search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
    • FEATURED PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
  • MEDIA
    • EBOOKS
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Green Plumbing and MechanicalRadiant & Hydronics

Hurst installs biomass boiler at University of Iowa campus

February 18, 2013
A custom-designed Hurst Boiler 600 BHP Biomass-Waste-Fuel Boiler/Gasifier installed as part of the University of Iowa Green Energy Initiative helped the university win an award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.

A custom-designed Hurst Boiler 600 BHP Biomass-Waste-Fuel Boiler/Gasifier was installed on the University of Iowa campus as part of the university's Green Energy Initiative. Photo credit: Hurst Boiler


A custom-designed Hurst Boiler 600 BHP Biomass-Waste-Fuel Boiler/Gasifier installed as part of the University of Iowa Green Energy Initiative helped the university win an award in the American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa’s 2013 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The goal of the UI’s Green Energy Initiative is to have 40% of the university’s energy needs met with renewable resources by the end of 2020. The Hurst biomass boiler replaced the campus’s natural-gas boiler. Because the project was a retrofit, Hurst had to custom design the biomass boiler solution to fit into an existing structure.

The Hurst Boiler biomass boiler solution is able to combust hundreds of different fuels, allowing the University of Iowa campus to burn local fuels, such as wood chips and oat hulls, while keeping fossil fuels in place for backup. The system is controlled with the Hurst BIOMASS-TER, an intuitive dashboard-driven control and monitoring system for boiler and peripheral equipment.

The project was completed in 2011 under the leadership of the architectural and engineering firm Shive-Hattery, working with Global Energy Solutions (representing Hurst Boiler) and Ferman Milster, associate director of utilities and energy management, University of Iowa.

Shive-Hattery was recognized for this project by the American Council of Engineering Companies as the 2013 winner of the Grand Place Award in the Energy Production category. The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards are designed to recognize outstanding projects that exhibit innovation, technical advancement to the engineering profession, complexity, social and economic considerations, and the ability to meet or exceed the needs of the client.
KEYWORDS: high-efficiency boilers hydronic heating manufacturers hydronics industry

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • 2025 Next Gen ALL-STARS hero 1440

    2025 Next Gen All Stars: Top 20 Under 40 Plumbing Professionals

    This year’s group of NextGen All-Stars is full of young...
    Plumbing & Mechanical Engineer
    By: Kristen R. Bayles
  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Green Plumbing and Mechanical
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Popular Stories

The Glitch & The Fix

Overlooped: Boiler swap gone wrong

SENSEI-RX covered garage-

Rethinking tankless: fact over fiction

An air conditioning engineer is finishing the installation of several units on a rooftop. Two colleagues can be seen also installing units in the background. They are wearing high visibility jackets, hard hats and safety goggles.

Using ratios to measure, compare and improve HVAC systems

Register for the November 13 PM Grundfos Webinar: Smart Pumping Strategies for HVAC: Unlock Efficiency with Grundfos E-Pumps and Systems

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

November 13, 2025

Smart Pumping Strategies for HVAC: Unlock Efficiency with Grundfos E-Pumps and Systems

Learn how to optimize energy use, improve system control, and simplify pump selection using the Grundfos SELECT tool.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products
eBook | 2025 Radiant & Hydronics All Stars

Related Articles

  • Maine school district installs biomass boiler

    See More
  • Obituary: Gene Hurst, founder of Hurst Boiler & Welding Co.

    See More
  • Hurst poultry-litter-fueled boiler built for U.S. installation

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Lessons Learned in a Boiler Room: A common sense approach to servicing and installing commercial boilers

  • what hydronics taught holohan.jpg

    What Hydronics Taught Holohan: A Memoir of Life in the Heating Industry

  • Greening Steam: How to Bring 19th-Century Heating Systems into the 21st Century (and save lots of green!)

See More Products
×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing