PARIS — The Oxford County Commission has sent out a request for bids for a wood pellet heating system for the courthouse on Western Avenue.

Commissioners have signed off on a plan to remove two oil-fired steam boilers and replace them with wood pellet boilers that use hot water. The building’s heating system would be converted from steam to hot water.

The request is going out after months of work by Richard Grondin, a consultant at Integrated Energy Systems in Falmouth. The county has secured federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to pay for the work.

After looking at storage options, including an exterior silo for wood pellets, commissioners opted to store the pellets inside the building where oil has been stored. The courthouse will be able to hold about 15 tons of pellets, which produces as much heat as 1,800 gallons of oil.

It will be an extensive job, which will include installing baseboard heat in the Registry of Deeds office. Cole said the office is above the boiler but doesn’t have a heating system installed.

The move to a wood pellet boiler system for the courthouse has long been an aim of Commissioner Caldwell Jackson of Oxford, who said the project will save the county energy costs, support Maine jobs and decrease reliance on foreign oil.

Before deciding on the current plan, commissioners eyed putting the pellet boilers and storage in an external building and piping in the hot water. They also considered connecting the District Court building to the system but scrapped that idea due to the cost.

The project also includes moving an oil-fired hot water boiler, installing a chimney liner and providing cellulose insulation in the attic. The bids are due July 22.

[email protected]