By Duane Friend
The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign) and its partners have received funding from the US Forest Service to promote the use of low value waste wood for heating purposes in Illinois. Two goals of the project are to promote the use of wood for space heating within the greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture production sectors, along with evaluating the compatibility of grain and animal production facilities for the use of wood as fuel.
As part of this grant, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center is seeking participants interested in utilizing wood-fueled systems for space heating for greenhouses, livestock sheds, storage spaces, workshops and other farm applications such as grain drying.
Benefits to selected participants include assistance with project scoping, engineering, and financial analysis. Small value applications of less than $10,000 may be provided direct cash assistance, while large value applications will be provided in-kind support for engineering design and grant preparation.
For more information on this program, contact the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at 217-244-8905.
