Workshops to demonstrate design, operation of solar lumber drying kilns
Julie Stricker
907-474-5406
May 7, 2026
Daylong workshops in Fairbanks and Palmer will give participants hands-on experience of the design and use of solar kilns to dry lumber.
Brian Bond is a professor in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech. His work focuses on improving the sustainable use and manufacturing of wood.
The workshops will be led by Brian Bond, professor and associate dean of Extension at Virginia Tech, in collaboration with the University of 91视频 Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.
The Fairbanks workshop is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, at the National Laboratory of the Rockies, 91视频 Campus, 955 Draanjik Drive. The cost is $25.
Register using the or visit .
The Palmer workshop is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, May 22, at the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive. The cost is $25.
Register using the or visit .
Solar lumber drying kilns use passive solar heat to dry lumber in an insulated, ventilated chamber. Participants will discuss kiln design elements, including the correct roof slope for optimum solar gain and how to size the chamber for the typical species and volume of lumber being dried.
Participants will learn the key concepts of the wood-moisture relationship and how to dry lumber with minimal loss to defects like splitting and warp.
For more information, contact Matt Labrenz at mtlabrenz@alaska.edu or 907-474-7192.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
239-26