BERC’s College and University Portfolio

Main Menu

Since the turn of the century, the Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC) has been at the forefront of the biomass energy movement for community-scale applications. Fortunately, the opportunities and benefits of biomass energy have not gone unnoticed by the nation’s premier colleges and universities as a pro-active method of addressing climate change, providing a hedge against fossil fuel price volatility, and a way to achieve institutional sustainability goals. The following is a select list of some of the nation’s leading academic institutions BERC has partnered with over the years.

Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA

Preliminary Feasibility Study: Wood Energy Potential for Campus Heating (June 2008)
BERC was contracted through Siemens Technologies to perform a preliminary feasibility study for Harvard Forest to examine the economic, logistic, and environmental issues involved in replacing the current cordwood and fossil fuel heating systems with a central wood-fired heating system. The viability of a combined heat and power (CHP) system was also evaluated.

The central biomass heating system is to be fueled by woodchips from the campus’ forested land. The study evaluates the optimum system configurations required to maximize the number of campus buildings that might be heated by a central plant. It compares air emissions, environmental impacts, and economic viability of the Harvard Forest’s current heating fuels with those of woodchip fuel. The final report lays out a pathway to successful implementation of this system for Harvard Forest.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Preliminary Feasibility Study of a Wood-Fired Central Heating Plant (September 2005)
BERC partnered with Johnson Controls, Inc. to assess the feasibility of a supplemental biomass system at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst campus. The scope of the study included cost estimation and preliminary wood system design—including wood storage and handling—for adding a 60,000 pph wood boiler to the campus’ new, state-of-the-art central natural gas energy plant. The report also presented the analysis of hourly steam and electricity requirements for the 20,000-student campus, physical site and building constraints, and criteria to qualify the project under Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). BERC also produced a long-term wood supply plan for the Umass-Amherst campus.

Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT

Preliminary Feasibility Study: Potential for a Biomass CHP Plant at Middlebury College (December 2003)
In 2002 Middlebury College created the Carbon Reduction Initiative (CRI). The CRI Working Group, consisting of college administrators, faculty, staff, and students, developed a carbon emissions reduction plan to significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption and to create a “carbon neutral” campus. The CRI Working Group identified the large annual consumption of #6C heavy fuel oil by its central combined heating and power (CHP) plant as the major contributor to carbon emissions on the campus.

BERC performed the 2003 study at no cost to Middlebury College, using federal funds from a grant administered by the US Department of Energy. The preliminary analysis explored the technical aspects of using biomass to replace heavy fuel oil at the central CHP plant as a means of reducing carbon emissions at Middlebury College. Several scenarios were evaluated, ranging from a single woodchip boiler to advanced biomass gasification and significant electricity generation coupled with the elimination of the existing fossil fuel fired heating plant.

Standing firm behind its commitment to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve carbon neutrality, Middlebury College has moved forward with the installation of a campus wide biomass energy plant, and completed construction of the state-of-the-art facility in the fall of 2008.

Click here to learn more about the Middlebury College Biomass Plant.

Vermont Technical College (VTC), Randolph, VT

Advisory Services for the Pellet Boiler Project at the Red School House at VTC (April 2009)
As part of a campus-wide, sustainable technology field laboratory, VTC is planning to install a biomass pellet fired boiler in the historic Red School House that houses VTC's Dairy Farm Management and Agribusiness Management programs. This green energy project will also serve as a proof-of-principle, a demonstration project that can be applied to Vermont schools that are too small for woodchip heating systems, and will help train workers for the emerging local bio-fuels marketplace.

Working with BERC and a local farmer, VTC will test crops and burn various energy grasses and other types of biomass. VTC also contracted with BERC for advisory services for progressing the project.

Request for Proposals (RFPs) & Performance Specifications for a Wood Pellet System at VTC (September 2009)
Demonstrating their commitment towards achieving sustainability through biomass heating the VTC administration decided to move forward with the pellet boiler project. In this phase of the project BERC developed a comprehensive RFP tailored to meet the specific goals and performance specifications of the proposed VTC biomass pellet system. The RFP solicits proposals for the design, turn key supply, and installation of a wood pellet fired hot water boiler system, including pellet storage, un loading, and pellet handling equipment, to be installed in the existing boiler room. Special consideration was given for the supply and installation of additional equipment for the experimental use of various quality pellets, which addresses VTC’s goals of conducting meaningful research about sustainable production of biomass pellets from energy grasses.

Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD

Preliminary Feasibility Assessment of Biomass Heating at BHSU (November 2006)
As part of the South Dakota statewide initiative BERC partnered with the state’s Department of Agriculture, Resource Conservation, and Forestry Division to determine the viability of using wood to heat public buildings in the Black Hills area of South Dakota. During this regional initiative BERC performed a preliminary feasibility study for Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of installing a woodchip heating system at the central plant on the university campus.

