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The current heating options today are very limited, fossil fuel oriented plus getting more along with more expensive to run. Gas plus oil heating answers began to dominate the heating market from the 1970′s, by way of many leaving behind coal plus wood heating options because of the additional maintenance required. Also, at the time, oil plus gas was actually very cheap, as well as could more than compete on a price basis. Therefore to consumers the choice was clear, less work for the same heat as well as cost. However, now the cost compensation of these fuels are long gone, and supplementary implications of using these fuels are coming to light. Oil, gas plus coal heating solutions are carbon polluters, as they place additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This rise in carbon dioxide is one of the key contributors to climate change as well as global warming. The only way we can lessen and slow these effects is to limit our use of fossil energy, plus adopt low carbon plus carbon neutral heating alternatives. Biomass, as well as supplementary wood resources can now play a significant role in carbon emission reduction.

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Where in the past heating by way of wood meant purely log heating, or maybe biomass chip, today there are much more consumer friendly plus practical heating options. Though many people today still have log fires for their main living space, very few actually use that as their main heat source. The reasons are obvious, plus the same reasons why many moved away from biomass heating. Wood fuel pellets can bring wood heating back firmly into the 21st century, along with truly work around a busy modern behavior while meeting the total heating requirements of a building of any size. By way of the pellets uniform small size, enlarge density plus reduced moisture percentage along with efficient, practical along with clean fuel source is born. Due to these properties wood energy pellets can be used in automated pellet stove as well as boilers for complete heating needs.

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Wood pellet heating systems are in fact very simple, however proficient at what they do. The pellets are held in a hopper, which can normally at least hold ample energy for the entire day. At the base of the hopper is a screw feeding auger, which will take the pellets to the burning chamber. The speed along with timing of the auger is restricted via a computer which controls all the features on the stove. The combustion chamber has a burn pot, igniter in addition to fan assistance. When the computer is told to operate the stove, via a thermostat for case, the auger will feed pellets, the igniter will start the fire along by the fan providing combustion air. By means of the right amount of air fed into the fire restricted via the computer proficient incineration can be achieved by way of no visible smoke, and more heat generated than any biomass log stove. To manufacture a pellet there are a range of steps in addition to processes. The matter is ground to a fine particle size, dried as well as then finally compressed into a pellet. The pellet mill is the main piece of gear, along with using immense forces of pressure in addition to heat melts the biomass to form a solid along with durable wood pellet energy.

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The last decade has seen biomass pellets emerge as a serious contributor to the heating fuels market, particularly in Europe as well as the US. Sweden was the first country to really move forward by way of biomass pellets in a major way. The government put serious investment into establishing wood pellet plants around the country taking advantage of the huge volumes of sawdust from one of the major industry in Sweden, timber processing. From Sweden’s case, supplementary European countries followed, along with the US. The true payback of pellet plants to bring economic development are still not fully realised, as smaller more localized plants manufacture more economic sense. As wood pellet fuel is now reaching a wide ample appeal, more small scale pellet plants will be set-up to meet local market demand. One of the biggest obstacles to proficient pellet construction while maintaining a profit margin is transport, both in the sense of raw material plus the finished product. More localized small scale pellet plants can help generate local jobs along with cheap fuel.

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The reason haulage plays such a crucial role in pellet fuel manufacture as it effects the costs of manufacture, possible profits as well as also the credibility of pellet energy as a green energy. Due to fuels such as bio-ethanol and bio-diesel are now used, most haulage still relies on standard, in addition to expensive gasoline. The high price of this energy means haulage costs can be very high. Therefore having large pellet plants which have to have large quantities of raw material transported to the works is very costly. Large pellet plants as wood pellet fuel is still a relatively small market, then have to search further a field to find customers. To then transportation the finished pellet to a customer over a long distance also costs a significant amount of money. If all of this cost is passed onto the consumer, it will be difficult to be charge competitive by means of pellet plants closer to the customer. Finally as transportation still relies on fossil fuels, increased shipping means increased carbon emissions. This therefore increases the carbon footprint of the wood pellet manufacture process.

