February 17, 2017

In this Week's Pellet Wire:


Register for Breakfast & Biomass at HPB Expo 2017 in Atlanta, GA

The Hearth Patio & Barbecue Expo 2017 is approaching quickly! The annual event is taking place this year March 2-4 in Atlanta, GA, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

As in years past, PFI will be holding Breakfast & Biomass on Friday, March 3, at 7:30am. Don't miss the chance to network with fellow pellet fuels producers as well as stove manufacturers, retailers, suppliers and others involved in the pellet fuels industry.

Have breakfast and talk biomass with us at the HPB Expo. Registration is open for the $35 event, and is available on the Expo registration webpage.

If you have ideas for topics you'd like to see addressed at Breakfast & Biomass, please contact Carrie Annand at [email protected]



PFI Standards Program at the HPB Expo in Atlanta, GA

Has the PFI Standards Program qualified your company, and will you be at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo in Atlanta next month? If so, we will have materials on hand to help you brief buyers, stove manufacturers and others about the PFI Standards Program. In addition to the materials below, we will have buttons available for members of your team to wear on the expo floor as a reminder that the program has qualified your company. Please contact us for more information and to arrange pickup of these materials at the expo.

PFI has created materials to help retailers and consumers learn more about the PFI Standards Program and its Quality Mark.

One pager on the Standards Program: Our informational handout on the PFI Standards Program explains the program and its implications for pellet producers, retailers and stove manufacturers. It also lists the companies that have been qualified for the program, along with their websites.

One pager on the symbols found on pellet bags: We have created a one pager specifically explaining the various PFI logos and marks found on bags of pellets. It helps retailers distinguish the PFI Standards Program Quality Mark from other commonly used symbols. This handout is also ideal for printing off and distributing to customers or posting in a store.

Materials for members of the program: For qualified companies, we have created a marketing kit with suggested language for ensuring that customers and retailers are aware of your company's acceptance into the program and what it means. It also includes suggested language for websites.

If you are interested in receiving any of these materials, please contact Carrie Annand at [email protected]. If you are interested in joining the program, first step is to visit PFI's Standards Program web pages to identify an accredited auditing agency. The agency will help you come up with a Quality Control manual and get you on the path to joining the program. 


Biomass Heating Success in Burns, Oregon

The Oregon Department of Forestry recently released a video on the success of a public-private biomass heating partnership in Burns, Oregon. While the boiler uses wood chips rather than pellets, the partnership could serve as a model for incentivizing biomass heating use in other communities.

Watch the video on YouTube


2017 PFI Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities 

PFI invites you to become a 2017 sponsor! This year, we have developed a new, streamlined sponsorship program that will create multiple opportunities for your company in 2017. Your company will have great visibility at PFI events, on the PFI website, and in the PFI newsletter, amongst other benefits.

The 2017 Sponsorship packages include benefits such as:

  • PFI Annual Conference registrations
  • Breakfast & Biomass registrations
  • Company logo listed on the PFI website
  • 10x10 booth at the PFI Annual Conference
  • Weekly newsletter advertising
  • Website advertising
  • And more!

PFI's membership includes over 100 member companies, and our electronic newsletter is sent to over 3,500 people every week. Now is the time to become a sponsor of this organization. Visit our website to explore how you can become involved.


Bathan AG Announces Hire of Jorg Langenhuysen

The Swiss lubricant manufacturer Bathan AG announced the hire of Jorg Langenhuysen in January. Mr. Langenhuysen will join the company's team of service engineers, bringing more than 15 years of experience with pellet mills. As a former CPM service engineer, he has a broad knowledge of the operational nuances of pelletizing and how to improve operational excellence. Together with Andreas, Bathan AG builds a strong and flexible team that is willing to get the best performance possible for its global customers.

 


Follow and Connect With Us on Social Media!

We urge all PFI members to engage with us on social media. By joining PFI in being visible and active on social media, we can make our voices heard more loudly and by many more audiences.

Follow us on Twitter: @PelletFuel
Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pfipellets
Link with us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/pellet-fuels-institute


Have News to Share on Pellet Wire?

We'd love to feature your company's news in a future Pellet Wire! We want to be the first to know your company's recent developments to share them with the wider pellet fuels industry.

Please be in touch with Carrie Annand at [email protected] with information on your company's growth, job openings, promotions or other news. 


Join a PFI Committee

We welcome and encourage all interested PFI members to get involved in our committees. There are many opportunities to help steer the association. No matter where your expertise and interests lie, we have a committee that will suit you. Help us plan our next conference, shape our policy agenda, lead communications outreach or grow the PFI Standards Program. Visit PFI's website for more information.


 


Upcoming Industry Events 

March 3, 2017: PFI Breakfast & Biomass

July 23-25, 2017: PFI Annual Conference

Connect with PFI

PFI Newsletter
PelletHeat.org
Facebook
Twitter
Join PFI


Fuel Availability

Are you a PFI member pellet manufacturer or distributor that has fuel available? Email [email protected] to have your listing updated or added to the PFI website.


Industry News

Can Home Wood Pellet Boilers Go From Fringe To Mainstream?
Alaska Public Media
The Ketchikan airport has one. So does the Walter Sobeloff Building in downtown Juneau. Now, a fringe group of homeowners are installing wood pellet boilers to heat their homes. Not to be confused with wood burning stoves, these boilers have been marketed as a cheaper alternative to heating oil, at least in the long run. But is the framework there to make the technology go mainstream?

Christal Higdon and her family recently celebrated the installation of a new wood pellet boiler in their garage. When the moment came to hit the switch, after a year of anticipation, Higdon said they didn't pop open champagne, but they did make brownies.

"[We] invited the electrician and the plummer and everyone over," Higdon said with a laugh. She made a crock pot of chili to share with everyone as they fired up the boiler for the first time.

Higdon is one of about four homeowners in Juneau who have made the transition from electric resistance heat or oil to a wood pellet boiler.

Read the Full Article


Despite Benefits New Hampshire's Move To Heating With Wood Slows
NH1
The use of wood chips and pellets for heating businesses, schools and government buildings has grown dramatically in the last five years and is reportedly saving three hospitals in the North Country alone about $750,000 a year.

But the switch-over has been stalled by lower prices for fossil fuel, according to a new study done by Innovative Natural Resource Solutions.

Nevertheless, the study concluded that in 2015 those using wood:

* Saved about $11.8 million compared to purchasing fossil fuel.

* Pumped about $5.8 million into the state's economy for pellets or chips.

* Saved the equivalent of 7.7 million gallons of heating oil.

Read the Full Article


Pellet Power: Fossil-Fuel Free Heating 
Off-Grid
A clean, cheap and carbon neutral way to heat your home - sounds good. Its a reality for thousands of families and businesses in Europe and North America.

Pellet boilers are growing in popularity; with grants and incentives offered by various states and governments - often in the form of financial assistance towards equipment and installation, depending on location. Ecoheat Solutions, a pellet boiler provider, have put together a summary of incentives for US based consumers here.

Incentives vary by state, but there are options for either residential or commercial boilers. For example the state of New Hampshire offers 40% up to $10,000 towards equipment and installation providing the home has been heated by fossil fuels up to this point. For commercial purposes, the grant available rockets up to a potential $65,000 towards equipment and installation. The state of Vermont offers up to $2,000 towards equipment and installation for both residential and commercial properties providing that the boiler reduces fossil fuel usage. In New York, awards of up to $16,000 for residential properties are available dependent upon the size of the unit being installed. Commercial properties could receive up to $200,000 again dependent upon size.

Read the Full Article

 

Pellet Fuels Institute |  [email protected]   | 206.209.5277