Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating
April 2020
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NSPS countdown
: 45
days until May 15, 2020
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Featured stories
The timing of this pandemic was particularly bad for the wood and pellet heating sector as it came with a precipitous drop in oil prices, and a denial of a sell-through of Step 1 heaters by the EPA. This blog decribes relief options for Congress, and impacts on industry, agencies and consumers.
Key parts of the final EPA rule are worth reading to understand why the EPA changed the rules on pellet composition and why they didn’t allow a sell-through.
The hearth industry’s annual marketplace for manufacturers and retailers concluded on March 14
th
, a half a day early amidst a dwindling crowd and growing concern about the spread of Covid-19. This was the first hearth industry gathering since the late 1980s where virtually all the stoves and boilers on the floor were newly redesigned and tested to meet stricter emission standards
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On the Campaign Trail
Nice to see a Senator and Presidential candidate who heats his home with what he claims to be a very efficient wood stove. But really, running the stove with the doors open? As of late February 2020, Jotul was still advertising "woodstoves with open door fire viewing." The EPA asked them to remove that language. Bernie - are you listening?
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Focus on US Government
Neither fossil fuels nor renewables got help in this stimulus bill, but another stimulus package is already being discussed. The next one should support the renewable heat sector and include the BTU Act and a federal stove change out program.
The Census Bureau is now counting every American, as it does every 10 years. There used to be a long form that asked you about your heating fuel, offering options of wood, coal, solar but not pellets. Instead of a long form every 10 years, the Census does annual surveys of about 3.5 million homes. If asked in coming years, make sure to check the "wood" box if most of your heat comes from a wood or pellet stove, boiler or furnace. We need to be counted!
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Air Quality and Burn Bans
Phase 1: 2021, illegal to use wood-burning fireplaces and stoves between May 15 and September 15.
Phase 2: September 2022, registration of clean wood-burning appliances in designated urban areas.
Phase 3: September 2025, nonregistered devices in urban areas will no longer be allowed, except in low-income households.
Since 2018 the Forest Stewards Guild has been running a HEPA Air Cleaner Loan program in Northern New Mexico to support individuals during smoke impacts from fires.
The Department of Justice formally terminated its policy of permitting companies to perform environmentally beneficial projects – so-called “supplemental environmental projects” (SEPs) – in lieu of paying civil penalties to settle violations of environmental laws. This will end one of the major revenue sources for wood stove change outs.
You can’t run a diesel car without diesel. You can, on the other hand, run a log-burner with properly seasoned logs. I can’t wait for the ban on horribly polluting solid fuels. My only regret is that the government is not banning bonfires at the same time.
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A history of the 1918 Spanish influenza by Dan Holohan and how it led to oversizing of heating systems. People became deathly afraid of the air in their homes and their workplaces, leading to the "Fresh Air Movement". Engineers specified boilers and radiators that were large enough to heat the building on the coldest day of the year, with the windows open.
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Connecticut:
An acre of forested land yields an estimated cord of firewood annually. The sustainable harvest from 4 to 5 acres is sufficient to heat the average modern home outfitted with a free-standing, efficient, and environmentally friendly (low emissions) wood stove."
Maine:
Rather than just 100,000 heat pumps in Maine by a certain date, how about also 100,000 pellet heating boilers as well? For every 10 pellet boilers installed, a new Maine job is created and sustained and 100 percent of our energy dollars stay right here in our backyard. Let’s get to work!
Vermont:
“Not only will this project save Vermonters over $1 million over its lifetime, it also represents Vermont’s energy future,” he said. “This project directly aligns with the governor’s goals; it demonstrates the State’s action towards improving Vermont’s economy by creating demand for local wood energy and it improves affordability by reducing the operational cost of state government.”
Vermont:
NeighborWorks of Western Vermont's HEAT squad for not just offering rebates to replace old stove with new ones, but also for combining that with energy audits and efficiency upgrades! That's the best way to run change out programs.
Wisconsin:
"Under the settlement, the refinery would be required to spend “at least $290,000” on rebates, vouchers, discounts or other methods of helping residents in northwestern Wisconsin replace or retrofit inefficient wood-burning appliances." A big thanks to the EPA for facilitating these settlements to include wood stove change out, which are now a thing of the past.
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Best of March Facebook
Congrats to Napoleon for
winning best of the show
in the 2020 Vesta Award for their forthcoming Eco Smart Stove. The stove has an optical sensor that monitors particulate matter and can continually adjust air settings to produce a cleaner burn. According to Napoleon, the automation will only add $300 to the price of the stove and they expect the complete system with stove to retail for about $2,500. It also connects to the Napoleon cloud via your smart phone so you can monitor combustion conditions and adjust the stove.
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Washington, DC,
Postponed
The RTC will convene the first annual RTC Summit, the premier event dedicated to renewable thermal solutions.
Manchester, NH, March 30 - April 9, 2020; May 4-8, 2020,
Switching to online
The Alliance is pleased to offer high quality HERS rater training classes in the Northeast, approximately 2-3 times per year.
Orlando, Florida,
Cancelled
The NCSG Annual Trade Show gives industry suppliers and technicians a chance to connect and find out the latest in the industry each year.
Morrisville, New York, April 10, 2020
Hosted at SUNY Morrisville.
April 16, 2020, 1 pm EST
Registration is required to join this event.
New Orleans, Louisiana, April, 27-30, 2020,
In person event cancelled
The Conference is the largest meeting of home performance and weatherization professionals in the country.
Lebanon, TN,
Cancelled
A two day workshop that goes into detail the business side of the split firewood business. Will have open discussions and equipment demos.
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.
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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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