Going old school heat
Two Washington schools will use wood pellets as a primary heat source to test boiler systems. The goal is to determine if it's a viable option for rural schools.
In 2013, legislators set aside $500,000 to fund installation of wood pellet boiler systems in two K-12 schools. The pilot required one school be located in western Washington and one in eastern Washington.
Tekoa High School in Whitman County and Darrington Senior/Middle School in Snohomish County were selected by Washington State University (WSU) energy program in partnership with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to participate in the Wood Pellet Heat in Schools program, state officials announced Tuesday.
“We are excited that the Washington State Legislature is giving rural schools with aging building facilities the opportunity to examine cost effective renewable energy alternatives like pellet heating systems,” said Gordon Beck, Director of School Facilities for OSPI. “The ability to demonstrate stable operating costs that come with small scale commercial pellet boiler systems—in the real world—will help open the door for more rural schools to opt for the replacement of ancient fossil fuel systems.”
