Biomass Field Tours

PBEA is excited to offer two field tours as part of its pre-conference activities on October 2. Participants will have an opportunity to become up close and personal with biomass as they travel throughout Central Pennsylvania visiting facilities that either create, or use biomass.

Choose from one of the following tours:

Educational Institutions & Businesses (Length of Tour: 8 hours)
The Educational Institutions & Businesses Field Tour consists of two stops. At the first stop, attendees will visit the Hughesville High School to observe multiple alternative energy projects at this progressive school. We will tour their hybrid willow plantation and learn how it will be chipped to fuel their own high school’s boiler. In the field right next to their plantation is an array of solar panels producing 600 kW of the high school’s electricity. Talk about sustainability….using the sun to produce two forms of alternative energy! After our sit-down lunch, we will continue to Bloomsburg University where we’ll see an innovative approach to providing base load heating using a woodchip boiler with natural gas and coal boilers for peak demand and back-up heating. We will learn how Bloomsburg University successfully satisfied the many challenges these retrofits demanded.

Biomass Processing and Use (Length of Tour: 8 hours)
The biomass processing and use field tour consists of three stops. At the first stop, attendees will visit an area where sustainable forestry practices are being conducted. Discussion will be led by a representative of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. The next stop will be at Energex's Pellet Fuel Manufacturing facility in MIfflintown to learn more about how woody biomass pellets are produced and distributed. Lunch will be provided. After lunch, the tour will continue with a visit the Harman Stove Manufacturing facility in Halifax. At this stop, attendees will be provided a behind the scene tour on how high efficiency pellet stoves are manufactured.

Field tours are not included in regular conference pricing. Cost to attend a field tour is $40, which includes transportation and lunch. Tours are limited to 35 attendees and are on a first come, first serve basis.

Departure and return times are being finalized; however, tour participates should make tentative plans for departing the Holiday Inn, Harrisburg East parking lot by 9am and returning around 5pm. Please wear closed toe shoes. Also, some tours, such as sustainable forestry, will take you outside. For your comfort and safety, please dress accordingly.