Green Heat News
August 2018
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4th Wood Stove Design Challenge
Meet the Teams!
These are the three latest team blogs in a series of 12 about each team competing in the November stove challenge.
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In 2013, a group of students from the University of Maryland with absolutely no experience in stove building, entered a stove into the first Wood Stove Design Challenge. The team is back for the 2018 competition with a new stove which is simpler and sleeker.
If all goes as planned, Maine Energy System’s (MESys) ÖkoFEN Pellematic e-max will power all the testing equipment, lights, computers and audio equipment for this year’s Wood Stove Design Challenge. Having recently hit the market in Europe, the Pellematic e-max produces up to 4,000 watts of electricity.
The challenges that the Unforgettable Fire™ team have encountered over the years in bootstrapping the company from the deck of a boat have taught Roger Lehet to “challenge conventional wisdom.” From the beginning, Roger’s peers have championed high-velocity stoves as the way to get the cleanest burn possible, but Roger went a different route and also found success.
Olympia
is providing free chimney pipe for all 12 stoves in the competition.
Olympia Chimney Supply is a leading designer and manufacturer of chimney venting systems, liners and accessories. Headquartered in Scranton, Pa., the company has operations in Indiana, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Oregon.
The
Allegheny SAF
has a membership of 1,100 professional foresters in the five states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Since 1900, the Society of American Foresters has provided information and networking opportunities for the challenges that face natural resource professionals.
Many thanks to the DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office, Osprey Foundation, NYSERDA, the US Forest Service, the Masonry Heater Association, HPBA, Lignetics, Chimney Safety Institute of America, Myren Labs, Schott Robax Glass, the Catalytic Hearth Coalition, the National Fireplace Institute and Testo. We could host this event without their generous support.
The Alliance offers stipends for fellowship positions for those committed to promoting renewable energy and getting involved in renewable energy policy. Applicants must have a college degree or equivalent experience.
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Compromise bill offers 1-year sell-through and millions for a national stove change out fund
A bi-partison compromise proposal, offered by many of the senators who had proposed a 3-year delay for the NSPS, may represent a breakthrough in efforts to move past the 2020 EPA deadline. A one year sell through, until May 2021 gives retailers three winters to sell existing stock of Step one stoves. And there is authorization for a staggering $75 million per year for 6 years to change out old stoves. The Alliance for Green Heat supports this compromise and is getting feedback from stakeholders over the next few weeks.
Parts of the industry are very divided about delaying the stricter 2020 emission rules. Dutch Dresser of Maine Energy Systems, doesn't need an extension but wants the EPA to continue "recognizing the European boiler and furnace testing as suitable demonstration of compliance." Lammpa manufacturing, Woodstock Soapstone and others say they will be punished and sales harmed if industry laggards get a delay.
The effect of getting "relief" for the stove and boiler industry from the Trump Administration may preserve some short term profits. It will help the outdoor boiler industry, which is leading the push for "relief" but may tarnish the image of all companies, including the pellet stove and pellet boiler industry which deserve major incentives and policy support.
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Focus on the US Government
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Tariffs:
Lumber is up 30%, many appliances up 20% and solar panels up $500 to $1,000 on a typical home. Stoves and venting products are impacted as well. Retaliatory tariffs are starting to add up.
U.S. Census:
Baby, it’s cold outside! While the majority of U.S. households are heated by electricity (38.7 percent) or utility gas (48.1 percent), 1.9 percent rely on wood for heat.
White House:
The first Kuma wood stove was built in the back of a pickup in 1981. One of the latest was on display Monday at the White House during the Made in America Product Showcase.
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This open-access scientific journal article uses a
zero inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model to identify economic and policy factors favorable to the installation of woody biomass heating systems in the US.
To meet Vermont's renewable energy goals, just shy of 40,000 efficient wood heating systems would need to be installed over the next seven years, she said. “There is a plan toward this (goal),” she said, referring to the five-year action plan developed by wood energy proponents last year. “It’s accomplishable — the technology is here.”
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Focus on Firewood & Pellets
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An important story on PFI goal of selling 100,000 pellet stoves per year. AGH fully supports this goal! John Shimek said HHT’s appliance sales have been up significantly, especially last year. “And this year has not slowed down at all."
You may already know not to burn trash like coated, painted, or pressure-treated wood. But even when choosing between two logs, there are greener (and less green) options out there. Here are some tips on firewood NOT to buy.
New Zealand:
Firewood business are struggling to keep up with demand as winter hits and households are caught short.
For many, a logburner is the only form of heating for the home.
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State & International News
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Alaska:
Sitka used to rely on oil drilled in Alaska, shipped to Seattle for refining and shipped back to Alaska. ASHRAE’s High Performing Buildings magazine talks about the switch to wood pellet boilers and other measures to reach their carbon-neutral and energy-efficient goals.
California:
T
he San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District started a Woodsmoke Reduction Program throughout the County. It provides grants to qualified applicants who replace existing wood burning stoves or fireplaces.
Massachusetts:
A professor runs the numbers and finds that l
ocal, sustainable production is desirable, and certainly possible. If cordwood is managed sustainably, then wood burning in our stoves, though not strictly carbon-neutral, is climate neutral.
Michigan:
Judge Raymond M. Kethledge from Michigan was one of the least known of President Trump’s final four candidates for the Supreme Court. He says he does much of his work in a barn office in northern Michigan which has no internet connection and is heated only by a wood stove.
North Carolina:
Homeowners in Haywood County who use wood stoves can get a subsidy to cover the cost of replacing old stoves —or changing to a non-wood heat source.
Washington:
The Woodstove Change Out Program officially began on June 1, 2018 and will run until June 30, 2019, or until funds run out, whichever occurs first.
China:
China is an ideal example to estimate the bias of exposure and burden of diseases assessment when space heating is neglected, considering its remarkably changing demands for heat.
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Studies are finding that benefits of designing cleaner wood cook stoves don't translate from the lab to the field. Can heat stove benefits translate better between the lab and the field?
How many of you are this energy efficient?
• 78° F when you’re home.
• 85° F when you’re at work or away.
• 82° F when you’re sleeping.
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August 29, 2018, 2pm EST
This webinar will help you better understand issues regarding heating with wood and new developments and technology.
Davis, CA, September 10, 2018
ASIC brings together stakeholders from academia, government, and communities to promote and advance air pollution sensors.
Philadelphia, PA, September 12-14, 2018
The Mid-Atlantic Bioenergy Council (MABEC) is looking forward to welcoming over 300 attendees from the Mid-Atlantic and beyond
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Berlin, Germany, October 10-11, 2018
The International Biomass Congress & Expo brings together leading producers, suppliers, regulators and others over a two day period to address issues relating to the biomass sector.
University Park, PA, October 24-25, 2018
This two-day short course covers the fundamentals, applications, and business opportunities related to the transformation of biomass into value-added thermally processed materials.
Burlington, VT, October 18-19, 2018
REV2017 brought together leaders and experts from throughout the region to address the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Washington DC, November 9-13, 2018
The 2018 event is free and open to the public and features a competition on the best automated wood stove and thermoelectric wood stoves. It includes rigorous testing and assessment.
Aurora, CO, December 17-18, 2018
A two-day Workshop on Household Energy Impact Evaluation aims to accelerate transitions toward cleaner household energy systems by providing targeted, specific training on policy-oriented impact evaluation research designs. Spaces available for 50 experts.
Wels, Austria, February 27 - March 1, 2019
Energy efficiency and renewable energy are at the core of Europe’s commitment to a clean energy transition. This conference connect people and empower them to embrace the necessary change.
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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.
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