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October 2017
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Green Heat News 
Issue No. 98
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| Stay up to date with all things wood heat. All the cool kids are doing it! To sign up, click here 
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September 18, 2017: $49.88 September 18, 2016: $43.04 Source: www.ycharts.com
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ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecord
"States hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma will need to rebuild, and energy efficiency can help them do so smartly, including improved building codes and the promotion of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems," said Steven Nadel, executive director, ACEEE.
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| Have a printer, scanner or computer that is still relatively up to date and in good working order that you don't need? Donate it to the Alliance for Green Heat and get a tax credit. Contact: info@forgreenheat.org |
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4th Wood Stove Design Challenge
The Alliance for Green Heat is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for up to $10,000 from teams who have registered their interest to compete in the 2018 Wood Stove Design Challenge. Applications are due on November 1.
Twenty-two teams from 6 countries including 5 university teams, have registered their interest in competing on the National Mall. Some are registered but not listed as they are not yet ready to go public with their technology.
Save-the-date: Webinar on cordwood test protocols
BTEC and AGH are hosting a series of free webinars and the next one is on Oct. 26 at 11:00 AM on the development of cordwood test methods in the US and Europe. Our speakers are Lisa Rector, Jes Sig Anderson and Adam Baumgart-Getz (invited).
Register here. You can find a recording of last month's webinar on thermoelectricity on our
webinar page.
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AGH Projects & Activities
Here are tips on how to buy the right pellet stove, starting
w
i
th "Don't undersize the stove," based on exaggerated manufacturer heat
output claims. We interviewed independent retailers and stove testers and came up with some tips you will not find elsewhere.
At the Wood Pellet Association of Canada conference, AGH's John Ackerly urged the Association to aggressively promote pellet heating technologies as part of Canadian renewable, low carbon goals.
Ten years ago, I never imagined I'd have solar panels and an electric car along with my wood and pellet stove. But this is now in reach for many of us.
If you would like to receive notices of events and news in your state that may not be in the newsletter, please add your email and state here. (We do not rent, sell, give or share our email list to anyone.)
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Focus on the NSPS
"Lamppa is betting that the Trump administration won't s
tall the strict new rules. And he's predicting that most other two furnace manufacturers simply won't be able to hit the new numbers. And he's smiling broader than ever because his stoves are already there."
Frank Moore, owner of a Mississippi-based outdoor boiler company that makes 2 certified and 5 uncertified outdoor boilers, represented the hearth industry at a House of Representations hearing. He testified that it was unfair for the EPA to require boilers to be 98% cleaner in a short time span.
Minnesota is home to Central Boiler, Yukon Furnace and other wood boiler and furnace companies and its Congressional delegation is among those most opposed to the new NSPS. "We'd be going strong except for this rule and its tough on a small company," said Ron Prince, production manager of Yukon Furnace.
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Focus on Policy
"Vermonters has set a goal of doubling wood energy's share of Vermont's space heating capacity by 2035. Currently, about 21 percent of the state's home heating is from wood. During the 2014-15 heating season, just more than 12 percent of Vermont households, about 31,000, burned pellets for at least some of their space heating. That was up from an estimated 2.8 percent in the 2007-08 survey."
Maryland becomes the 4th state to include stove efficiency in their incentive program! MD now gives a rebate of $500 for wood stoves and $700 for pellet if the stove has an efficiency published on the EPA list. Stoves without efficiency numbers get half that amount. Thank you to the MEA for helping consumers get more efficient stoves!
Net zero homes and building that use multiple rene
wable energy sources. This one has a wood pellet boiler and PV driven
heat pumps that can automatically switch back and forth.
A good case made by HPBA'S Rachel Feinstein to use the $3 million Harley - Davidson fine in the EPA's Targeted Airshed Grants Program.
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Restrictions on wood stoves & fireplaces
The proposed "ban" appears to include no burn days, restrictions on what types of stoves can be installed in parts of London in the future, and grandfathering of existing stoves. In urban areas, pellet stoves are far better, but the pellet stove market has not yet caught on in the United Kingdom.
Del Mar, CA, near the Mexican border, just voted to ban fireplaces in new residential construction, and require them to be converted to gas if more than 50% of the home is remodeled. Stoves were not mentioned, but also probably rarely used in this town.
New Hampshire just banned the sale or installation of any new or used uncertified outdoor wood boiler. For commercial units, only those qualified by NYSERDA may be legally bought, sold or purchased.
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Focus on Washington
Mr Trump's decision may have catastrophic consequences for the U.S. pellet industry due to a new European requirement that wood pellets may only be sourced from countries that are party to the Paris Agreement and have ratified the agreement.
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Focus on Pellets
"Wood heaters emit smoke and other gases which cause serious health problems." The research looked at existing literature and conducted social surveys to find that pellet heaters are a suitable home heating option with lower emissions and lower impacts on biodiversity than other options."
Italy uses 3 million metric tons of pellets for residential heating and its predicted to increase to 5 million by 2020!
