This project will convert Sealaska’s corporate headquarters building from a diesel fired boiler to a wood pellet fired boiler. The overall goal of this project is to demonstrate that wood heat can be cost effective and feasible for larger commercial, industrial, and municipal buildings, and has the potential to affect demand for Southeast Alaska second growth wood fiber.
The proposed boiler uses wood pellets as its heat source. Wood pellet fired heat systems do not have problems with combustion like other wood fired systems, as pellets are dependable heat sources that conform to industry standards of moisture content and size. To date there are not any large buildings within Alaska that use wood pellets as a heat source, and there are limited local markets and supply chains. Besides reducing fuel costs, the successful demonstration of a commercial scale application could greatly advance the development of a local market.
Project Outline
This project includes converting Sealaska Corporation’s corporate headquarters building in downtown Juneau from a diesel fired boiler to a wood pellet fired boiler. This conversion will save around 35,000 gallons of heating oil annually for the Sealaska Plaza, a four story office building.
Objectives
The objectives of this project are to
- Demonstrate that wood heat can be cost effective and feasible for large commercial, industrial, and municipal buildings, and to
- Investigate the potential creation of demand for Southeast Alaska second growth wood fiber.
Technology
Viessmann/KOB Boiler Systems
Viessmann/KOB boiler systems have been in use for 30 years in Europe, it has not been American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) certified until recently and therefore has not been available in the US. The boiler uses wood pellets as its heat source. Wood pellet fired heat systems do not have problems with combustion like other wood fired systems because pellets are dependable heat sources that conform to industry standards of moisture content and size. It is the consistency of wood pellets that make wood a viable option for heating a building with as little operating costs as a conventional oil fired boiler system.
The Viessmann/KOB Pyrot series boiler is fully automated and remotely monitored and adjusted. This allows these systems to be installed anywhere and makes them ideal for remote Alaskan settings. Wood pellets are as reliable of a heat source as heating oil and are delivered to Alaska in bulk just like heating oil; but unlike heating oil, when the demand is eventually created for locally produced wood pellets, the wood fiber will be available and local mills will begin creating wood pellets for local use.
The Viessmann/KOB Pyrot boilers do not emit visible emissions and burn cleanly because of the consistency of wood pellets. This means that cold weather temperature inversions and burn bans do not apply to these boilers.
Work Plan
In this proposal the boiler system will be installed alongside the building's existing oil fired boiler to handle all of the building's heating needs on all but the coldest days of the year and when the boiler is down for maintenance. Because of the existing boiler system, this was determined to be the most cost-effective system to install. Wood fired boilers cannot cycle like an oil fired one and need to be run at their most efficient setting. Installing a boiler to meet all of the building's design days would most likely result in too big of a boiler that would use an excessive amount of wood pellets. For the near future, most wood pellet installations will most likely come in the form of building conversions and will retain their existing fuel oil boilers. In this regard, the Sealaska project will be representative of these boiler conversions.
The challenges of this project are: 1) finding space to house the new boiler system and pellet feed silo while at the same time making space for the delivery truck in a downtown urban setting, 2) developing a system to bring bulk shipments of pellets into town and then deliver them in a conventionally sized truck similar to an oil delivery truck, 3) making the project as cost competitive as oil in the current economic situation 3) proving the reliability and ease of use of the system and finally 4) promoting the technology to grow the demand for the boiler systems which will ultimately create the demand for the local wood fiber.
Funding Outline
|
Funding Goals
This project is a Denali Commission EETG Program project. The funding goal of the EETG program is to develop emerging energy technology that has the potential of widespread deployment in Alaska and has the long-term goal of reducing energy costs for Alaskans.
Project Recipient
 |
Sealaska has strengthened business with culture since 1972. We are a Native Corporation owned by over 20,000 tribal member shareholders and guided by our traditions of environmental stewardship and positively impacting our communities. We are legendary traders who are deeply connected to our lands and have successfully adapted to constantly changing environments and global economies. We bring together the wisdom and foresight of our combined heritage to create an enduring corporation that provides business opportunities, benefits and cultural strength for our people. |
Grant Management
 |
The Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP), an energy research group housed under the Institute of Northern Engineering at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, is serving as the program manager of the EETG solicitation. As the projects deal with emerging energy technology and by nature are high risk, high reward, ACEP’s technical knowledge and objective academic management of the projects, specifically for data collection, analysis, and reporting, is a vital component to the intent of the solicitation, i.e., providing lessons learned and recommendations. |
Project Documents
Included below are quarterly reports, project photos, and supplementary documentation. Check back quarterly for updates!
Project Information
Supplementary Information
Quarterly Reports
Milestone Reports
Data and Analysis
Photos
Sealaska Pellet Boiler
Video
Sealaska Boiler Tour 2-14-11
EET Forum Presentation Sealaska 1/2
EET Forum Presentation Sealaska 2/2
