Introduction to the BEST System

Biomass Fuel is more cost effective than fossil fuel.
Biomass Fuel is a renewable resource.
Biomass Fuel is CO2 neutral.
Biomass Fuel efficiently transports and stores.
Fuel heating systems comply with the air emissions standards of the Kyoto Protocol.
Biomass Fuel heating appliances provide cost-effective residential, commercial, industrial and greenhouse space heating applications.
Biomass Fuel is not subject to world price fluctuation as is fossil fuel.
Biomass Fuel creates 91% less greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels.

Economics:

Agricultural waste (straw) and forest waste (slash, and urban wood waste) is the cheapest available form of energy. The only cost of this energy is the cost of converting it into a useable format and transporting it to the utilization site.

With the growing concern over the long-term availability of fossil fuel, there is increasing interest in growing energy crops. Although such crops show promise, such an energy source will never be as cheap as biomass waste.

The counterpoint to this is that the construction of furnaces utilizing natural gas is relatively easy, and hence such furnaces are relatively cheap. Biomass furnaces are significantly more complex and hence significantly more expensive.

Renewability:

With proper management, the biomass resource base can be sustained indefinitely.

Environmental Benefits:

Biomass combustion is CO2 neutral. When biomass is burned in a furnace, it releases CO2. This is inherent to combustion. However, this same CO2 would be released whether that biomass is burned in an uncontrolled way, or if it decays naturally. The normal decay of biomass will result in more release of methane into the air than will be released if the same biomass were burned in a well-designed furnace. Methane gas is a stronger greenhouse gas than CO2. Most bio-fuels have a negligible sulfur content. A well-designed furnace will not generate smoke.

Fuel Price Stability:

Biofuels are widely available. In most parts of North America, there is a supply of available biomass materials, either forest or agriculture-based.

Biofuel prices are relatively stable and locally controlled. Prices have remained steady over the years in spite of wide fluctuations in fossil fuel prices, and are expected to increase more slowly than those of petroleum-based fuels.

Local Economic Benefits:

Bio-fuel dollars remain in the local economy. Biomass fuels are generated locally. Their collection, preparation, and delivery involves significant local labor input, whereas whatever benefits there are in fossil fuel distribution, they are not in the local community. The economic impact of biomass utilization activity means dollars remain in the local area, creating filter-down economic activity as well as improving the local tax base and building tax revenues.

Heating Comfort:

A well-designed biomass system provides high comfort levels. Because biofuels can be inexpensive, system operators are able to justify increased building temperatures leading to greater comfort and productivity. With high-priced fossil fuels, there is greater pressure to lower temperatures for fuel cost savings.

Commercially Proven and Flexible: Biomass combustion technologies are commercially proven throughout North America, having already achieved significant market penetration in residential and large industrial applications.

Well designed biomass combustion systems are highly flexible. Solid-fuel systems can be easily converted to burn almost any conceivable fuel (solid, liquid or gaseous), thus providing the user with great flexibility in the future.

Model EB350GHG - Power Generator Brochure