- A long discussion explored the practicality of small-scale wood-gas micro-CHP (combined heat and power) for a 75-acre tree-farm property in western Oregon, weighing fuel logistics, 20-year payback, and seasonal heat-vs-electric demand mismatches.  
- The Fröling CHP system (50 kW electric / 100 kW thermal) was cited as a reference; its built-in wood-chip dryer and automated feed were highlighted, along with the need for uniform, dry fuel to avoid decomposition losses.  
- Participants debated whether to chip on-site or pelletize, the merits of intermittent vs continuous operation, and the possibility of storing producer gas or using large thermal mass (e.g., molten metals) to buffer output.  
- Summer waste-heat reuse ideas included domestic hot water, water distillation for lab use, and dehumidification instead of air-conditioning, given the mild local climate.  
- Solar-only scenarios were considered problematic: winter storms cause most outages, and panel ratings assume full sun that is scarce for ~9 months, so overbuilding for “dim-condition” performance is unclear.  
- Thermophotovoltaics (TPV) entered the conversation: near-IR selective emitters matched to GaSb PV cells can reach ~20 % demonstrated efficiency in lab units, with theoretical Carnot limits near 83 %, but commercial wood-stove fans still sit at ~1 %.  
- A 2009 student project was referenced that powered an electric car with eight coffee-can-sized propane TPV modules producing “several kW,” illustrating the compact-power concept while conceding real-world viability “needs improvement.”  
- Micro-scale alternatives were mentioned: DARPA-funded thermionic emission generators from the late 2000s and the perennial challenge that small internal-combustion engines suffer poor power-to-weight ratios and short lifetimes.