Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating
January 2021
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Featured Stories
The Alliance for Green Heat applauds the 26% tax credit for efficient wood heaters that is now in effect and analyzes its impact on the stove industry and homeowners.
BTEC was the primary organization responsible for lobbying for the 26% investment tax credit. Their release recognizes the members of Congress who championed the provisions and their allies, including the Alliance for Green Heat.
Even though the IRS has not issued specific guidance on the new Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for high efficiency heaters, it is already in effect, and consumers can get the credit for installations of eligible wood and pellet heaters. Here, AGH provides an in-depth look at how the ITC applied to solar panels since IRS guidance will likely be consistent across a wide range of issues.
This paper analyzes the rebate distribution patterns of Maryland residential renewable energy rebates. No statistically significant correlation was found between solar or woody biomass rebates and household income. Wood and pellet rebates tend to cluster in more forested areas of the state. The analysis was done by Melissa Bollman, a Phd candidate at Clark University and a periodic consultant to AGH.
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Focus on Federal Agencies
The EPA added a column to designate the certification test method used to determine emissions, but they have not yet populated the column with any data. This will help better understand which are single rate burn stoves, for example, and which stoves got variances. The detail will be too technical for the average consumer but useful for industry, stove geeks and agencies.
AGH worked with Maines' Senator Susan Collin to ensure that Congress urged the DOE's Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) to continue funding its residential wood heater R&D grant program at the $5 million level in 2021 (see page 86). BETO has run the program in 2019 and 2020 and issued grants to MF Fire, SBI and others.
The public can listen in on the live oral arguments and questions by the judges in HPBA vs. EPA on Jan. 28. This is the case filed by HPBA over the 2020 wood heater regulations. We will update this blog with further details as the date approaches.
ADEC officials sent an email to stove and boiler manufactures on Dec. 7 notifying them of a delay in the schedule of one and a half months. The email provided additional detail about why ADEC is undertaking this review of stove certifications. They said “Missoula City-County Montana regulations allows installation permits only for pellet stoves emitting no more than 1.0 gm/hr. Alaska embarked on the certification test review and the establishment of a 1-hr filter pull standard as an alternative to a pellet only program for the nonattainment area as DEC feels this approach meets the communities desire for more device options and is at least equal to the Missoula requirement.
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A British study finding that wood stoves can triple harmful particulates in your home is getting a lot of play in the UK. As usual, pellet stoves were not included in the study, nor mentioned as an alternative. We have no doubt that a stove or fireplace can triple particulates in a home, but the study should be repeated, and include pellet stoves, new stoves, stoves using wet vs. dry wood, etc.
The new popularity of wood stoves in the UK is creating far more wood smoke than before—and a backlash. We agree in part: if you don't have seasoned wood, or can't burn without causing steady smoke, don't burn at all, if you don't absolutely have to. Like many of you, my dad taught me how to "bank" a fire overnight, which usually involves smoldering. We need to unlearn those lessons and get far more serious about burning cleanly, if we want to keep public confidence in our technology.
Important advice for all wood burners with neighbors: "Talk with your neighbors who may be affected by smoke from your fireplace or backyard burn. If they have concerns, listen and consider them as you make decisions to burn or not to burn, to upgrade to a good wood stove.”
Wood smoke—and dry air—can help increase spread and/or severity of infection of COVID-19. Its more important than ever to humidify your house, at least by putting a big pot of water on top of your stove, especially if non-family members come to your house. If you smell smoke inside, do something about it.
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HPBA has been highlighting its opposition to this Seattle initiative and similar ones. We think the hearth industry should focus its advocacy for gas for cooking, BBQs and fireplaces—and not oppose the transition away for gas space heating. It risks being aligned with the fossil fuel industry, jeopardizing its advocacy for wood and pellet heating—and being on the wrong side on history.
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The Fire Pit Rage & What It Means |
In my suburban neighborhood, firepits now produce more wood smoke than wood stoves, a distinct change from 10 years ago. What does this mean for measuring and mapping wood smoke, and addressing excessive smoke through change-out programs?
A comparison of the carbon footprint of different outdoor heaters requires looking at the full life cycle of each product. Wood—unlike propane—is a renewable fuel, if another tree grows in the spot where your wood was harvested. Even the more efficient gas-powered heaters still generates a lot of greenhouse gases. According to the EPA, if you ran your patio heater for 5 hours a week over three months, you’d generate about as much carbon dioxide as driving a car 450 miles.
The Wood Pellet outdoor patio heater does not need electricity, as the wood pellets drop by gravity. It offers a 60K BTU output, which is a good amount of heat and has a tiny fraction of the smoke created by even the best wood firepits. Let’s take a further look at the features of this model and see if this is the efficient alternative that you are looking for.
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This wood heater company has been around for 300 years. The US distributor is based in Salt Lake City and has been selling Biofire kachelöfens in the US—including the one in my living room—since the early 1980s. Get ready for sticker shock: they can cost up to $30,000 but last for a lifetime—far longer than a car at the same price.
The single burn rate stove is making a comeback, but now they are high quality stove built by mainstream manufacturers, not the cheaply made exempt units of the past. We think they are a good option for folks who just a big flame in the evening and aren't trying to heat their house overnight.
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COVID-19 Stove Relief Fund |
The Stove Repair Relief Fund helps families impacted by COVID-19 to keep their stoves running safely. Air quality agencies, change out programs and low-income winterization programs can link to this fund to help their clients and residents. It provides up to a 50% reduction in the price of pellet stove parts for orders up to $500. AGH hopes that HPBA, CSIA and other groups to help spread the word in this time of hardship for so many.
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State News
Alaska: The $14.7-million dollar award is the latest and largest EPA to Fairbanks. Past grants replaced nearly 3,000 stoves and boilers since 2010. This new grant will cover another 1,400 appliances. The rest of the new grant money will go to ADEC.
Vermont: Given Vermont’s goal of 90% renewable, clean energy by 2050, the state’s clean energy plan calls for 35% of the state’s thermal energy (heating) needs to come from wood heat by 2030. “Why 35%? That’s based on a 2010 study to see how much low-grade wood growth there was in the state’s forests.
Vermont: This second story covers types of wood heat and the vehicles for burning it and how cleanly they heat.
Washington: A ductless heat pump will provide most of what you need to keep your home a comfortable temperature 90% of the time on the northwest coast. However, if we get a long-lasting, deep cold snap, so having a back-up like a pellet stove is important.
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Washington DC, January 28, 2021
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit has scheduled oral arguments for HPBA v. EPA for Thursday, January 28. The lone issue in the litigation is the audit provision of the 2015 NSPS.
Wels, Austria, February 21-22, 2021
The conference shows how we can make a green recovery happen in practice and how the pellet sector can profit from this deep transformation.
Louisville, KY, June 2021
HBPA moves to Louisville in June 2021.
June 2021
NEUAC is dedicated to heightening awareness of the energy needs of low income energy consumers.
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Thank you to everyone who donated to AGH during 2020! Your support makes a huge difference and is very appreciated. 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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