By Merritt Carey
Photo courtesy of reVision heat
Most of us have heard of pellet stoves before, but pellet boilers are a relatively new phenomenon here in United States. Pellet stoves are a secondary heating source, in contrast, pellet boilers fully replace existing heating systems. In much of Europe, pellet boilers are commonly used as a primary heating source. Over the past 10 plus years, demand for pellet boilers has surged in Europe. Is Maine is poised to follow in Europe’s footsteps?
For Maine, pellet boilers offer a unique way to keep our heating dollars local, drive our rural economy, spur innovation and cut energy costs. As most of us know, the primary ingredient of pellets is wood—something Maine has in abundance. Unlike fossil fuels, which must be imported from outside the state, our ability to grow and manufacture wood pellets makes it possible for us to control pricing and keep our energy dollars local. Maine economist William Strauss estimates that northeasterners could generate $4 billion per year over the next 15 years by moving towards replacing fossil heating fuels for new wood technologies. As demand for pellet boilers increases, so does the manufacturing and distribution of locally sourced wood pellets: a dozen new wood pellet manufacturing plants have emerged in New England and New York since 2008, bringing $140 million in investment to the region, ensuring a stably priced supply of local wood pellets for years to come.
The economics and potential energy independence are alluring, but are pellet boilers convenient? Pellet boilers burn cleanly and can be fully automated—advanced pellet boiler technology requires little more from the home owner than fossil fuel fired appliances. Bulk home delivery of wood pellets by reputable companies such as Daigle Oil Company, Heutz Premium Pellets, Maine Woods Pellets Company, and Maine Energy Systems makes heating with pellets as simple as heating with other fuel sources.
Photo courtesy of Interphase Energy
Here in Maine, there are a number of pellet boilers available. While the cost of installing a pellet boiler is more expensive than an oil boiler, for homeowners needing to replace their existing boiler, the payback is fairly fast. Cost of purchase and installation can range between $9,700 to $20,000. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of pellet boilers is pellet storage. Pellets are bulky and need to be stored close to the boiler. There are a variety of different types of pellet storage systems available, ranging from a fully automated hopper to purchase of bags of pellets which are added manually to your boiler.
In short, pellet boilers offer benefits on many levels. Not only do they provide an economical way for Mainers to heat their homes (though the initial investment is considerable), they also provide Maine with a way to bolster its economy and utilize an abundant natural resource which can be sustainably managed. If history has taught us anything, there is never an energy panacea, but for Maine, with our combination of cold winters and vast woodland, the pellet boiler may offer a long-term sustainable path towards energy independence.
