Burns, OR is the county seat of Harney County located in southeastern Oregon.  Recently, the county constructed a new hospital to serve community residents.  The hospital board wanted to consider ways to save money on energy costs and honor the heritage of the woods products industry that was the county's first major employer in 1920.  After reviewing several potential options, the hospital decided to proceed with a wood pellet heating system. 

Biomass Boiler and Silo - Harney County, Oregon

Pellet boilers are typically most cost effective for small heat users.  This was the case for the Harney County Hospital heating 55,000 sq. ft. with a 0.5 million BTU/hr boiler.  The hospital chose a Kob boiler manufactured in Austria which was delivered in two containers and installed in 2 days!

Wood pellets are manufactured from sawdust residuals from forest products companies; therefore, converting a waste product into low-cost heat energy.   Currently the hospital buys pellets from on Oregon-based company,  Bear Mountain Forest Products.  Another supplier of wood pellets in the Pacific Northwest is Western Oregon Wood Products.

Due to the timeline of the project, the hospital did not apply for state or federal tax credits nor have any other subsidies to cover a portion of installation costs.  The successful and implementation of this pellet boiler is one example of a woody biomass heat project standing on its own financially compared to other energy source options.

Statistics for the Harney County Hospital Wood Pellet Boiler