Hot water

Ryman Healthcare are enjoying 50% saving on their hot water heating costs thanks to the ground source heat pump they installed to provide energy efficient hot water. Ground source heat pumps work efficiently all year round in all weather and temperatures.

Wood used for energy does not fit well with a payment system that works using non-energy (eg. volume or weight).  The energy content of wood is closely related to moisture content, and this can vary substantially, depending on the origin and storage history of the material.  This study looks to determine the effects of moving from a weight-based payment system to a specific energy-content-based payment system at a large industrial site, using woody biomass as a fuel source on a large scale.

This study carried out by Aircomm Consultants Limited for Queenstown Lakes District Council investigates the feasibility of a district heating scheme to supply heating to Queenstown Airport, Lakes District Hospital, Alpine Aqualand (swimming pool) and the Queenstown Events Centre.

The centralised wood-chip boiler plant described in the study is not considered to be feasible in this situation.

The Invercargill City Council Parks Department has installed a wood chip boiler at their plant nursery. The new boiler replaces a coal boiler and provides heating to approximately 450 square metres of greenhouses. This monitoring report outlines how the installation went.