across the region.  This panel will provide three perspectives on how you “get the word out” to consumers, and to opinion makers and state officials, making it easier for companies with biomass heating businesses to find new customers.

Moderator:  Jon Strimling, Woodpellets.com

• Guillermo Metz, Green Building and Renewable Energy Program Coordinator, CCE Tompkins County
  Example of a multi-faceted program to educate community members about the benefits of biomass combustion and how to do it responsibly, utilizing a wide range of media to get the message across to potential consumers
  
  
• Jeff Forward, Yellow Wood Associates
  When projects are proposed that could have a community impact, key questions about issues like emissions and the demand on local forests typically arise; case studies of ways that communities have addressed these issues and cleared the way for projects to get built
  
  
• Jonathan Kays, Extension Forester, University of Maryland
  Building a statewide wood energy coalition to get biomass thermal energy included in state energy policy discussions

Closing Plenary

A candid discussion with expert “outsiders” who are key to the future of the biomass thermal industry.

The future of biomass heating in the Northeast depends on building an effective partnership with key groups that lie outside the biomass industry.  Specifiers, influencers, and sustainability and renewable energy advocates are all key partners in helping to expand the use of biomass for heating.  The closing plenary session will be a facilitated “around the woodstove” style discussion with expert outsiders that will provide important perspectives on areas/issues where the biomass thermal industry is doing well, and issues that need attention.    

Moderator: Rick Handley, Rick Handley & Associates, Ballston Lake, NY

• Dan Woodside, Architect, Executive Principal/Vice President, CS Arch
  
  
• Michael Hastings, Performance Contracting Engineer, Honeywell
  
  
• Jodi Smits Anderson, Director of Sustainability Programs, Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
  
  
• Henri Arif, Cleantech Specialist, Credit Suisse
  
  
• Sarah Metzgar Boggess, Vice President at Behan Communications, Albany, NY
  
  
• Joe Fox, Energy Manager State University of New York (retired), Albany, NY

Special Post-Conference Session: Creating a Biomass Heating Service Standard  

If biomass heating is ever going to compete with the oil or gas industries we need to take a serious look at service. Who will be our service technicians? How will they be trained? To what standard should we adopt to hold ourselves accountable and truly provide a service sector which is reliable and sustainable?

Scott Williamson, the founder of Pelletstoveservice.com has some insight in to the challenges facing our industry.  With a working knowledge of more than 165 models of pellet fired stoves, boilers and furnaces, Scott has created a company that exists largely without any manufactures' support, performs more than 1,500 service calls per year and a customer base reaching to all New England States.

Scott is spearheading an effort to help the U.S. create a service standard for our industry to adopt.  Join the discussion of this provocative and innovative concept!

ALL CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW ATTENDEES ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS SPECIAL POST CONFERENCE SESSION WITHOUT CHARGE.