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Focus on Health
A very moving, personal account of an air quality m
anager near Seeley Lake Montana who is on front
lines of wildfire wood smoke this summer. This dwarfs the challenges of wintertime wood stove smoke and the stove change out program there. One of many partial solutions in a HEPA air filter.
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Jobs
T
his position, Wood Products and Biomass Utilization Program Coordinator, is responsible for promoting and facilitating the beneficial use and manufacture of wood products and biomass from forest harvests and treatments from all land ownerships across Montana.
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Most Liked Stories on Facebook
For breaking ne
ws, great photos, stove
innovation and more.
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AK:
Residents can learn more about proper wood burning at a two-day conference that starts Friday and aims to spread awareness about air pollution in Fairbanks and what residents can do to help.
Wood Stove Program for San Lorenzo Valley
CA:
Starting Sept. 6 homeowners in the San Lorenzo Valley can save between $1,000 to $2,500 by replacing their old wood stove or fireplace with a natural gas, propane or pellet fueled stove.
ME:
A fire at Northeast Pellets mill in Ashland destroyed all of the 500 tons of bulk pellets stored in two silos.
Heating and wood
MI:
As the colder season approaches, some buildings are less prepared than others. Wood-based products, such as chips or pellets, can be viable alternatives to new fossil fuel furnaces and boilers.
NH: Froling Energy of Peterborough, New Hampshire completed the installation of a biomass boiler system at the Merrimack County Department of Corrections facility in Boscawen.
SD: The spread of emerald ash borer from Michigan to 29 other states has primarily been movement of firewood cut from infested trees. South Dakota is trying to hold the line.
Community help saves the firewood project
VT:
When the annual firewood project appeared in jeopardy, organizations and people stepped up to save it.
The United Way of Lamoille County said that community generosity has assured that the firewood project will indeed happen this year.
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Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
Hood Ridge, OR, October 17-18, 2017
The theme for this year is community resiliency through emergency preparedness and energy independence.
October 18, 2017
Uniting organizations across the country that support bioenergy. On this date, organizations will demonstrate the local benefits of bioenergy.
Glens Falls, NY, October 24, 2017
A full-day design-focused workshop. This is a preconference session for the 2017 Clean Energy Economy Conference.
October 25, 2017, 1:00pm EST
Part of the LIFE Webinar series by NYSERDA.
Glens Falls, NY, October 25-26, 2017
This annual conference provides a forum to share, learn about and discuss clean energy opportunities for northern New York State.
Concord, NH, October 28, 2017
Providing guidance and resources for local energy groups to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
October 30, 2017
A day to recognize those who are dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of homes throughout the nation.
Saratoga Springs, NY, February 13-14, 2018
Join together with industry leaders working in the residential energy efficiency industry for a cutting edge educational experience.
Wels, Austria, February 28 - March 2, 2018
The World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED) are one of Europe's largest annual conferences in this field.
Wels, Austria, February 28 - March 1, 2018
With more than 500 participants, the European Pellet Conference held in Wels is the largest annual pellet event in the world.
Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo
Nashville, TN, March 7-10, 2018
HPBExpo is being held at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee with Outdoor Burn Exhibits located across from the center.
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.
Denmark, May 14 - 18, 2018
The EUBCE brings together industry, scientists, research labs and agencies, and always has a focus on biomass thermal.
Davis, CA, September 10, 2018
ASIC brings together stakeholders from academia, government, and communities to promote and advance air pollution sensors.
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Misleading Advertisement of the Month
Advertisements of appliances built by US Stove that can take wood and coal continue to be commonplace on  the internet. Over the past 5 years, AGH has often sent US Stove screen shots of misleading ads for US Stove products, which often prompts them to contact their retailers and correct them. But then others appear, which may occur until the stock of uncertified stoves and boilers is sold. Here is one many recent examples. This wood/coal heater, sold by Walmart, is illegal under the NSPS and undercuts all the manufacturers who abide by the NSPS.
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Please Support Our Work
Thanks
to ...
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The Alliance for Green Heat is an independent non-profit organization working to promote cleaner and more efficient biomass heating. Please consider making a generous contribution. The Alliance is a tax exempt 501 (c)(3) organization.
You can make a secure donation online through PayPal here:
-- William and Frances Ackerly
-- Arbolito Foundation
-- Aprovecho Research Center
-- Chimney Safety Institute of America
-- Classic Heat Source
-- Department of Energy, Bioenergy Technology Office
-- Ann Down
-- Tina and Dave Egan
-- Family Foundation
-- Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
-- Sat Jiwan Khalsa
-- New York State Energy & Research Development Authority
-- Osprey Foundation
-- Jim & Patty Rouse Foundation
-- Schott-Robax
-- Julie Segre and Nick Salafsky
-- Victoria Sujata
-- Takoma Foundation
-- University of Maryland Extension Service
-- DC Dept. of Transportation, Urban Forestry Administration
-- U.S. Forest Service
-- West Penn Power Energy & Sustainability Fund
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