The only school to actively approach EECA as part of the Renewable Heating in Schools Programme, Henderson Valley School in Waitakere proactively identified a woodfuel heating system as the only logical option when replacing their smoky old coal boiler.

Living Energy worked with the school from the very start of the boiler replacement process, answering technical questions, specifying and installing the system and taking care of the fuel supply, as well as helping the school draw down significant government funding for the replacement system.

The 150kW underfed grate Binder boiler is fuelled by woodchips from a pallet manufacturer in Auckland.  Travelling just 15km from source to boiler, this wood fuel was previously a waste product, but now provides low-cost and low-carbon heating for the school during the winter months.

Henderson Valley School is located in the tightly-regulated airshed of Greater Auckland Council, and previously encountered significant local air pollution issues from its valley location. The old coal boiler, which leaked so much smoke from its various doors and seals that the boilerhouse skylight was used as a secondary chimney, was ripped out during the summer of 2008/09.  High-efficiency combustion and a flue cyclone mean that the replacement Binder system produces a fraction of the air emissions of the old coal boiler, with smoke only visible for a short time on startup.

Living Energy filled the role of turnkey supplier to the school, sourcing and installing the boiler, modifying the boiler house and fuel store, and managing the fuel supply on an ongoing basis. The school are charged for the heat used via a heat flow meter, and for the annual servicing and maintenance, all as one competitive rate per kilowatt hour which is far cheaper than the fossil-fuel alternatives.

Read a little more about the project courtesy of the Western Leader online.