| Title: | Estes Park, CO -- Biomass Boiler at High Point Camp | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: |
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| State: | Colorado | ||||||||||||||||
| Program Description: | Colorado Facility Heating Feasibility Study -- Salvation Army's High Peak Camp
Background In 2006, using funds provided by a Department of Energy grant, the State of Colorado conducted several facility heating feasibility studies to locate buildings that could benefit from burning wood, a local resource. A study of the feasibility of heating the Salvation Army's High Peak Camp, near Estes Park, was one of these studies. The study found that the camp could save approximately $7,000. per year on their propane bill by heating their dining hall with a modern wood boiler. High Peak Camp is located adjacent to the Rocky Mountain National Park, at an altitude of over 9,000 feet. The surrounding forest is in need of thinning to reduce the risk of wildfire. The feasibility study analyzed the economics of installing and operating a wood boiler, the on-site wood supply, the appropriate technology for the building's size and needs, and the proper system design and installation for a clean, smoke-free operation. A Public-Private Partnership The success of the Salvation Army's wood utilization program is owed to the partners who worked together to turn this idea into a reality. They are: The Salvation Army High Peak Camp, which funded capital improvements to the building and long-term vision for sustainability and stewardship; the Colorado Wood Utilization and Marketing Program (C0-Wood), which funded system design and engineering and provided project leadership; the Governor's Energy Office, which provided project management and performance and environmental monitoring; Advanced Hydronics, Inc., which provided design and engineering expertise; BioHeatUSA, which provided the biomass boiler. Biomass Boiler System The dining hall is the first building on the campus to be converted to a wood boiler. The boiler heats the 8,100 square foot dining hall using hot water heat and a radiant heat floor. The new boiler is a TARM Solo 60 Mark II, a 198,000 BTU/hour wood boiler system with a high-efficiency propane boiler for back-up and peak demand. The boiler is imported from Denmark. The complete wood boiler system cost $55,000, and it is is expected to save between and $6,000-$9,000. per year, depending on the price of propane. Heat from the boiler is distributed to the building using a forced air furnace, baseboard hot water radiators, and an in-floor radiant (hot water) system. In addition to the boiler, there is a 900 gallon water-filled thermal energy storage tank that stores heat from the boiler. This allows users to control the release of heat into the space to prevent hot and cold periods. Thermal energy storage allows the boiler to run at it's most efficient setting, reducing smoke and unwanted emissions. The boiler is fueled directly from on-site tree thinnings done by Salvation Army staff. Approximately 100-400 pounds of dry cordwood are needed each day to heat the dining hall during the winter, less is used during the summer months. Contact information For more information, contact Dan Bihn by email at: dan@danbihn.com , or by phone at 970-218-1962. Source: “Salvation Army Camp Biomass Project: Making Wood Work for Colorado Camps” Governor's Energy Office, www.danbihn.com/news.html | ||||||||||||||||
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The Woody Biomass Utilization Database is a project of the Western Governors' Association
designed to increase awareness of the use of biomass resources for economic development and
environmental sustainability. Program objectives highlighted include biomass energy and
heating activities, education programs, and projects and technologies involving biomass
residue resulting from forest health treatments to reduce wildfire hazard risk.