Solutions

Located in cold climates often near National Forestlands, these communities typically have high heating costs and limited options to switch to renewables; plus, their access to grid electricity may be constrained or expensive. Net metered biomass CHP and district heating systems offer reliable and renewable on-site energy that supports climate goals while forging new partnerships with neighboring working landscapes.

Tribal Nations inherently understand the value of sovereign energy; especially where Tribes manage their own forestland, biomass heat and electricity applications create energy independence and workforce development opportunities.

Manufacturers are leaders in tackling climate change through initiatives that reduce waste and invest in renewable energy; however, renewable energy technology options that can meet the high temperature and pressure demands of these facilities are limited. Biomass is one of few technologies that offers solutions to both waste reduction and renewable thermal energy.

Waste management facilities are tasked with disposing of the region’s waste, or converting it into more valuable products. Today too much clean, usable wood waste ends up with nowhere to go, or being trucked far distances at high cost and emissions for disposal. Instead, biomass facilities can take underutilized wood waste and turn it into electricity, heating and cooling, and value-added wood products.

Public utility districts take on a range of critical infrastructure needs, especially in rural communities. Operations like waste water treatment plants or even goals to provide community heat and electricity require energy generation systems that are reliable and scalable. Biomass can meet these needs in either net metered applications, community microgrids, or where positive market conditions exist, power plants.

The forest products industry is no stranger to creating value out of underutilized material. Modern wood energy technologies offer new, scalable options to offset on-site energy requirements, expand revenue streams into new product lines, and in some cases, export energy to off-site users.