UNBC expanding biomass power

June 11, 2014, Prince George, B.C. – It’s amazing the
difference that moving a pellet boiler a few feet can make, but at the
University of Northern British Columbia, plans to move its pellet boiler could
pay huge dividends at the campus.

At the final stop on the pre-conference tour for the
International Bioenergy Conference & Exhibition, attendees learned about
the school’s plans to move the pellet boiler to the same building that houses
the Nexterra biomass heating system, which is located about 100 feet from its
current location. Dubber as Canada’s Green University, the Nexterra bioenergy
plant is at the heart of the school’s green initatives.

Located on the west side of the campus, which is home to
approximately 4,000 students, the Nexterra system provides heat for many of the
campus’ key buildings, reducing the school’s reliance on natural gas. However,
one set of buildings not tied in to either bioenergy system is the school’s
residences, located just south of the bioenergy center.

By moving the pellet boiler closer to the residences, with
the move to the same grounds as the Nexterra system, the school will be able to
run a system of pipes to the student housing, providing a green energy solution
and cutting down on the use of natural gas and electricity. And the pellet
boiler already has the capacity to take on the increased demand from its use
for student housing heating needs.

UNBC’s bioenergy plant has helped the school gain
recognition for its green initiatives, including the recent awarding of a
sustainability in construction award at the Canada Green Building Awards.

Yesterday was the final day of a three-day pre-conference
tour that took attendees through a wide variety of biomass and bioenergy sites
throughout British Columbia. Attendees from all over the world participated in
the tour, including China, England, Italy, New Zealand, and the U.S.