Originally published February 15 2006
Biomass heating systems challenge natural gas in northern New Mexico
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Bill Althouse, president of Althouse Inc., reveals his plan for giving away free biomass heating systems to properties in northern New Mexico with heating bills currently exceeding $100,000, as a way of demonstrating that biomass is cheaper than natural gas.
Five-year-old Althouse Inc. is so confident in its biomass heating systems that it is offering them free, along with free installation, to northern New Mexico commercial properties that spend more than $100,000 on their heating bills and are willing to sign long-term contracts under one of two service plans.
Althouse has specialized in reducing energy consumption in residential properties, but because of rising natural gas costs, the company has decided to start offering the alternative heating systems that use firewood to heat commercial properties and which are retrofitted to existing heating systems.
The Santa Fe company offers three biomass plans to its customers, two of which carry the option of getting the free biomass system -- but only for commercial properties that are currently spending more than $100,000 a year on heating.
In the second plan, the customer specifies a temperature setting and then is billed an energy management fee for the time when the heating system is in operation.
Althouse says under both options, which require signing long-term contracts generally lasting about 10 years, customers will not have to pay for the biomass heater, its installation or the fuel it consumes.
"In both cases, the [the overall cost] should be equal to or less than natural gas," Althouse says.
The company also offers a third option plan that has customers purchasing the systems and then taking a course at Santa Fe Community College to learn how to maintain the systems themselves.
Bill Althouse, a former photovoltaic engineer who has been working in alternative energy systems for more than 30 years, says biomass heating can be a strong rural economic development tool in New Mexico because revenue generated by it often stays within the community where it is being used because biomass heaters require a local stock of fuel.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml