2012-Burns Lake is an important service community located in the heart of northern British Columbia, about 222 km west of Prince George. The Village has a population of 3,614 residents, many who are solely dependent on the forest industry. As Burns Lake has been identified as the epicentre of the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic, and as the municipality is looking at a number of strategies to support and diversify the local forestry-based economy, the Village is planning a bioenergy fuelled community heating network.
The new community energy system is proposed to heat key municipal and downtown buildings in Burns Lake through the use of a heat-only boiler system especially suited for remote and small communities. The boiler system will generate thermal energy through hot water, which is heated by the combustion of biomass. The heat is distributed to customers in the form of hot water conducted through a network of underground, insulated pipes.
In order to develop the community’s envisioned bioenergy heating network, the Village of Burns Lake is undertaking a comprehensive feasibility study that will incorporate pre-engineering and system design. This project will evaluate and provide information to inform the construction and operation of Burns Lake’s district energy system, including base and peak heating load calculations, selection of an appropriate type and size of biomass system, identify possible heating plant sites, determine the sizes and layout of the piping network, develop analysis for both the initial and annual costs, and establish the biomass resource requirements.
This project will also provide the Village of Burns Lakewith information to confirm the district energy system’s governance model and capital requirements for construction. Additionally, the project will serve to promote the development of similar bio-energy projects throughout the Omineca Beetle Action Coalition region.
