Project Profile Bluenose Academy enjoying reliable returns from biomass heating system By Andrew Snook Bluenose Acade-my, a Grade P-9 school in Lunen-burg, N.S., was built seven years ago it was the greenest building in Atlantic Canada and achieved LEED Gold certification. One ma-jor factor that helped the three-storey build-ing obtain its LEED Gold status was the de-cision to install a Viessmann Pyrot 540kW wood pellet-fuelled biomass hot water boiler as the school’s primary source of heat for fu-elling the school’s hydronic heating system. Fast-forward to present day and that boiler is still offering golden returns to the school and its 500-plus students. “It’s been reliable. This thing has run well,” says Adam George, mechanic respon-sible for the maintenance of the school’s biomass heating system, in addition to other biomass hot water boilers installed at schools across the South Shore Regional School Board. Unlike many commercial and residen-tial heating projects in Atlantic Canada where biomass systems are retrofitted into older buildings – often to displace heating oil – Bluenose Academy’s biomass hot wa-ter boiler system was put in place during the design-build phase of the school. “It allows for the optimum set up for the site outside and the boiler inside,” George says. The wood pellets for the system are stored in a 25-ton silo and are supplied by local pellet producer Shaw Resources. The pellets are fed into the hot water boil-er by augers that run automatically once the system is activated. After pellets are burned they are transferred via another auger into an ash can. After heating the hot water boilers, the water is sent to a 1500USgal buffer tank where it is stored until needed. When addi-tional heat is required the water is pumped out of the tank via pumps and is distributed through Uponor radiant heating loops, air handlers and entry heaters. Golden returns When Adam George is responsible for the maintenance of Bluenose Academy’s biomass heating system, in addition to other biomass hot water boilers installed at schools across the South Shore Regional School Board in Nova Scotia. The entire system is controlled by a Viessmann master control that communicates via a local operating network control module to all the boilers and runs them when needed. “The whole first level of the school has in-floor heating,” says Ken Harrington, sales manager for Thomas Industrial Sales for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, adding that the upper floors have radiant ceilings. “Even the air is heated by hydronics . . . and JUNE 2017 12 Canadian BIOMASS
Canadian Biomass May-June 2017: Page 12
