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AGH Advisory Board member Steve Nadel issued a press statement for ACEEE on how President Trump's budget would kill the popular Energy Star program and stop federal funds from home weatherization and energy audits.
Lily Donge, Boar
d member of AGH, is quoted in the Wall Street Journal about the momentum toward renewables in the private sector, despite President Trump's head in the sand approach.
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4th Wood Stove Design Challenge
The next Wood Stove Design Challenge is scheduled for
November 2018. This drawing depicts the layout of our tent this year, as the competition will also include measuring solar panel output vs. electricity generated from wood stoves. Together, we will see how long it takes for the stoves and panels to charge up a Tesla car.
This blog by AGH's Ken Adler lays out the potential for
wood stoves to supplement residential solar power in northern areas in the winter.
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Other AGH Projects & Activities
Can manufacturers make genuinely cleaner stoves or are they as clean as they can get? Does the NSPS retard innovation and require stoves to continue to be designed according to faulty parameters? James Houck thinks we may be headed in the wrong direction.
AGH attended a 2-day meeting at the Polish Ministry of the Environment to look at solutions for the massive residential wood and coal smoke problems. Poland is looking at widespread change out programs and some areas have begun to ban both wood and coal home heating. There are no stove emission standards in Poland, like the US in the early 1980s. Kinga Majewska, in photo with AGH President John Ackerly, is overseeing introduction of Poland's first program to certify wood and coal stoves in 2019.
 About 127,000 homes use coal as a primary he
ating fuel. Residential coal heating dropped rapidly until 2000 but it m
a
y have leveled off since then. This article looks at the various facets
of coal heating in the US and one way the EPA is helping Navajo Indians get cleaner coal stoves.
A blogger from the gas industry takes aim at the Alliance for Green Heat. An entertaining read.
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Washington Watch
US exit from Paris treaty may stunt biomass heating
As the rest of world decarbonizes electricity and thermal energy supplies, biomass heating policies will be advancing in many countries. If our politicians and companies are not part of this, our domestic biomass heating movement will be left behind.
Millions in Forest Service grants include funds for a Combined Heat and Power facility in Fairbanks, AK, and biomass heating initiatives in CA, ID, PA, and other states.
The Department of Energy announced an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee and published a notice soliciting nominations for new members.
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Focus on Innovation
Ryan Fisher figured out how to use sensors to keep a stove in the combustion sw
eet spot for far longer than manually
opera
ted stoves can stay in that zone - even if the operator is trying to give the stove enough air.
 This cook stove was the first in Austria to receive an eco-label that is based on emissions and efficiency, toxicity of the components and accurate, easy to use information for consumers.
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Jobs
Promotional, marketing, planning and development work within the forest products sector for the Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation to promote the use of thermal wood energy.
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International
Canada: The City of Yellowknife issued a tender for what would be the biggest pellet heating system in the Northwest Territories. It's calling for a system that would heat a cluster of five city buildings.
Denmark/EU: If you want to make sure that the wood burning stove you're buying is good and eco-friendly, it's a good idea to look for certifications and labels. Many Danish and international companies use eco-labelling and product approvals.
AK:
Commercial firewood sellers will be required to register with the state, measure the moisture content of the wood they sell with handheld meters, and provide paper records to customers.
CA:
"Meeting this air quality milestone is truly a clean air success story for the Bay Area, and the air district's 2008 wood burning rule has played a significant role helping us meet the standard," said the head of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
MA:
A bill in Massachusetts would create a working group to study the reduction of contaminants in wood pellet fuel sold in the Commonwealth and a product labeling protocol to inform wood pellet fuel consumers.
NH: It's a big deal when a jurisdiction aims for 100% renewable energy including heat. Too often, "energy" is defined only as electricity. Hanover, NH, along with Dartmouth College, are going 100% and exploring biomass heating to get there.
NH:
A bipartisan bill to reduce NH's state's dependence on imported fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to inexpensive and locally sourced renewables. Solar, biomass heating, etc. are essential to the long-term health of NH.
NY:
With a new county kitchen and several capital projects going on throughout the county, members of the Economic Development Committee heard about an alternative heating source.
NY:
Dept. of Energy showcases how a military base in NY switched from coal to biomass heat and power. It was the army's largest renewable energy project and powers the base if the grid goes down.
PA:
In response to President Trump's Executive Order on climate change and energy, Acting Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell reaffirmed the state's commitment to reducing greenhouse gases.
UT:
Manti-La Sal National Forest has begun issuing permits for gathering of firewood and other forest products on the Ferron, Price, and Sanpete Ranger Districts effective June 1.
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Misleading advertisement of the month
Can you spot the wood furnace that is still legal to sell in the US? It's the second one, made by Ashley. As of May 15, all wood furnaces need to be certified by the EPA, but on the Internet marketplace, very little changes when regulations change, with most of the same products still available. These are now the most polluting class of new residential wood heaters on the market. Try it yourself: google "wood furnace" and see how prevalent uncertified furnaces are and who makes them.
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Upcoming Conferences
Cologne, Germany June 14, 2017
The tagline for this year's conference is "innovation in wood pellet quality and safety management."
Kane, PA, June 20, 2017
This workshop is for all facility managers that have heat energy needs and would like to explore oil and gas alternatives.
Fort Lauderdale, FL, June 26-28, 2017
This conference is for those whose mission is to strengthen the energy safety net of the people they serve.
Washington, DC, July 11, 2017
This year's expo will bring together over 40 organizations showcasing a cross-section of renewable and energy efficiency technologies.
Pasadena, CA, July 31-August 3, 2017
This conference is the 36th in the series that provides a global forum for presentations and information exchange on the latest technologies.
The annual gathering of antique stove collectors and refurbishers includes a trade show, auction, bus tour, banquet
University Park, PA, September 12-14, 2017
The first major mid-Atlantic conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Biomass Energy Association.
Ottawa, ON, September 18-20, 2017
The largest gathering for the Canadian wood pellet industry.
Portland, OR, April 18-21, 2018
Over 30 hours of business and tech breakout session, trade show featuring more than 80 booths, and much more.
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