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Pellet plants manufacture different grades of pellet energy for diverse consumer markets. One grade is focused more on the residential market, by means of supplementary pellets focused more on industrial wood combustion systems. Presently the residential market is predominately interested in pellet fuels which can offer them similar levels of convenience that their previous gas or oil based heating system offered them. The lower ash percentage of premium grade pellet energy, on the other hand more expensive, serves the majority of the residential market. Industrial customers are more interested in the higher ash but cheaper fuel pellets. Depending on the type of biomass matter that is to be processed at pellet plants, this will dictate the appropriate pellet mill for the application. For diverse materials the pellet mill may need to operate one more speeds. For case for softer material the pellet mill can operate at higher rotation speeds.

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As President Obama took office this past November there were many problems to be faced. One of those problems had to do with America’s reliance on foreign oil, as well as research and funding going to renewable energy sources. President Obama promised to invest $150 Billion in to renewable energy sources over the next 10 years which includes funding into research, as well as tax breaks for those who choose to implement renewable energy solutions for their homes or businesses.

In one speech, President Obama stated that he will set a goal that by 2025, 25% of all electricity come from renewable sources such as solar and wind power. It seems, though, that this is a relatively long period of time to implement such a vital program for the future of the country. President Obama needs to implement these policies quickly, but also shorten the time required to integrate solar, wind, and geothermal energy solutions because they are virtually inexhaustible sources of power.

In the few short months since he has become President, Obama has shown not only a commitment to change, but also an action plan to match. This shows that he will most likely follow through on his plans for funding renewable energy. The questions then come down to will he be able to get the funding, and will it be enough?

With the economy the way it is, the main priority of the administration is to get America back on its financial feet. With a new stimulus package just being approved it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to revitalize the economy. Unless it does, Obama will have to concentrate most of his efforts into that sector and all other programs including renewable energy will have to wait.

Even if he is able to start focusing on renewable energy, though, will the funding he promised be enough to make a change? This will have to be a “wait and see” type situation. We do not have to wait, though, for the government funding to implement these systems on our own. President Obama is on a macro level in terms of how his plans affect the country.

As citizens on a micro level, the more we do our part into implementing renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, the more we can change things on a macro level. Essentially, everyone has to do his or her part to change the world. Change is easier than you think too. Building your own alternative energy solutions can be as cheap as a few hundred dollars. Spending this amount can not only help to cut electricity costs, but also be beneficial to the environment.

We have to think of ourselves as simply members of the team with Obama, whether we like him or not, as our captain. If everyone does his or her part, the team will succeed. Imagine if even half the families in America implemented a solar panel or windmill. We would be well on our way to creating a greener, cleaner country!

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Author: Dean L.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The reason why many are turning to green energy sources is because we’re becoming more and more aware of the dire situation and effects of global warming. From energy sources to cutting down waste, we are doing what we can as an individual to help with the cause. This article will talk about some of the advantages and disadvantages of using such energy source.

Advantage of using a these green energy is that it is clean enough to not emit anything that can contribute further to global warming, it is also usually a form of renewable and sustainable energy that is unlike the current form of energy source, we can still expect to use these renewable energies in the coming future.

Although initial set up cost of green energy facilities are somewhat high and expensive, it will eventually pay back itself in time because it generally requires a lot less maintenance as well as money to operate.

Having said that, there are some disadvantages of leaning towards these green renewable energy. First off, the energy level it generates are not consistent. Solar power, wind power, hydro power will all requires certain elements in order to generate those power. On days where you have not enough sun light and wind power, a solar and wind powered system will not be able to give you the energy output that you want. This is a fact as we can not control the weather elements.

