Vermont Sustainable Heating Initiative (commonly referred to as VSHI) was a non-profit organization that worked to establish
sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
in the
Vermont heating sector. The organization advocated
biomass
Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...
fuels (especially
wood pellets) over fossil fuels. In order to promote sustainability and reduce the expense of home heating for impoverished Vermonters, VSHI installed
pellet stoves in low-income houses at no cost. VSHI also advocated for the sustainable development of local biomass sources for fuel.
History
In 2007 a group of students from
Mount Abraham Union High School
Mount Abraham Union High School is a public high school in Bristol, Vermont (U.S.).
History
The Bristol High School was located in downtown Bristol, Vermont
Bristol is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The town was chartered on ...
prepared a presentation on the subject of grass energy in Vermont. This presentation discussed both the environmental and economic impact that grass-derived biomass fuels would have on the Vermont economy. As of 2008 VSHI morphed from a loose coalition of students and educators to a state-registered nonprofit corporation.
In 2009 VSHI prepared a grant proposal in an attempt to obtain $30,000 to fund a feasibility study into solid biomass fuels. The proposal received support from a number of towns and was approved. As of 2010 VSHI has launched the Chittenden County Solid Biofuels Feasibility Study using the grant money in cooperation with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Comm. and The Biomass Energy Research Center.
In 2016, VSHI was formally dissolved.
Pellet stoves
As part of its regular operations, VSHI works with
LIHEAP recipients to place pellet stoves with low-income Vermont households. VSHI reviews applications from recipients in Addison, Chittenden, and Washington Counties and gives out pellet stoves in the fall accordingly. A over 20 pellet stoves have been given away to date. The cooperation with LIHEAP is currently run as a pilot project, but VSHI hopes to expand it in the future.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Main website
Non-profit organizations based in Vermont