Fuel Oil News

Fuel Oil News May 2011

The home heating oil industry has a long and proud history, and Fuel Oil News has been there supporting it since 1935. It is an industry that has faced many challenges during that time. In its 77th year, Fuel Oil News is doing more than just holding

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RENEWABLE FUEL Ultimately Renewable Fuel Pennsylvania woodworkers tap trees for lifestyle and energy, too BY JOHN VASTYAN Travis Wenger (w/tank) and Merv Wenger (operating tractor) lift the Highland oil tank from the delivery truck. F 28 OSSIL FUEL GUZZLING HAS FALLEN OUT OF FAVOR. ALTERNATIVE fuels and energy efficiency are in high demand, especially when the source of energy is wood, the ultimately renew- able resource. Even more appealing is when the wood fuel is a byproduct of the facility, it’s heating and is burned in an eco- friendly fashion, eliminating nearly all environmental impact. “Wood is our lifestyle, our bread n’ butter, and is at the core of everything we do,” said Merv Wenger, owner of Wenger Woodworks in Manheim, PA. Merv and his son Travis operate their cabinetry and furniture business from the family homestead, a small farm in rural Lancaster County with Amish farms nearby. Unlike most cabinetmakers who order kiln-dried hardwood from suppliers, Merv and Travis build wood furnishings, cabinets and entire kitchens from scratch, starting the process in the for- est, traveling more than 100 miles in any direction while towing a portable “WoodMizer” sawmill. MAY 2011 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com They cut, mill and dry all the wood themselves; a process that creates mountains of waste in the form of slab wood and sawdust. But where most millworks cast-off the waste, the Wengers turn it into burnable energy. More waste is created when rough-cut lumber is machined into finely finished products. But they harvest those BTUs, too, through an unusually efficient system that supplies heat for the home, shop and apartment while warming water for all cleaning and bathing, as well. Until the fall of ‘09, the Wengers burned all the cast-off slab wood in an old woodstove, the only source of heat for the shop. But with the installation of a high-tech, eco-friendly “gasification” wood boiler and extensive radiant heat system, the wood waste now supplies BTUs for all three buildings on the property. “It’s the ultimate in renewable fuel for us,” added Merv. “Sure, there are others doing the same, but few who scrub

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