Another obvious disadvantage is that if a country is to build these system, it will severely cut back on other notable and important development, such as the agricultural sector as building these systems will requires a large land area. Choosing to generate power or to have enough food for the coming decade is still a debate many countries are involved in.

Another huge disadvantage of using these energy sources are that they can not be installed everywhere, and only certain areas will fit certain form of power sources. For example, wave energy can only be generated if the wave of the ocean reaches at least 16 feet, and thus anywhere below that will not be able to generate any form of power that can be used by the masses.

Many have long since argued about the practicality of using alternative and renewable energy sources since it was brought up, and the general consensus are leaning to the fact that while it is a novel way to generate electricity, it does not guarantee it and the inconsistency of weather is something we all should be wary off.

However, that is just one way to really discourage the use of these energy, because we can use more than one form of renewable energy as the source of power, when the responsibility falls into more than one form of renewable source, then it is more plausible to implement them.

For example on a day where you do not get as much sun as we would have liked, we can count on our wind turbine system or hydro power to generate the lack of energy by a solar power system.

The bottom line is, generating alternative energy is no longer a dream or idea, because it has been proven that it can work just fine like our current power source. Only question is, how willing are we to do our part for the environment?

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Author: Sverre Philip
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Our current forms of abode as well as business heating ideas are no longer sustainable, affordable plus are damaging the nature. Being so dependant on foreign oil along with gas is also damaging our economy at a time of recession. By moving onto greener, lower carbon forms of energy can manufacture more affordable energy which supports the economy in addition to the natural world. In terms of heating, biomass pellet fuel is gaining a significant percentage of market share in Europe in addition to the US. Biomass pellet energy is a highly compressed form of biomass sawdust, the majority of which is sourced from timber processing. When the tree’s are processed into timber, there is a significant volume of sawdust collected, which is then processed into wood pellet energy. Previously, many timber processors regarded this sawdust as a waste, as well as had to pay for it to be removed. Now, as many timber processors have seen the value of biomass pellet energy, they have setups their own biomass pellet construction faculties next to their current timber processing plants. The advantage of this is reduced transportation of the loose low density sawdust, which can be very expensive to haulage.

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In terms of a heating energy, the biomass pellet has several reward over supplementary forms of wood. For case in point using energy to process a log into pellets may seem pointless, though the net gain in efficiency more than justifies the fuel used to process the logs into pellets. For case, logs generally contain around 30% moisture, when they are regarded as dry. Though pellets have a moisture content below 10%. This means the pellets generate more heat from the sale volume of energy plus less smoke. Smoke reduction is very important, particulates generated from incineration wet wood is responsible for breathing conditions. The current generation of wood pellet energy is a vast improvement over biomass logs, though there are improvements which can be made. The next generation of wood pellet fuel is the torrefied biomass pellet. A torrefied biomass pellet generates no smoke or smell, more warmth plus lights within seconds. Torrefied biomass pellet fuel also repels water, and can even be stored outside, this makes storage less of an issue.

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Finding a good plus local wood pellet supplier can be worth its weight in gold. Biomass pellet fuel is sold frequently across the internet, on the other hand the quality as well as grade of these energy pellets is very unclear, therefore its very hard to compare pellets in terms of value for money, as well as some pellets may generate more ash than others. Therefore when ordering pellets online, before making a large order it is always worth getting a sample of the pellets to try in your wood pellet stove. Biomass pellet fuel manufacture can be a complicated process, however by means of a good understanding of the apparatus in addition to raw material, there are no issues which are insurmountable. Firstly you raw material must be free from contaminates such as stones plus bits of metal, as these can easily damage the equipment. Pellet compression requires the right moisture content.

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The question of how we are going to meet our future energy needs is something that all energy suppliers have been thinking about for years and are now working out. With the five main sources of renewable energy already being tapped to create the electricity that we need more and more and crops like corn and soybeans being used to create the biofuels that are being used more and more there is no doubt that we will never run out of electricity or fuels to run our vehicles. The main question here is this: can we get rid of our long dependence on fossil fuels and switch totally over to the renewable energy sources that will more than meet our future energy needs? Let’s look at how each of the renewable energy sources will meet out future energy needs.

