Biomass Boiler
The biomass boiler offers sustainable, low-carbon heating, while reducing emissions and ensuring a comfortable environment for patients and staff. Lower costs, greener operations and a healthier future—because sustainability is part of better care.
A cleaner way to heat
A biomass boiler is a heating system that uses clean organic wood fuel sources (waste wood) to generate heat and hot water. This project also supplies the steam needed for all of our La Crosse Campus and produces electricity as well. The biomass boiler includes a steam turbine, and steam runs through the turbine to produce electricity. That electricity is used on-site, further reducing fossil fuel emissions and increasing energy savings. Additionally, the biomass boiler saves our health system approximately $500,000 a year in energy costs.
Biomass boiler leads to energy independence
The biomass boiler is by far the largest single project in our sustainability portfolio that helped our system become energy independent. The boiler uses clean organic wood fuel sources, such as milling or forest residues to generate heat. The wood product is fed into the system, where it is burned and heats water to create steam. These woody biomass products are sourced locally and have no paints, glues or treatments on the wood. We use state-of-the-art equipment to control emissions.
Sustainable heat in La Crosse
The biomass boiler provides an efficient and cost-effective heating solution for the La Crosse campus. It supports our sustainability efforts of lowering operational costs and reducing environmental impacts and offers a reliable heat source, furthering our commitment to cleaner operations. The boilers create steam that is used to heat buildings in the winter. Steam is also used all year in the laundry and kitchen, as well as to dehumidify the air and sanitize medical equipment.
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Send us your questions and ideas about environmental sustainability.