ÄFAB TRAINING & DEMONSTRATIONS ÄFAB has been involved in the arranging and conducting of training courses since 1984. As a result a wealth of knowledge and experience has been able to be shared during the running of these training courses and they have proved to be very popular and much enjoyed. ÄFAB has conducted training courses to more than 250 of the municipalities within Sweden and within many of these municipalities the training courses have been continued to be run on an annual basis. The training courses typically consist of a one or two day training course aimed at anyone from bio-energy experts within the public and private sector, to members of the public who merely have an interest within the subject. Whilst this training has been carried out in Sweden over the last 30 years, through links with Bio-Nordic Ltd this training provision can also be extended to the United Kingdom. In 2011 the first ÄFAB training course within biomass combustion was hosted in Somerset at the Genesis Renewable Energy Centre, so we would like to see activity being repeated. In addition to the ÄFAB training courses we are also able to invite a number of our product exhibitors to attend any of the organized training courses upon request and actually demonstrate their modern combustion technologies’ in operation. We can also conduct training courses combining both theory and practice and allow the person being trained to use our laboratory. Finally there is also the option of hiring out the ÄFAB office and laboratory for independent courses or bio-energy related lectures that you may wish to run. Therefore you can see that ÄFAB are more than happy to custom design a training course and package for you specific to the needs and wishes of your interest or subject area. COURSES/LECTURES: The global energy issue has never been as important as it is today. One alarming report after the other tells us about how we as human beings affect and continually pollute our planet through the combustion of fossil fuels. To help raise awareness of this global situation ÄFAB conduct a number of different courses and lectures around the various subject areas within bio-energy use and indeed others areas within the effective use of bio-energy around the world. Please contact us with your specific course or lecture needs and we will see if we can help. NOTES AROUND THE LECTURES: Today, all good energy experts around the world agree that we now have to change our current energy supplies to more renewable energy sources. The use of bio-energy will therefore undoubtedly be a cornerstone within our future energy systems. Within both our societies and within industry this change to renewable energy production will bring with it both difficulties and possibilities. From the societal perspective it will not be easy, simply through political decision making, to change the conditions for the heating market without
creating both conflicts and disturbances. Additionally within industry and as energy consumers, this energy change to renewable energy will bring with it conditions for the creation of new business opportunities and significantly cheaper costs of heating in the future. For example here in Sweden, even today a homeowner who converts from oil to wood pellets already saves approximately 800 Euro’s against a cubic metre of oil (based on an oil price of 1270 Euro/m3) which they replace. There are therefore big environmental and financial earnings to do for both society as well as for individuals within the bio-energy business during the coming years. Other areas where the development in education and awareness is developing quickly is within the area of the health effects of the bio energy fuels. The emissions from wood burning have actually proved to be a bigger health problem than what was first known. Small-scale wood burning using uncertified, environmentally unfriendly technology is not only a source of inconvenience but also an important health risk. The emissions of unburned hydrocarbons may cause cancer and be disturbing to people with lung diseases. But of course it does not have to be like this. The modern wood and pellet burners of today give emission levels that are often only one hundredths of what older installations might give. Just by installing an accumulator tank to an existing boiler the fireman can decrease the emissions of unburned hydrocarbons by 7090%. The knowledge about the negative effects of wood burning and the actions you can take to manage the problems has to increase within both authorities, manufacturers, installers, as well as the end users themselves of the energy type. If correctly utilized the combustion of wood, pellets and other bio fuels are perfect energy sources. There are even research reports which point at wood burning spreading healthy antioxidants within the local environment. With an increasing knowledge it is then easier to accept the more stringent rules that have been announced.
Published by Bio-Nordic Ltd, UK: Please visit www.bio-nordic.co.uk for further details.