Solar Energy

Solar energy is one of the most useable and abundant of the renewable energy sources that we have on this planet. The next question that is likely to be coming is how viable is solar power as a future energy source when the Sun’s core will burn out in time thus rendering it useless. Well, put it this way, the Sun’s core will not be burning out any times in the next 100, 1,000 or even 10,000 years! It will take more like a few hundred thousand or a few million years before the Sun even gets close to extinction and goes supernova.

Wind Power

Given the fact that the wind the drives our weather patterns is so prevalent, there really is no question as to how viable wind power is as a future energy provider! As it is, wind power already provides a great deal of the fuel that powers many electric plants. This is why we have been seeing wind turbines popping up all over the place in the past few years. What do you think the wind mills in Holland and the Netherlands are there for? These wind mills aren’t only for decoration; they are actually part of the plan to harness the power of the wind to meet the future energy needs of that area of Europe.

Water/Hydroelectric Power

Using the power of water and waterfalls in creating hydroelectric power is one of the future energy sources that no one can really say is not that effective. When you stop to think about the pure, sheer power that running water possesses and passes along to us in the form of currents; it is any surprise that this renewable energy source is also one of the most dependable sources for our future energy needs? Only having all of the water evaporating and bodies of water disappear will change this.

Biofuels

Biofuels are another great renewable source that can easily meet our future energy needs. This is due to the fact that biofuels are made from corn, soybeans/soybean oil and vegetable oil. How’s that for renewable energy folks?!

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Author: Mick Purcell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Renewable energy is really the generation of power in useful forms from natural sources such as the sun (solar energy), wind (air currents), water (hydro, waves, currents etc.), biological (biomass) and the earth itself (geothermal). This is an inexhaustible supply and technologies are evolving to make use of these processes for conversion to usable energy.

One advantage unique to renewable energy but not fully appreciated is the phonemon of community renewable power project. Community renewables projects can be a great force for social cohesion, and they can create a wide range of social benefits that transcend the economics of a particular project. These advantages include decreased dependence on foreign natural gas and oil, a power infrastructure that is far less subject to large-scale disruption or terrorism because of its distributed and diverse nature, local control of generation facilities, creation of much needed high-quality jobs in rural areas, and a supplemental revenue stream for agricultural community members that allows them to maintain their rural lifestyle. These projects include projects as diverse as willow coppicing and gasifying the wood chip produced, using power plants built mostly on farms, to community anaerobic digesters processing the food and organic waste of a community feeding electric power into the local power grid and hot water via CHP schemes into their homes for low cost heating.

Wind power is an example of a power type which can take jobs and revenue to remote communities which have otherwise been declining. A large wind farm can create dozens of secure long term jobs.

The relative price of renewable fuels is now much lower, so the incentives are there to invest. Wind power is a typical example where investors are receiving good yields and are likely to do so for many years to come. The term alternative is used to contrast with fossil fuels according to some sources. Wind turbines can be situated on land or off-shore providing many more sites.

Wind energy is the fastest growing energy resource in the world and can economically produce scalable renewable power to meet growing energy demands. In the US, wind power could produce up to 25% of our nation’s energy needs and we think this is a good thing.

Biomass energy comes from plants and trees. Wood is the largest source of biomass energy. However this form of energy can be implemented badly, and if it is it can be inefficient and destructive. One example is if biomass is burnt but the forests are not replanted.

To power a large proportion of the United States by biomass, vast areas would need to be taken from food production and harvested annually to feed our energy cravings while food prices would still rise higher and higher.

Biodiesel use is small now, but its use in diesel engines and for heating is increasing. Biodiesel and bioethanol do produce carbon dioxide when they are combusted in a car engine. However, crops used to make it do re-absorb that carbon dioxide as they grow. This biofuel is competitive with regular diesel fuel within a local market. A market worldwide for this product of methane is developing very quickly. Europe is now the largest biodiesel market in the world.

Biodiesel and ethanol, for example, is being combined with gasoline for cleaner transportation fuel.

While we are on the subject of combining technologies to give useful results. Sunlight is being collected and is being combined with standard electric lighting to produce hybrid solar lighting, a new development in solar technology.

Geothermal Energy can be used much more than it has been to date. Geologically derived energy of this sort is produced by heat from sources below the Earth’s surface. For electricity generation, steam created by these underground heat sources is used to spin turbines. Geothermal energy uses hot water deep within the earth’s crust to spin turbines and produce power 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It produces few carbon emissions and can re-inject used-water back into the earth to be used again, making it fully sustainable.

Solar power is generated when utilities are in highest demand – in the middle of the day. In terms of the energy to make these solar cells, it is said that in about the same time it takes to pay them off – four to five years – the cells provide back the energy that was required to make them in the first place.

One place in which solar energy is being heavily used is Hong Kong. Solar energy is abundant in Hong Kong’s sunny climate, and easy to use. However, you can consider replacing your existing water heater with a new solar hot water heating system located on the rooftop of your building, even if not in a hot country. The reduction in available solar energy between equator and poles is not a great as most people seem to think. Solar thermal power stations operate in the USA and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 MW SEGS power plant in the Mojave Desert, but solar is still worthwhile in more temperate climates.

Finally, there is the potential for much more thermal electric energy to be captured, where the sun light is reflected and focused using a huge parabolic mirror. This reflected light energy can then be used to heat water to create steam which can be used to drive a turbine to produce electricity just like in a conventional power plant.

Steve Evans is a renewables writer and expert. Visit his other web sites. See the biogas digesters web site to find out much more about this fascinating and rapidly developing subject.

In his spare time Steve also writes for the dog breeds articles web site.

Author: Steve D Evans
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Fossil Fuels once powered the world; this is however until the world realized just how bad the use of those dirty fuels is on the environment. Since they realized that fossil fuels fill the air with carbon dioxide and cause a heavy burden on the wallets of all those who depend on them, the world turned to a better source of energy: Green Energy. Cost efficient, clean, and limitless, Green Energy is the way to go.

Green Energy is fairly easy to harvest. The only thing that is holding people back is the cost of installing the means of gathering these limitless power sources. The cost of installing solar panels is more than most are willing to spend. The same applies to wind mills which harvest the power of the wind through spinning turbines and turbines that harvest water power also. The good thing is that the money is usually returned by harvesting and selling the extras, not to mention saving immense amounts of money by eliminating energy bills. The cost of the installation would also be covered by the amount of money that would be saved throughout time over coming months. The evolution from primitive fossil fuels to newer, more advanced and much cleaner Green Energy is the change that the world is not only ready for, but in desperate need of.

Green Energy is not just a clean way to run the world, but also a cheaper way that is much less intertwined with politics. No one can own the wild, sun, or oceans; which means that there is no owner attempting to make immense profits off of power. These clean sources are the best bet for a clean and successful future for a world that is presently feeling the effects of a failing world economy. All people need to do is convert to Green Energy to help the world, and help themselves. So convert now and set an example for a power hungry world!

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Author: Jerzy Jagielski
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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I come across some energy facts from our United States government that was staggering and I would like to share them with everyone. I hope that these statistics will enlighten you to why we need renewable energy today and not tomorrow.

The US uses 20,680,000 barrels of oil per day! We sadly are ranked number one. The next closest country is China, using 7,578,000 barrels of oil per day. Even though these figures are from 2007, the use of oil continues to grow. We also lead in gasoline consumption also.

