In the past, the pellet heating system has been the kind of thing that seems like a great idea, but it takes a dedicated environmentalist to go to the trouble of keeping them up and running. However, a new system may soon be giving even us lazy folks the chance to be more eco-friendly.
The fuel pellets used now generally come from one source – typically corn or wood – and the stoves that are available burn one or the other. However, Bixby Energy Systems has come up with a technique to create pellets from a variety of biological waste along with a stove that is able to burn it all.
The pellets can be modified depending on resources available locally, such as almond shells, hog waste, olive pitts or cotton remains. By using locally available material, shipping and distribution costs are vastly reduced. Bob Walker, the found of Bixby, says that he had many people tell him that his idea just wasn’t feasible. The consensus was that it was impossible to take materials with very different properties and get them to burn at the same temperature. But Walker isn’t the type to give up on a challenge, and has already shown that he knows what to do with a good idea: he’s the same guy that invented the sleep-number bed. So while others have had the pellet idea, he was determined to see it through. He knew that there was a true business opportunity waiting if he could resolve the issue of making biomass a usable fuel.
Biomass is the top source of renewable energy, says the US Department of Energy, and accounts for 4% of the total energy produced in the country. The majority comes from agriculture and forestry waste, but a lot of biomass is not used simply because an efficient method of collection and distribution hasn’t been worked out yet. A study in 2005 showed that if Minnesota was able to collect and use its biomass efficiently, there was enough to power as much as 99% of the state’s electrical usage!
The first stove Bixby produced, the MaxFire, is able to burn biomass, wood or corn pellets at 99.7% efficiency – that means there’s almost no ash left over. It can hold up to 106 pounds of corn, which is enough to heat a 3000 square foot area, and does it about half the cost of heating oil or natural gas.
The biggest drawback at this point is the pellets themselves. Unlike fuel which comes into the home through gas lines or electrical wires, it’s necessary for consumers to go out and buy the pellets and store them at their home. The stove needs to be refilled on a regular basis, too. This extra work can be a problem for home owners, even if they like the idea of the stove. But Walker has been thinking about a solution for the people who want a low maintenance heating system: they’ve designed a furnace that can produce not just heat, but also hot water, and soon electricity. The pellets for this system will be delivered directly to the home, where they’ll be placed into a storage area that is accessed automatically by the furnace. Soon, everyone can make the most of the waste they produce with a great and really efficient biomass boiler.
Jimmy is a engineer working for specialist heating firm Ambaheat. He is very keen on all modern, highly efficient and especially renewable heating installations, and anything that can help to reduce our emissions.