By evaluating the campus master plan BERC was able to analyze the present and future heating requirements of BHSU and make the preliminary system recommendations. While BERC’s experience in performing a life cycle cost analysis for the biomass system was beneficial to the university planners the additional assistance in evaluating the availability, reliability, and price stability of woodchip fuel supply in the local area is of crucial importance as well.

Green Mountain College, Poultney, VT

Report Review and Wood Fuel Supply Study for Green Mountain College Campus (June 2008)
Green Mountain College was the first college in Vermont to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. As a Leadership Circle member, GMC also provides guidance and helps to promote the initiative. In an effort to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions of campus operations, GMC commissioned a private consulting firm to undertake an assessment of a biomass combined heat and power (CHP) system for the college.

The year following that assessment GMC assigned BERC to review and update the biomass feasibility study performed by the private consulting firm, and additionally to provide an assessment of wood fuel price and availability in the Poultney area. BERC reviewed the earlier biomass feasibility report and updated it using existing data and its life cycle cost (LCC) tool. While the earlier report considered only one option for a central energy plant, BERC expanded the study and provided additional options to the college. The economic analysis and the assessment of local biomass fuel availability were presented to the GMC administration alongside the review of the earlier study performed in 2007.

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK

2007 Competitive Grants Program, South Central Sun Grant Initiative (December 2007)
BERC reviewed two proposals under the 2007 Competitive Grants Program of the South Central Sun Grant Initiative for Oklahoma State University. The proposals were in the area of conversion efficiency and thermo-chemical conversion of biomass. The review was submitted within two weeks from the receipt of the proposals.

Goddard College, Plainfield, VT

Evaluation of Biomass Combined Heat and Power at Goddard College (January 2009)
Goddard College partnered with BERC to study the preliminary feasibility of a biomass-fired combined heat and power (CHP) project at their campus in Plainfield, Vermont. The study, funded by the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund provides preliminary estimates of project costs, including initial capital and ongoing operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, and a preliminary assessment of economic feasibility.

Conversion to woody biomass energy would provide Goddard College with the benefits of large energy savings as well as decreased greenhouse gas emissions from day to day operations. An additional benefit to consider, from a risk management perspective, is the increased energy security achieved by producing CHP from a locally available and renewable energy source.

Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, VT

Evaluation of Biomass Combined Heat and Power at Lyndon State College (April 2008)
This study, funded by the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund, examined the feasibility of using biomass as an energy source for combined heat and power (CHP) generation at the LSC campus. While considering the LSC campus master plan BERC performed an analysis of current energy systems and infrastructure (e.g., steam, hot water, electric, HVAC). The study included exploring net metering possibilities with Lyndonville’s Electric Department and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority. The viability of a CHP project for producing electricity was assessed, as were two options for space heating with biomass fuels.

While examining the economic viability, life cycle analysis, and operation and maintenance (O & M) costs of the biomass system BERC was also able to derive the preliminary quantification of woodchip supply available within the cost effective, environmentally sound, and efficient delivery range of the LSC campus.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Treehaven College of Natural Resources, Tomahawk, Wisconsin
Biomass Heating: Renewable Energy Feasibility Study (September 2009)
As part of a broader state-wide initiative throughout Wisconsin, BERC performed in-depth feasibility assessments for the installation of biomass heating systems at numerous academic institutions. Under the Wisconsin Focus on Energy initiative, BERC partnered with Cooperative Development Services, the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, the U.S. Department of Energy, and URS Corporation, in identifying and assessing the regional potential for biomass heating.

One of the potential sites identified was the unique Treehaven Environmental Learning Center located in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. This campus provides University of Wisconsin students majoring in natural resources with hands-on learning during which they gain field experience in forestry, wildlife management, soil science, and water resources. Campus administrators were particularly in favor of installing a cordwood system with wood harvested from their property by their students because it created a multi-faceted educational opportunity.

BERC undertook the task of performing a detailed feasibility and engineering study for the campus to assess the viability of biomass heating. The master site plan and school engineering drawings were evaluated to examine present and future energy requirements, which were quantified on an hourly, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. BERC technical staff worked closely with engineers and school administrators, designing several system configurations in the process, to create a system that would provide environmental, educational, and economic benefits to the school. Upon the successful completion of the study BERC was able to present a conceptual design of a central cordwood heating plant. In addition, the report made recommendations for the next steps that the facility owners will need to undertake to implement the conversion to a biomass energy system at their campus.

Back to main college and university page