The point I am trying to make is that we have natural resources available on our planet that we could be using today. For instance, we only use less than 1% of our total energy consumption for wind and solar. And the total of all renewable energy which includes: biofuels, waste, wood derived fuels, geothermal energy, and hydroelectric which includes wind and solar only amounts to a little over 7%. Absolutely amazing that we still have oil supplies available!

We need to concentrate on our natural renewable energy sources. The solar energy for instance needs to be researched more today than ever. Do you think will ever run out of the sun’s energy? No. Do you think we will ever run out of oil? Yes. In areas of our country, especially our coast lines were wind prevails daily we should be developing better technology to harness the power we can generate from the wind.

I know of some cities and townships that make it hard on homeowners who want to take advantage of renewable energy for their homes because the codes will not allow for solar or wind. We must address these problems so a homeowner who wants to install his own energy saving wind or solar can do so as long as they meet electrical and building codes.

The technology exist today to build your own renewable energy system, rather it be a solar hot water system, wind generator system, or a solar voltaic system. Our children will be facing tremendous energy challenges in the near future. Real possibilities exist of a total off grid home were all your utilities are self sufficient. Just think, no power company bill as we know it today. My friend, renewable energy is the answer for today’s energy crisis with rising cost and depletion of our resources. We may not see it in our lifetime, but our children will surely be affected. Contact your local, state, and federal representatives and let them know how you feel about these renewable energy issues.

Jerry Standefer is a successful renewable energy marketer who has helped many people solve renewable energy needs for their homes. He shows people how they can save money by installing their own solar, wind, or solar hot water heater system. Find out how you can save money on your energy cost today. Visit Earth Power Energy Systems today!
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Author: Jerry Standefer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Wood is very general term to describe a wide range of organic resources which can processed and used for fuel manufacture. Biomass products include the fuels, and the systems in which these fuels can be used in. So for example, wood energy products include pellets, briquettes, along with liquid in addition to gaseous fuels. The additional wood products are the combustion systems in which the wood energy products are used. Therefore for pellets this includes pellet stoves along with boilers. For briquettes this can be basic log stove and open fires or more advanced log based burning systems. The wood liquid along with gaseous products can be used internal burning engines for shipping fuels in addition to to run generators to make electricity. Therefore it is clear that there is a wide variety of biomass products which can meet much of our fuel demands. One of the biomass products mentioned, are wood pellets, one of the most accepted been wood pellet fuels. Biomass pellet fuels have actually existed since the 1970′s, however it is only within the last decade or so that biomass pellet energy products have been taken seriously as a practical energy renewable to oil plus gas based heating systems. Wood pellet fuels are currently manufactured for the waste from timber processing. After the tree has been processed into beams, the sawdust is then collected along with processed into pellet fuel. As the timber is devoid of bark plus generally from only certain types of trees, the pellets produced have a very low ash content. Therefore these fuel pellet products are referred to as premium pellet fuels.

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The supplementary side of biomass products are the burning systems in which the biomass fuel products are used. There are a mixture of diverse forms of wood furnaces. These collection from log stoves plus boilers, to woodchip systems along with even straw bale burners. These systems though in general lack the modern efficiencies required along with are also quite high maintenance. Here is where biomass pellet boilers are products which can install well within the modern behavior of a low maintenance but highly efficient heating unit.
Biomass pellet energy stoves plus boilers come in selection of sizes plus heat outputs. Even a small pellet stove can generate a substantial amount of warmth to heat quite a few rooms within the property. Generally pellet stoves just generate hot air, along with can be used to warmth the entire property by a good ventilation system. Though some pellet stove products also have a built in back boiler. This means that the stove can provide warmth to the main living space along with also connect up the existing central heating system to providing heating to the rest of the property via existing radiators.

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The products of wood plus wood pellet fuel products is a growing industry, plus one that can bring substantial jobs to the local community. Jobs can be shaped in the selection of local wood as well as biomass resources. Jobs can then also be created in upgrading the biomass into high quality energy pellets. Finally jobs can be produced in distributing the finished fuel pellets.

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