PVG Receives Grant for Biomass Burner

Ellen C. Wells

Pleasant View Gardens (PVG), a wholesale grower based in Loudon, New Hampshire, received a $500,000 renewable energy grant last year for a new biomass burner installed at their Pembroke facility. The burner, fueled by wood chips, will cut their Pembroke facility oil use to zero and potentially cut their heating costs by 85%.

“Given drastic increases in heating costs, we knew it was time to make a move. Alternative power was a natural choice for us,” says Henry Huntington, president of Pleasant View. With a $1-million fuel bill at their Pembroke facility, PVG explored alternative power options, choosing a Hurst biomass burner and boiler with a reciprocating grate system. Over the course of a year, the Pembroke facility will require 4,200 tons of wood chips at $35/ton, taking the heating bill to just $150,000 annually.

Total oil use at Pleasant View’s two facilities will drop by almost half—from 600,000 gallons for both locations to only 350,000 gallons burned at the Loudon location.

To supplement the $2-million system cost, PVG applied to the federal Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants program. Ultimately, they earned the largest grant of its kind the industry has ever seen. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants are available to growers of any size. Contact your local USDA office for details.