DCI Furniture gets $250,000 to install renewable energy system
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LISBON, N.H. - Military and university furniture manufacturer DCI Inc. has been awarded a $250,000 grant to install a renewable energy system at its manufacturing plant in New Hampshire. From the United States Department of Agriculture, the grant helps push farmers, producers, and small New Hampshire businessess to switch over to renewable energy.
 
DCI will use the $250,000 grant to purchase and install a high efficiency 300HP biomass steam boiler. DCI will power the new system with wood byproducts from its sawmill in Royalton, Vermont.
 
The company projects the boiler will save $390,000 annually in energy costs. DCI also plans to recommission its steam engine generator and add it to the renewable energy system to further reduce the factory's dependence on the power grid.
 
"We will use the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant to partially fund a new biomass boiler for our facility in Lisbon," says DCI President Henry Kober. "We will fuel the boiler with the byproducts of our wood processing operations and will continue to provide 100% of our heat and process steam from renewable energy sources."
 
The system should be online by December 2021.
 
USDA Rural Development State Director Anthony Linardos commended the investment.
 
"Renewable energy and energy efficiency are at the heart of keeping New Hampshire farms and businesses competitive and productive during the Covid-19 pandemic—and well into the future. USDA's REAP program helps businesses like DCI Sustainable Hardwood Furniture become more energy independent and reduce costs while supporting the renewable economy in New Hampshire."
 
DCI, Inc. is a family-owned, fully integrated, American furniture manufacturing company based in Lisbon, New Hampshire specializing in sustainable solid wood furniture for the higher education and military markets. The company's sawmill is FSC-certified.
 
Earlier this year, the company received a $75,000 grant from the state of Vermont for positively impacting the state's forest products industry.
 

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Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].