Narragansett energy plan to save money
$3.2M boiler will be cheaper in long run as it burns woodEryn Dion
News Staff Writer
TEMPLETON — The Narragansett Regional School District hopes to move forward with the installation of a biomass boiler system after a special town meeting vote later this month.
Superintendent Ruth Miller originally proposed the March 29 meeting to get the town’s approval to borrow the $3.2 million necessary to complete the project. The Board of Selectmen then made the decision to hold its meeting to solve the current budget shortfall in conjunction with the school.
While $3.2 million may seem like a hefty pricetag at a time when the town is struggling financially, Ms. Miller explained that there will be virtually no impact on taxpayers, as the money saved yearly in oil costs, as the boiler would be burning woodchips, would cover the yearly loan payments.
Documents provided by Operations Project Manager Tim Singleton of Newton-based Diversified Projects Management indicate that the annual finance payments for the project will amount to about $234,700, while the fuel savings per year is listed as $234,493.67 — a discrepancy of only a few hundred dollars.
The district has already received a $300,000 grant and has been approved for another $250,000, although the funds have not been released. The second grant was not factored into the $3.2 million project cost and could potentially lower yearly payments further.
The project would require the construction of a small addition onto the already existing boiler room near the NRSD central office and would consist of a wood chip storage room. The room would contain a self-feeding system and the chips would not need to be rotated or turned to keep from rotting. Wood chips would be delivered by the truckload several times a week and Mr. Singleton explained that trucks would arrive before 7:00 a.m. to minimize interference with school operations. The wood chips would cost an estimated $36,360 a year, according to figures provided by several suppliers in the area, and would primarily consist of wood from dead or diseased trees.
The school’s existing boilers, installed in 1998, are reaching the end of their 20-year lifespan and Ms. Miller said they have begun to break down after experiencing a considerable amount of wear during this year’s harsh winter. The cost to replace the boilers is listed at around $500,000, which does not include the cost of oil. The biomass boiler system will last the school between 20 and 30 years and will cost roughly $12,500 a year in operation and maintenance.
Ms. Miller recently presented the project to the Phillipston Board of Selectmen, who reportedly gave it their unanimous support.
An informational meeting was held Wednesday night, with Ms. Miller and the project’s team on hand to answer questions.
The school will also host a Town Hall Meeting forum to discuss both the biomass boiler project and Elementary School Building Project at 10 a.m. in the middle school cafeteria, where babysitting will be available.
The special town meeting will be held on March 29 at 10 a.m.
You know the old saying "If it sounds too good to be true" Now ole Ruth is playing the "the boiler is 20 years old and at the end of its life" game. BS there is many more years left in the boiler at the school. BUT WAIT, HER Team says it needs to get done. Ruth alone is the biggest problem in this town.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't sound "too good" at all. Taking on another large debt with the hope of breaking even? This sounds like an idea whose time has come and is now gone. Everyone knows that the projections are always overly optimistic. Besides, why would someone go to wood chips when the US is becoming the world's largest producer and exporter of natural gas & petroleum?
DeleteI do agree, "Several truckloads of chips per week" plus the other places using chip already, I can see this supply line drying up pretty fast. Does Ruth have an education in common sense.
DeleteWow. You guys have lost it now. You asked for #s and then ignore them. Do the math ( use a calculator if needed). This won't cost anything extra, and will save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
ReplyDelete$206.37 in savings per year from the above article.
DeleteNobody in town asked for these numbers. It's a stupid idea.
??? Saving hundreds of thousands. Glad your not running this town. With Ken, Diane Brooks, and possibly the arrogant Columbus. We all need to grab ahold of our wallets now. Yuppiesville is here.
Delete206 savings until the loan is payed, then $234,400 savings per year. Simple math.
DeleteSpeculative
DeleteNo, PROVEN. Ask MWCC. Ask Fitchburg power. Ask Seaman Paper.
DeleteWhy would anyone attempt to save a couple hundred bucks a year by borrowing millions?
DeleteThe boiler will be older than what we have today by the time the note is paid.
Why have all those trucks attempting to offload in a schoolyard?
Last - MWCC and Seaman Paper made their decisions in a different marketplace. The worm has turned, and the results won't match these rosy forecasts.
A couple hundred THOUSANDS a year!!!!!
DeleteHey puffer, you need to stop listening to others and do your own homework they are leading you and others down the wrong path
DeleteI have. I know how much these save. You guys just ignore basic facts placed in front of you. Almost as if, if Ruth says it, it must be bad.
DeleteWhy would the cheapskates of Templeton be against this crackpot idea if it actually saved any money?
DeleteThis proposal would result in the immediate firing of the Facilities Director were NRSD a facts-oriented business. No question in my mind about that. Ask the jackass who proposed this to try and find a real job. Don't worry, he won't.
its gullible people like you that make the rest of us pay dearly for needless expenses
ReplyDeleteIf they would subtract the maintenance costs from the savings it would be a negative number.
DeleteYou two are arguing just to argue with no basis or fact. You have no idea what your talking about.
Delete14 year payback. That stinks. And you know projections are always optimistic.
DeleteThere is better solution for the cost 3. 1/2 million which will not pollute the air nor have to be maintain no cost for wood chips nor would there be any need for control person , people have to start minding the store , the suggesting is
ReplyDeletefound in zeolite stones ( stones store 100% of heat have great potential , a geothermal energy system can be bought and few solar panels up on roof and run for ever at zippo cost mantaining a 68 temperature in the whole building the panels would run the fans .. free system is better the having to feed one ,,
massvocals /
I think the project at the 252 Baldwinville rd. town hall was planning to use a Geothermal system and if so and was a good idea the why not now? Check it out and find the truth for the amounts to be saved is the big picture here.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the money?
Some simple math for huff and anyone else. I visited MWCC and saw the chip boiler system. They along with Athol HS get their chips from Hull, a company in Connecticut. Cost of chips = $69.00 per ton with 24 ton per truck load. Now if the several truck loads a week are of the same size, that would be $69.00 x 24 = $1656.00 per load x 3 (several loads)= $4968.00 per week x 21 weeks (Nov. 1 thru March 31 - MWCC shuts chip boiler down for the summer April 1) so $4968.00 x 21 = $104,328.00. On the district budget sheet which appeared on this blog last April, there are two sets of numbers for the cost of oil for the year, $289,800.00 listed under current adjusted budget and $252,000.00 listed under superintendent request. I do not know which number was used but the difference is $185,472 using the high number and $147,672.00 using the low number. Now maintenance costs was listed at approximately $12,000.00 per year, (chips cost $104,328.00 + $12,000.00 = $116,328.00) $289,800.00 - $116,328.00 = $173,472.00 or $252,000.00 - $116,328.00 = $135,672.00. So the difference in cost of oil vs. chips is not in the $200,000.00 dollar range. Now on the switch to propane, a gallon of #2 fuel oil produces 134,000 BTUs and a gallon of propane produces 90,000 BTUs so to heat a boiler requires 1 1/2 times more propane than fuel oil. Today I called to check propane prices and fuel oil. I got $2.90 per gallon for propane and $2.47 per gallon for fuel oil. So, $2.47 for 134,000 BTUs for oil ad $4.30 for 134,000 BTUs on propane. Fell free to check the numbers and this is not a for or against wood chips, just a look at the numbers. My other question is if the one wind turbine is so good, why not build another one and use that power to supply the school and cut costs further? Of course with the present wind turbine only running 1/3 of the time, that may not work. Again, this is not a case for or against, it is just a statement on a look at the numbers. Rather than be so optimistic I think the district should be more conservative with the savings projections. Anyone wishing further information on wood chip boilers should look at Keene middle school in New Hampshire. NRHS district took a field trip there on Tuesday of this week. Remember also that MWCC uses a baghouse system and NRHS is looking at an electro-static system so ask what the cost of electrode replacement is and look up Hullforest.com. Also on a sheet handed out at a recent BOS meeting, it states the project will decrease costs by replacing 75,700 gallons of fuel oil with renewable biomass fuel. So 75,700 x $3.90 per gallon = $295,230. All I can say is I did the simple math and the numbers do not compute. Also, who is going to operate and monitor this system? I was told by the college that it is not a job for the janitor so who will it be and I think that should be talked about as well.
ReplyDeleteThis from someone who doesn't have the balls enough to finish his term. Great example to all.
DeleteOf all the statements you could have made coming out of hiding....you picked that?!?
DeleteThanks for the math lesson Mr. Bennett! And the research. Your efforts are appreciated.
DeleteOther considerations for the town of Templeton - will this project negatively impact or effect net school spending or the "target share"?
Puffy? Again -
Please define the "minimum contribution". Please define 'target share". Please explain "Net school spending".
Sorry, but I choose to believe the people that have proven they know what they're doing & how to run the business side of their operations; not the ones that make up numbers & still can't balance their books, never mind being on time.
DeleteWould these people include the business genius who thinks a 13-14 year payback on a wodd-chip boiler is a smokin' deal?
DeleteYes.
DeleteJeff, you math is sound, however the figures you are using are not. The chips we plan to use are sourced locally, (approx. 30 mi radius) and are priced 28-32 a ton. Additionally the estimated usage is 1000 tons a year. Because of the size of the boiler, it does not require a fireman. We are currently 40000$ over budget in our fuel oil acct. I note in figures you are using a price of 2.47 for oil. I assume that is a typo, as locally, today's cash price is 3.74. Another assumption is that we think oil prices will continue to rise over the next 30 years.(http://blogs.marketwatch.com/energy-ticker/2013/11/07/opecs-latest-prediction-160-a-barrel-oil-by-2035/)
DeleteI urge people to attend the meeting this Saturday to get a more detailed accounting on the plans for the wood chip boiler.
Good article on Vermont's wood chip school program. Looks like they get a 90% reimbursement from the State of Vermont or did at one time. Here is the link to that program.
Deletehttp://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/wood_chips_keep_school_warm
That would be $3.47 per gallon for oil and that was a local price. If NRHS can get wood chips half of $69.00 per ton as in $35.00 per ton then perhaps someone should inform Athol high school because they told me they pay $69.00 per ton. Well huff, I do not blindly accept what others say. I took the time to visit several wood chip heated facilities and researched somemore. I hope it does save what they claim but I think it would be better to be more conservative on the numbers.
DeleteIts true about the cost of chips in Athol and The Mount. They use a processed chip, that has been partially dried.The boiler we are proposing can use "wet" chip, thus the cheaper price per ton.
DeleteI do believe we have been conservative, basing our numbers on worse case scenarios. One expected grant was not included in the price, the estimate for the boiler and installation is also on the high side.Additionally there is a above average contingency in the project that we hope we do not have to use. Again more detailed info at tomorrows meeting.
DeleteThanks Jeff for doing the math. I also question the optimistic numbers that came with this project. The O&M on an electrostatic precipitator would seem to include not only the electricity to power this unit but also regular maintenance. There would seem to be more moving parts on an operation like this so motors would seem to need electricity and someone to keep an eye on the system. If firemen are needed 24 hrs a day it would seem that $12,500/yr may not be enough to compensate the individuals who are manning this system. Perhaps more information is forthcoming on the numbers.
ReplyDeleteActually, the delivery system was pretty simple. There is an auger to pull chips from the storage facility then there is a couple of conveyor belts to deliver them to the boiler. That is what I observed at MWCC. There are some recordings that need to be done.
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