Volume 124
Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating

December 2019
NSPS countdown : 164 days until May 15, 2020


Focus on Congress

If the stove and boiler provisions in the Green Act become law, it could upend the stove and boiler industry, and finally make a shift toward modern, efficient biomass heating.

Residential wood and pellet heaters that are 75% efficient (HHV) or higher could get a 30% tax credit, just like solar and other mainstream renewables, under the Green Act. Democratic lawmakers released released the draft Green Act, drawing on strong support from Congressional delegations from New England. The provision supporting high efficiency heaters came from the BTU Act, championed by the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) for many years.

Maine is to pellets as Saudi Arabia is to oil, with one very significant distinction – our energy is renewable. Congress has never been closer to providing a 30% tax credit for high efficiency stoves and boilers. The time to act in now.
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Calculating carbon- and how to reduce it
 Fifteen years ago I never imagined that our house and cars would be 90% fossil fuel free. It seemed like a futuristic goal that my son may achieve but not me. Our approach is possible for millions of families who may not realize that they can do it too. With some upfront investment, it all fell into place, and will save us tens of thousands in the long run.

Activists will continue to print bumper stickers saying, “Our forests are not fuel” and “biomass is worse than coal,” but we need to keep framing the debate over the smartest use of precious resources. Wood is best for small scale heating. Solar is best on rooftops, not prime agricultural land. Oil & gas are critical in our economy, but not to do something as basic as heat our homes and power all of our transport.

"Here in the Southwest, a lot of the wood that we burn comes from trees that died as a result of insect infestations or needed to be cleared from overgrown forests. Most of what I buy was dead when it was cut. Our primary heat source is a natural gas furnace. Our fireplace insert will substantially cut down on our natural gas use. It is inaccurate to say that natural gas is a clean fuel.
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State of the Industry
Hearth retailer sales reps report that the industry is doing quite well in 2019 and many think 2020 will be even better. Key take-aways: wood stoves sales are increasing, despite concerns about NSPS deadlines; pellet stove sales are very regional with generally flat sales; gas hearth products are still king. Thanks to Bill Sendleback and Hearth & Home Magazine for the good reporting.

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Quality guarantees for pellets & firewood
The European based ENplus pellet certification program has a broader focus than the US-based PFI certification, monitoring the whole supply chain and publishing a "black list" of companies who do not comply with third party inspections. In Europe many companies buy bulk pellets and then bag them - sometimes claiming they are ENplus certified when they are not.

The Firewood Association of Australia developed and manages a system of self-regulation that prevents sales of unseasoned wood, and all sorts of other things. Their self-assessment form shows how its done and what they focus on.



State & International News
California: The Monterey Bay Air District is starting a voluntary Spare the Air program based on the Bay Area's program that includes fines if people burn on "no burn" days. It covers Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

Maine: Senator Angus King (I-Maine) delivered the keynote address at the Maine Modern Wood Heat Symposium, sharing his insights on the importance of the issue and his efforts to advance clean energy initiatives.

New Hampshire: Scott Nichols writes- "I am strongly in favor of Dartmouth College’s proposed biomass heating project, though it is not hard for me to understand why others feel differently. Wood energy is a nuanced subject, more so than most people realize. Some may read a study that addresses one place, time and application of wood energy and they apply that study’s findings to all forms of wood energy."

Vermont: Back-up home batteries lasted an average of 9 hours in a Vermont power outage, but one lasted for 82 hours. One secret to get your battery to last 24 hours or more? Heat with a wood stove.

Washington: Residents of Port Angeles and Sequim and neighborhoods around those cities might now qualify for grants to replace old, uncertified wood stoves with cleaner home heating systems.

Wisconsin: Chris Hardie writes - "I cleaned out the ashes and creosote from the baffles that run from the firebox to the back of the stove. The baffles were nearly plugged; I needed to bear down to push and pull with the long steel brush to scrub them. By the time I finished there were only a few bristles left – but the task was complete."

International

Canada: "It's part of a wave of public buildings across P.E.I., including five schools, being converted to biomass heating systems by 2021." All the equipment comes from Austria, the world leader in biomass but "it's just hitting our doorstep now," Pratt said. "Biomass is a forever changing industry and it's growing quite rapidly right now in Atlantic Canada so we're right on the cutting edge of it."

Europe: Bioenergy Europe, a biomass trade group based in Brussels, is launching an education campaing similar to the EPA's BurnWise, with videos, fact-sheets, quizzes, etc.

New Zealand: Hearth & Home Magazine, the leading industry magazine featured a stove manufacturer that supports strict emission limits as a both a business opportunity and the right thing to do for consumers and the environment. But, did they had to go all the way to New Zealand to fine one? Evan Harris made the case.

New Zealand: In New Zealand, the electrification drive means more winter electric peak hours, requiring construction of more gas peaking plants. This author argues for a different solution: "This uses solar and batteries, with clean wood burning for winter peaks."

UK: Amid concerns that some stove manufacturers may attempt to ‘game’ the new certification process, British stove manufacturer ESSE says it is investing additional research and design effort into ensuring its products exceed the new EU standards."
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Tuesday, Dec. 3rd is Giving Tuesday! Do you value the news and analysis you get from the Wood & Pellet Heat News? If so, let us know by contributing $10, $25 or even more. Its tax-deductible, but more importantly it supports an important service that would not otherwise exist. Thank you. You can donate here (even if its still Monday).
Best of November Facebook
Montana resident Gary Tallman sorts his firewood by color each spring and creates stunning firewood mosaics, part of a global network of creative drying techniques.

Folding bathtub from 1895 Montgomery Ward Catalog When houses were smaller, and water heated by wood cook stoves, having a fold out bathtubin the kitchen with its own hot water tank made lots of sense. Tiny house folks - are you ready?
Conferences & Webinars
December 12, 2019, 11 am - 12:30 pm
Policymakers and general public will be able to learn how to make a more efficient use of their heating appliances this winter, in particular how to improve their wood heating while reducing air emissions.

Graz, Austria, January 22-24, 2020
The conference will allow users, enterprises, researchers, developers, policymakers and distributors to share their knowledge in the field of bioenergy.

Saratoga Springs, NY, February 11-12, 2020
Proposals are currently being solicited.

Verona, Italy, February 19-22, 2020
The largest and most important event for residential pellet and wood heating in Europe.

Wels, Austria, March 4-5, 2020
With more than 450 participants from over 50 countries each year, it is the largest annual pellet event worldwide.

New Orleans, Louisiana, March 11-14, 2020
HPBA's annual gathering of stove, BBQ and patio product manufacturers and retailers.

Save the Date: Renewable Thermal 2020
Washington, DC, March 18-19, 2020
RTC’s annual meeting and member event is open to RTC members and sponsors, as well as other stakeholders. For more info, contact Blaine Collison at  blaine@dgardiner.com .
 
Orlando, Florida, April 1-4, 2020
The NCSG Annual Trade Show gives industry suppliers and technicians a chance to connect and find out the latest in the industry each year.

New Orleans, Louisiana, April, 27-30, 2020
The Conference is the largest meeting of home performance and weatherization professionals in the country.

Washington, DC, June 29-July 1, 2020
Join us for the largest gathering of energy assistance professionals in the country.

Washington DC, July, 2020
Competing teams exhibit and compete at the Build Challenge Event, as part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington.
Please support our work!
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Alliance for Green Heat | (301) 204 9562 | contact@forgreenheat.org | | www.forgreenheat.org