September 2014
West Virginia Statewide Wood Energy Team Project – 2014
U.S. Forest Service Funds:
Cooperators Matching Funds:
$249,680
$257,114
Key Project Contact:
Jingxin Wang, Professor, Biomaterials and Wood Utilization Research Center
West Virginia University, Division of Forestry and Natural Resources
322 Percival Hall
Morgantown, WV 26506
E-mail: jxwang@wvu.edu
Web Site: https://sites.google.com/site/wvwoodenergy/home/documents
Project Abstract:
West Virginia, the third most heavily forested state in the U.S., has abundant woody biomass in both
National Forest System and private lands. Woody biomass can be procured from many sources, such as
residues from forest harvesting, stand improvement, fuel load reduction and traditional forest products
manufacture, for use as a renewable energy to further diversify the State’s energy production. However,
the development of wood energy to take advantage of the renewable resource has, to date, been
scarce. To boost the productivity and viability of the wood energy sector in WV, it is critical to
strengthen a wood energy team to facilitate the bio-business development in the State. This proposed
17-member team consists of extension experts, engineers, wood energy professionals and industrial
representatives across West Virginia University (WVU), state and federal agencies, and commercial
companies. The team will analyze the techno-economic feasibility and the engineering of woody
biomass heating systems for WV’s large users of liquid propane and heating oil (>500MBTUs per year).
We will specifically identify potential conversion opportunities for wood energy in the poultry
production sector, the largest agricultural industry of WV, and potential wood energy users in other
sectors will be explored as well. A key strength of this project is to develop funding mechanisms to
support the conversion projects identified through the project. This project will deliver (1) three
workshops/community meetings targeting broad potential users of wood energy, (2) related online
wood energy sources and technical releases, (3) three engineering and financial assessments of poultry
production with robust, detailed techno-economic analyses on uses of wood energy, and (4) at least one
successful installation of the most feasible wood energy system for poultry production. The findings and
programs to be developed in this project can be further adapted by other sectors using fossil heating
fuels in the Chesapeake Bay area of WV, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Goals and Objectives:
1. Assess woody biomass availability, logistics and the potential need for wood energy as a
replacement for fossil energy in major consumers in WV, with an emphasis in supporting current
poultry producers as a fuel source,
2. Conduct pre-feasibility surveys of poultry production in WV to solicit involvement from
producers and acquire data related to location, energy use, efficiency, and current heating
systems,
3. Identify wood energy systems and conduct techno-economic feasibility studies of the identified
systems with consideration of available technologies, economics, and environmental factors,
4. Conduct engineering and financial assessments of three identified poultry houses for those
wood energy conversion systems with the most financial potential, and
September 2014
5. Develop outreach and business plans to disseminate the project results, promote and facilitate
the wood energy project development and applications.
Planned Outcomes:
1. Roadmap with a financing mechanism that can be used by companies or produces considering
the use of wood energy in poultry production and other sectors.
2. Wood energy and poultry industry database in WV
3. Three workshops/community meetings associated with wood energy needs and pre-feasibility
pro forma developed for at least 80% of poultry industry and dissemination of the project
findings.
4. Three engineering/build plans of wood energy for poultry production.
5. A minimum of one successful deployment of capital access to financially support wood energy
conversion by the energy team.
Core Team Members:
Jingxin Wang, West Virginia University
Shawn Grushecky, West Virginia University
Thomas Basen, West Virginia University Extension
David DeVallance, West Virginia University
Joe Moritz, West Virginia University
Greg Henthorn, Kinetic Star, Inc.
Travis Buggey, Kinetic Star, Inc.
Dale Walker, WV Poultry Growers Association
Mike Weaver, Contract Poultry Growers Association
Jesse Gandee, USDA Rural Development Administration
Jerry Ours, WV Department of Agriculture
Don Wagner, Appalachian Wood Pellets Inc.
Marten Jenkins, Natural Capital Investment Fund
George Hudak, US Forest Service, Monongahela National Forest Service
Jeff Herholdt, WV Division of Energy
Randy Dye, WV State Division of Forestry
Lew McCreery, US Forest Service, Northeastern Area