The combustion of locally generated waste wood provides a disposal solution for by-products or packaging and can offer a short term payback for both waste disposal and replacement energy.  

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Table of Contents

1. Who can use a Wood/Biomass Burning Heating/Incineration System?
2. Is my company TOO LITTLE (or TOO BIG) for your equipment?
3. Do your systems produce HEAT in different forms?
4. Can I burn green wood?
5. Can I HAND-FEED your equipment?
6. Do I Need to use a GRINDER to prepare my waste for burning?
7. Does Your Equipment meet EPA standards?
8. Does this Web Site  cover DECTON'S complete line of equipment?
9. What is biomass?
10. Is burning biomass, such as wood, good or bad for the environment, I have heard both?
11. What are some conversions to help understand horsepower, BTUs, and all that?

Who can use a Wood/Biomass Burning Heating/Incineration System?

Wood burning is not right for everyone. BUT, If

1. You generate waste wood,
2. Have to pay for waste disposal,
3. Have to pay for Heat...

YOU QUALIFY, and your company has a logical alternative!  

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Is my company TOO LITTLE (or TOO BIG) for your equipment?

No! Our systems consume from 30 pounds/hour to 60 tons/hour of clean wood to manufactured board to biomass material.

We specialize in HEATING EQUIPMENT from 10Hp (330,000Btu/Hr.), to 150Hp (5.0 Million Btu/Hr.) 

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Do your systems produce HEAT in different forms?

Yes! Hot Air, Hot Water, or Steam, whatever is best for your situation.

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Can I burn green wood?

Yes! Fresh cut to kiln dried material will work.

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Can I HAND-FEED your equipment?

Our equipment can be hand-fed: full or part-time. HOWEVER, an automatic feed system is the only way to insure an even, consistent burn; which is what the EPA is looking for.

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Do I Need to use a GRINDER to prepare my waste for burning?

No! not necessarily. If your chips, sawdust, shavings, hulls, etc. are consistent as generated, there is no need to grind. We also offer hand feeding as an option and sometimes both in the same firebox.

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Does Your Equipment meet EPA standards?

Yes- With the proper combination of equipment, we can meet any reasonable EPA standards!

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Does this Web Site  cover DECTON'S complete line of equipment?

WE HAVE, AND ARE, TRYING TO BUT,   This Site is an overview and covers only a portion of our line. We offer many models and combinations of equipment. Most important, we specialize in custom designs with standard components!  So your system is designed for you.  We don't try to force your needs to match a standard line.

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What is biomass?

The American Bioenergy Assocation, (www.biomass.org), states that biomass is any organic matter which is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including trees, plants and associated residues; plant fiber; poultry litter and other animal wastes; and some industrial waste.

The use of renewable biomass creates additional value in farm, forestry and other industries and reduces waste streams. Bioenergy also reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants by displacing fossil fuel use. By creating greater energy diversity, from domestically available sources, bioenergy can reduce dependence on imported energy.

According to the Department of Energy http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/bioenergy.html Biomass technologies use renewable biomass resources to produce an array of energy related products including electricity, liquid, solid, and gaseous fuels, heat, chemicals, and other materials. Bioenergy ranks second (to hydropower) in renewable U.S. primary energy production and accounts for three percent of the primary energy production in the United States.

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Is burning biomass, such as wood, good or bad for the environment, I have heard both?

The answer is not simple and depends on you point of view.  Biomass is a renewable source of energy.  The key word here is renew.  We have the capability of replacing all of what we use and more.  Burning the waste, taking advantage of the energy in it rather than tapping other resources, makes sense.

Also consider this, carbon makes up about half the weight of firewood (for example).  It is true that this carbon is released as carbon dioxide when the wood is burned.  However, this is part of a natural cycle. A tree absorbs carbon dioxide from the air as it grows and uses this carbon to build its structure.  Whether the wood simply decays (in the forest for example) or is burned the carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere. Burning wood properly releases no more harmful greenhouse gases than would be produced were the wood to simply rot.  And, the new (renewed) trees we growth consume the carbon dioxide release by the previous generation.  

Secondly, when biomass decays in a landfill type environment, it generates methane gas, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Then consider that Decton Burn Systems are designed for clean and thorough burning.  A patented burner system, electronic controls, and careful design come together in an efficient system.

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What are some conversions to help understand horsepower, BTUs and all that?

1 Million Btu (1 MBtu) = 293 kW = 29.9 Boiler Hp = 1,000 lb Steam = 120 lb dry wood = 7 gal. Diesel Oil = 1000 cu.ft. (10 Therms) Natural Gas

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Sources:
[1] Jeff Gullickson, Decton Iron Works, Inc.
[2] American Bioenergy Association Website, www.biomass.org, Dec. 2004
[3] U.S. Department of Engergy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/bioenergy.html, Dec. 2004

Revised: May 14, 2005 .