Bioheat Gaining Support in the Northeast United States

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52272

With heating season coming to a close in the Northeast, businesses, homeowners and other utility customers are looking back at their heating bills and thinking about how they might bring them down next year. While conservation is an option for some, many people aren't willing to sacrifice comfort to save money. Bioheat systems may provide some relief.

Bioheat systems come in many forms. They can be as simple as replacing traditional heating oil with a blend of biodiesel or bio-oil, or as complicated has having a pellet boiler installed that can take care or central heat and hot water.

According to Andrew Perchlik, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont, consumers are taking action when it comes to their heating needs.

"In terms of bioheating, things are really expanding. There's more stoves and furnaces being sold and more schools are being powered with pellets and wood chips," Perchlik said. "We're definitely getting more requests from consumers. There's more fuel dealers carrying and the state is requiring it for all new bids for projects that will be funded entirely with state money."

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[Xipe Totec]

1. Bioheat used to mean building the house above the stable,

and using the waste heat from the farm animals to warm up the house.

[One_Life_To_Give]

2. Conservation and Comfort are not mutually exclusive

Many would be far better off investing in additional attic insulation.

[Finishline42]

3. Funny you should bring up insulation

In the April issue of Popular Science, an article states that if all oil-heated homes were weatherized, it would save 30 million barrels of oil a year.

Sounds like a lot, but we use over 20 million a day, but it would be helpful.

BTW, according to the article, 33% increase in ridership on public transportation would save 45 million a year. The airlines going to GPS flight control would save 18 million.

BUT...

"From 1975 to 2000, American cars cut their fuel use by the equivalent of 2.8 million barrels of oil per day, spurred largely by Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) laws. Then progress stalled. December's energy law will raise CAFE standards to 35 mpg by 2020, but pushing them to 40 mpg would cut oil demand by 1 BILLION barrels per year, roughly our current imports from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Venezuela combined."

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4254875.html?page=2