The Wild Center

Adirondack Park, New York

31 Acre SiteOpened to the public in July 2006

Climate Change and Green Initiatives

First LEED building in Park, first museum in NY

Climate Change Conferences

Carbon Audit of Adirondacks

Ongoing internal Green Team

Youth Climate Summit for high schools

Movie, A Matter of Degrees to NY schools

Local Foods, programs & weekly farmers market

ADKCAP, community climate action planning

New Path exhibits about green building elements

First Commercial Scale Pellet Boiler in NY State

Green Weddings

New 2011 Additional Lighting Changes

• Just installed state of the art Lutron Control system is expected to lower electrical use by 25% or more after 2011.

• Kiosk for the public to show savings

Convening the Community around Energy and Climate Issues

The Youth Climate Summit workshop

sessions in transportation, recycling, school

and local gardening, energy efficiency, and

green building design engaged school teams

in meaningful learning and motivate action

back at their schools.

The New Path

Green Tech Exhibit

New Path – Pellet Boiler

Pellet Boiler

A renewable energy heating system coupling a highly efficient gasification wood boiler with a

solar tube hot water collection system.

Boiler: ACT BioEnergy, LLC500kW (1.7MMBTU/hr) OutputCombustion + 2 stage gasification,Efficiencies to 90%

Fuel: Premium Wood Pellets (FSC Certified)

Demonstration Project Objectives• Evaluate performance of a highly efficient gasification wood boiler integrated

with a solar thermal hot water array.

• Monitor and document emissions from an improved gasification type wood combustion system to allow comparison with conventional wood and fossil fuel boilers.

• Monitor and document emissions from improved hydronic heating system energy efficiency, benefitting from solar heated hot water, with the pre-heated water stored and released to minimize part-load operation of boilers.

• Reduce heating fuel cost and dependency on fossil fuels.

• Public outreach and education

Project Challenges• One of the first boiler of size and type manufactured in US and built to

ASME standards (weights estimated and modular construction required to facilitate portability)

Project Challenges• Installation in existing basement boiler room with limited access.

• Large diameter chimney routing through existing occupied space.

Project Challenges• Integration with existing (backup) LPG boilers control scheme

Project Challenges• Aesthetically pleasing, low-profile pellet storage adjacent to main

museum building. Easy fuel filling aspects.

Artist’s Rendering

Projected Economics

• 2009 average LPG consumption (before wood) = 39,000 gallons

• Wood pellet boiler projected to satisfy 75% of heating demand

• 39,000 gal x 0.75 = 29,250 gal LPG offset by wood annuallyHeating energy of offset LPG = 29,250 gal x 90,500 BTU/gal =

2,467,125,000 BTUs = 24,670 therms

• Fuel cost per therm heating valueLPG = $1.98 ($1.80 gal)

Wood = $0.88 ($185.00 ton)

• Projected annual fuel $ savings = ($1.98-$0.88) x 24,670 therms =$27,140

• Increased electricity purchase = 7500kWh x $0.45 = $340Increased boiler maintenance (ash removal) = $1500

• Projected Net savings = $27,140 – ($340 + $1500) = $25,300

WOODLPG

Upcoming Conference and Expo

•Friday, April 29 Training

•Saturday, April 30 Conference and Expo

•Sunday, May 1 Public Programs and Expo

Questions

Ash Removal

• All removed ash weighed

• Ash used as soil amendment in high pH areas (pine tree beds) and binder for stone trail surfaces

• 1st 12 tons of wood pellets burned generated only 100 pounds of ash

(<0.5% by weight)

Performance MonitoringWood fuel feed rate (auger run-time meter), thermal energy output (boiler water flow rate and temperature delta) and backup LPG boiler fuel volume (gas meter) measured and recorded

Performance Monitoring• Online monitoring of system performance

Finished Boiler Installation

Finished Pellet Storage

Emissions Testing

• Clarkson University

• CK Environmental Services