Case studies

Switching to wood energy has helped Blenheim based PH Kinzett Ltd cut fuel costs at its greenhouse operation by 21%, helping to maintain profitability.

Read the case study below for full details.

Exorbitant yearly electricity bills of $100,000 at the Centennial Pool, run by Thames Coromandel District Council, meant that the facility faced partial closure. The decision to heat the pool using wood fuel instead of electricity has led to a dramatic decrease in energy consumption and running costs, ensuring that the pool stays open and has a bright future.

Estimated savings are $68,000 per year, with an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 200 tonnes.

Read the case study below to find out more.

A 50kW wood pellet-fired boiler is proving considerably cheaper than electricity for heating the Bay of Plenty‘s 30 bed Titoki Healing Centre.

Fully automated and fed by a 3-tonne hopper topped up by the truckload, the system operates virtually hands-free.

Installation cost around $80,000. That compared more than favourably to the other main option, heat pumps, at around $90,000. Running costs are even more competitive at about $4,400 annually, almost a third of the costs estimated for running heat pumps.

Dunedin's wood energy cluster provides the region with a carbon neutral energy source that enhances security of supply and will be cheaper than coal over the long-term as carbon prices climb.

Dunedin is leading the way in demonstrating how key players in a region can work together to make wood a viable source of energy for heating facilities ranging from schools and hostels to factories and commercial buildings.