(Some) Massachusetts Schools Switch to (Heating With) Wood Pellets [View all]

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://energy.gov/eere/articles/massachusetts-schools-switch-wood-pellets

[font face=Serif][font size=5]Massachusetts Schools Switch to Wood Pellets[/font]

August 20, 2015 - 5:22pm

[font size=3]As students head back to school in Massachusetts, they will have an opportunity to learn firsthand about clean energy in the classroom. Several schools in the Southern Berkshire Regional District and across the state are switching to wood pellets for their primary heat source.

In 2013, the Energy Department competitively selected Massachusetts through the State Energy Program to support the state’s goal of upgrading heating and cooling systems throughout the state. As a result, the state launched the Schools and Public Housing Integrating Renewables and Efficiency (SAPHIRE) program.

SAPHIRE showcases modern renewable heating and cooling technology. The program provides educational opportunities, delivers energy cost savings, and grows a local market for renewable heating. The program reaches regional public schools that typically rely on expensive heating oil, propane, and electric heat for their heating systems. It’s also designed to help schools implement projects across multiple municipalities and revenue streams.

For example, as part of SAPHIRE, with a $360,000 grant from the state’s Department of Energy Resources, the district replaced oil burners at Mount Everett Regional High School and Undermountain Elementary School with a renewable, thermal-biomass system that burns wood pellets.

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