CONCORD, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission recently announced improvements to the state’s biomass boiler rebate program, increasing the scope of heating systems eligible for a 30% tax rebate under the program.
The Residential Bulk-Fed Wood-Pellet Central Boiler and Furnace Rebate Program offers a 30% tax credit (up to $6,000) to homeowners who install high efficiency, bulk-fed biomass central heating systems. The systems must be installed and operational between April 14, 2010 and February 18, 2012, to be eligible for the rebate.
Last week, Barbara Bernstein of the PUC’s Sustainable Energy Division announced the revisions to the qualifying standards that will allow a greater breadth of heating systems to qualify for the program. The first modification resets the efficiency standard from 85% to 80%, which will include a greater number of biomass boilers and furnaces, while still outperforming the average oil boiler efficiency of 78%. The second modification allows systems that require routine cleaning and maintenance to qualify for the program, in addition to systems with auto-cleaning capabilities.
Scott Nichols, president of Lyme-based Tarm Biomass, a family-owned business with more than 30 years’ experience installing and selling heating systems, says that these improvements will make a great many more systems available to customers. Nichols says that the technology for bulk-fed biomass heating systems has come a long way: in Europe, these kinds of systems have been in place for decades, but here in the States, we’re catching up. “Our dealers are installing biomass boilers that are just as easy to maintain as your average old-school oil boilers – only these biomass systems are more efficient and better for the planet.” But the best thing, Nichols maintains, is that the biomass systems can be sustained by local resources, which sustain our local economy.
WoodPellets.com, based in Goffstown, is the fuel provider for wood pellet customers throughout New England. President Jon Strimling says the great thing about heating with wood pellets is that they are domestically produced. “We’re lucky to live in a heavily forested state in a green region. We have access to a mountain of sustainably harvested, clean biomass waste. What better way to use this resource than to produce affordable, carbon-neutral heat?”
The improvements to New Hampshire’s boiler rebate program will enable more people to afford a modern biomass boiler, and reduce their reliance on imported fossil fuels, says John Ackerly, president of the non-profit group Alliance for Green Heat. “Green heat is an investment, and the boilers eligible under this program are probably cleaner and more efficient than 99% of all wood stoves and boilers in the US today. This program helps to defray up front costs, which otherwise can be a barrier for any renewable energy system.” Strimling says that a typical New England homeowner can see a payback on their investment in as little as 2-3 years. “After that, it’s just pure savings.”