Biomass

AURI Releases New Reports

Advantages of Wood Heat for Commercial Poultry Production Viking Company of Albany, MN, along with partners Clean Energy Resource Teams and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, are pleased to announce the release of their findings report on the Advantages of Wood Heat for Poultry field study. The demonstration project field-tested a 1.65 million Btu (British thermal unit) wood chip furnace in a live commercial poultry operation. The wood furnace demonstrated… Continue Reading AURI Releases New Reports

New Study Shows Extreme Promise for Biomass Cooling

A new feasibility study conducted in part by the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI), shows biomass cooling can be a viable option for small-to-medium sized commercial, industrial and residential units. The research results, which are part of the Biomass for Cooling System Technologies: A Feasibility Guide, also identifies innovations that utilize biomass as the essential wellspring of energy for cooling systems. The study, created through a partnership between a cohort… Continue Reading New Study Shows Extreme Promise for Biomass Cooling

Biomass options discussed at roundtable

“The Changing Landscape of Woody Biomass: Where Does Renewable Energy Fit?” was the theme of the Minnesota Renewable Energy Roundtable held April 9, 2014, in Grand Rapids, Minn. The event was hosted by the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) in collaboration with UMD’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI). The event featured nearly 20 experts from various parts of the biomass industry. Presentations covered: Forestry and woody biomass; Biomass chemicals and… Continue Reading Biomass options discussed at roundtable

AURI Biomass Inventory Featured in Biomass Magazine

A recent article in Biomass Magazine highlighted the opportunity that biomass presents for the Midwest. “Heating with biomass has a wide range of potential benefits for the Midwest, including new jobs and increased uses of urban wood, logging residues, and agricultural grasses,” says Brian Brashaw, director of the Wood Materials and Manufacturing Program at the University of Minnesota—Duluth. The article highlighted AURI’s Midwest Biomass Inventory Assessment, which gives a snapshot… Continue Reading AURI Biomass Inventory Featured in Biomass Magazine

Alternative Energy Solutions

Idea to reality: The Kriedermacher family needed a more cost-efficient way to heat their 65,000 square-foot greenhouse, Pork and Plants. Brothers Eric and Paul decided to make biomass pellets that could be burned in boilers to heat the greenhouses. AURI’s role: AURI Scientist Al Doering worked with the Kreidermachers in AURI’s Coproducts Lab in Waseca to develop biomass pellet blends using crop residue and grasses. Outcome: The Kreidermachers now use… Continue Reading Alternative Energy Solutions