Update on the 2011 WERC Competitive Grants Program
This year, 42 proposals were received, evaluated, and rated. Due to budget reductions, only six proposals were selected to receive funding. This press release provides details about the selected projects. |
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WERC Project Highlight
Dovetail Partners, Inc., located in Minneapolis, MN, recently completed a WERC-funded project (Award Number 10-DG-111) titled Incentivizing Bio-energy While Protecting Established Biomass-Based Industries. The project assessed the short- and long-term impacts (both positive and negative) of State and Federal climate and bioenergy policies and incentives on the domestic forestry/wood products sector, including the logging, lumber, composite panel, and paper industries. It also considered how incentive programs might be modified to achieve optimum results for both bioenergy producers and established wood-based industries.
Project results are included in this report. View a Webinar about the project held on June 28, 2001. For more information, contact Jim Bowyer at 612-333-0430.
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Woody Biomass Energy Activities
For the last 2 years, the WERC Woody Biomass Technical Support Team has provided wood energy technical assistance services through several energy contractors to schools, hospitals, private businesses, and other entities. This information sheet provides more details about the team's services.
This link provides an example of a recently completed preliminary assessment.
For more information, contact Lew McCreery at
304-285-1538. |
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Web HELP Team Offers Assistance for Rural Wood Businesses
For many wood businesses, especially in the current economy, capturing enough customers to remain afloat can be difficult. While the Web can help rural businesses get "closer" to urban customers, most Web sites do not have the impact they could or should. Many businesses invest thousands of dollars in Web sites that look fancy but do not generate customer traffic.
Focused investments in Search Engine Optimization and Web marketing can change "pretty" Web sites to "profitable" ones. With the help of a grant from the WERC (Award Number 2008-DG-104), the National Network of Forest Practitioners (www.nnfp.org) has developed a Web HELP Team to help wood businesses improve the effectiveness of their Web marketing.
The Web HELP Team provides a variety of low-cost Web services tailored for wood businesses, including:
- Starter Sites: If a wood business does not have a Web site, the Team can provide a straightforward site at low cost that will help the business get onto the information superhighway. These sites build on templates the team developed that allow a quick and easy start-up with a site that is easy for Google to find.
- Web Wellness Checkups: If a wood business already has a Web site, the team can review and evaluate it, then identify ways to increase its impact.
- Traffic Improvement Packages (TIP): Many businesses have Web sites, but they do not benefit them much. The TIP packages improve the "Search Engine Optimization" for sites and help businesses generate greater traffic, and therefore sales, for their sites.
For more information, check out this Web site. |
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Workshops and Webinars
Visit the WERC training web page or WERC webcast archive
Webinar: The Future of Residential Wood & Pellet Heat in America
July 19, 2011
The Alliance for Green Heat and Biomass Thermal Energy Council will host a free Webinar from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT. Registration information is available here. This Webinar is part of a WERC-funded project with the Alliance for Green Heat titled A Toolkit for Incentivizing Renewable, Residential Wood Heat (Award Number 2010-DG-153).
Webinar: The Carbon Impact of Forest Products
July 20, 2011
The University of Tennessee's Forest Products Center will host a free Webinar at 12:00 p.m. EDT. For additional information, go here. The Webinar is part of a WERC-funded project titled Carbon Impact Factors for a Range of Wood Products (Award Number 2010-DG-088).
International Scientific Conference on Hardwood Processing
October 16-18, 2011
The Inn - Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
This conference will bring together industry professionals, scientists, association representatives, government employees, suppliers, and customers to share knowledge and ideas. Topics will include hardwood-related issues, recent developments, and paths to the future, with a special focus on sustainability and certification.
For additional information, contact Urs Buehlmann at 540-231-9759 or go here.
Webinar Series: Biomass Thermal Energy Council
The Biomass Thermal Energy Council received a recent grant from the WERC (Award Number 2010-DG-150) for educational outreach. The council is conducting a Webinar series on key issues related to biomass thermal opportunities. Past and future Webinars are listed.
Archived Webinar: Carbon Storage of Urban Wood Products
June 3, 2011
Dovetail Partners, Inc., and the WERC hosted this Webinar that addressed carbon storage in products made from urban trees. The Webinar reported on the results of a WERC-funded project titled Carbon Storage Factors for Urban Hardwood Forest Products (Award Number 2010-DG-110). View the Webinar here. |
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Other Items of Interest
Wood2Energy Database
This Web-based project lists a variety of businesses throughout the country that produce and/or consume woody biomass.
USDA Leads the Way on Green Buildings, Use of Wood Products
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce America's Reliance on Imported Oil
Torrefaction: A Woody Biomass Companion to Coal
The Hardwood Checkoff is an initiative led by a group of U.S. hardwood industry leaders who have come together to develop a Commodity Checkoff program for the hardwood industry. Checkoff programs are industry-funded research and promotions programs tailored to a specific commodity.
Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) Update
To receive periodic updates on the BCAP, register here. |
