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The Wood to Energy Outreach Program

The Wood to Energy Outreach Program. USDA Forest Service, Centers for Urban and Interface Forestry University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation. The Need. Alachua County’s population is increasing by 0.5% annually

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The Wood to Energy Outreach Program

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  1. The Wood to Energy Outreach Program USDA Forest Service, Centers for Urban and Interface ForestryUniversity of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation

  2. The Need • Alachua County’s population is increasing by 0.5% annually • Electricity demand in Gainesville has been increasing by about 3.3% per year • The City and Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) are increasing conservation efforts • There is a projected need for more electricity within 5 years (2011)

  3. Situation Becomes Opportunity • Increasing population • Existing forest cover • Currently using fossil fuels • How many strategies can we use to improve the situation? • Wood is one of many possibilities

  4. Potential Sources of Woody Biomass • Urban waste wood • Yard trimmings • Storm damage • Land-clearing debris • Forestry residues • Thinning for forest health, wildfire risk reduction • Branches from harvesting • Wood grown specifically for energy production

  5. Potential Benefits of Using Wood • Additional wood market for landowners interested in sustainable forestry • Forest management can: • reduce wildfire behavior • enhance forest health • improve wildlife habitat

  6. More Potential Benefits • Wood is renewable • Useful way to process “waste wood” • Can produce lower levels of sulfur, nitrogen, and heavy metals such as mercury • Carbon neutral • Creates local jobs

  7. Potential Questions about Using Wood • Reduced soil fertility • Long term sustainable yields • Habitat change Potential Solutions: • Best management practices • Sustainable forestry • Forest certification

  8. Additional Concerns • Unfamiliar technology • Cost • However, it’s much cheaper than other renewables

  9. The Carbon Cycle

  10. Cheapest Most Expensive Cost Assumptions for Biomass Sources • Harvest and process: $20-$30 per dry ton. • Transportation: $5-$12 per dry ton.

  11. Local Biomass Supply Curve Deerhaven Facility, FL Other SE US communities Truckloads/year Homes powered/year 1 trillion btus=9.8 MW=3,934-8,852 homes

  12. Economic Structure of the Wood Energy Industry Construction, Infrastructure Exports Electric Utilities and Other Wood Users Forest Management & Timber Production Logging and Transportation Rest of United States and World Economy Wood Energy Industry Purchased Inputs Labor and Wages Local Consumption Taxes Imports Local Govt. Goods and Services Monetary Flows Consumer Spending Employee Households Distribution Supplier Local Economy

  13. Capital Construction Impacts for a 20 or 40 MW Wood-Fueled Power Plant in Selected Florida Counties

  14. Annual Operating Impacts (first year) for a 20 or 40 MW Wood-Fueled Power Plant in Selected Florida Counties

  15. Employment Impacts by Occupational Group for Ongoing Operations of a 40MW Wood-Fired Power Plant in Alachua County, FL

  16. Differences in Burners • Coal systems much larger • Individual units 100 to 1000 MW • Typically pulverize the coal and burn it in suspension • Biomass systems much smaller • Typically 1 to 50 MW • Typically burn on a grate

  17. Feedstock Properties: Thermochemical Processes • Energy content (Btu/lb) • Moisture content • Alkali metals (Sodium & Potassium) • Ash content

  18. Other Ways to Generate Electricity • Gasify by heating in the absence of air • Convert to liquid through pyrolysis • Gases and liquids can be used in boilers, engines, turbines

  19. Questions?

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