Volume 145
Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating

September 2021
Featured Stories

The case ultimately came down to audit provisions in the NSPS. The EPA and many states vigorously defended the right to conduct random audits to see if stoves could generally replicate the original emissions standards that they had achieved. The original grounds of the lawsuit filed by HPBA also contested EPA's ability to recognize non consensus driven test methods. AGH welcomes the resolution of this lawsuit and is supportive of a fair and rational audit process. A Reuters reporter covered the court decision well and the full court opinion is here.


Wood heating has a fascinating past and significant future potential in Russia. Masonry heaters are still a mainstream technology but few of the district heating plants run on biomass. The country has no regional or national emission regulations and exports mainly to former Soviet Republics. We hope this preliminary report helps stimulate more collaboration and communication.


Wood stoves need to be taken more seriously by the energy auditors and weatherization communities. There is a debilitating lack of uniformity in how wood stoves should be inspected and repaired, if needed. AGH is working with the DOE to change this and also preparing a very substantive report on the topic. Thanks to all the federal, state and local officials cooperating on this project.
Focus on Congress
“The bill also authorizes $8 million for efforts to supply firewood to people that heat their homes with wood in the winter if for some reason they cannot cut or afford to purchase the firewood they need to heat their home. This is comparable to the West Virginia food bank where people can go if they have fallen on hard times. Similarly, this will help people if for some reason they are not able to cut and split the firewood they need to heat their home.”

The budget reconciliation package may transform the electricity sector. Huge bills like these have many smaller energy sections, including potentially changes to residential tax credit for wood heaters. Some want to push wood heaters from Section 25D where they get a 26% credit, back to Section 25C where they would likely get far less, as of 2024. AGH firmly believes pellet heaters deserve to remain in Section 25D as they are more modern, automated, efficiency and cleaner. Manually operated cordwood heaters do not necessarily deserve the same tax credit.
Industry News
If you would like to participate, complete the mentee and/or mentor form in its entirety – your answers will help us find your ideal match. Please remember that with a diverse applicant pool it is not possible to guarantee a perfect match, but willingness and commitment from all participants will go a long way towards ensuring successful pairings. Applications close on August 31.

After years at the helm of the National Fireplace Institute, Rick Vlahos is retiring and Rich Sedgwick is taking over the helm. The National Fireplace Institute is the professional certification division of the Heart, Patio & Barbecue Education Foundation (HPBEF), a non-profit arm of HPBA. NFI’s objective is to increase public safety by establishing meaningful credentials for professionals involved in planning and installing residential hearth appliances and venting systems. AGH always had a good working relationship with Rick and NFI and we join in applauding the work he did to ensure safe stove installations.
Appreciation
Dr. Larry Winiarski became best known worldwide for the "rocket stove" concept, a set of designs and principles for a stove to burn efficiently and safely. This appropriate technology decreased labor, saved resources, lessened costs, and reduced smoke. He taught combustion principles in North/Central America, Africa, Haiti, Tonga, and Poland. Earliers in life, Larry worked for the EPA and was a mechanical engineer at General Dynamics.
COVID-19 Stove Relief Fund
The Stove Repair Relief Fund helps families impacted by COVID-19. 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. Dozens of families can now keep their pellet stoves running safely.
State News

Idaho: A big thanks to Dan Smith for running a successful wood stove change change out program in Idaho.

Minnesota: Beaverton Outdoor Wood Furnace attended a two-day Central Boiler meeting in June at Central Boiler’s manufacturing facility in Greenbush, MN. The agenda of the two-day event covered important training topics such as installation, maintenance and operation of Central Boiler outdoor furnaces, a review of dealer programs, co-op advertising benefits, marketing strategies, and other opportunities.

Vermont: Vermont is developing a Clean Heat Standard to support a range of cleaner heating options, including advanced wood heat (wood chips and pellets), liquid biofuels, renewable natural gas, and high-efficiency heat pumps. Creating a sure market for these choices would provide a path to new lines of business for Vermont’s critically-important heating suppliers.

Vermont: Its so important to the wood and pellet heating community to have Vermont as one of the most innovative states in the renewable energy space. They get the importance of biomass and how it fits into the larger picture. The federal government and other states need to study up!


International News

UK: The stricter emission regulations that take effect in 2022 in Europe do not appear very strict and may be even easier for companies to comply with than the stricter 2020 regulations in the US. In Europe, a big advance would be simply requiring emission standards in many countries that have never had them, especially in Eastern Europe. More on this soon.
Follow AGH on Instagram
Follow us on Instagram @for.greenheat for wood and pellet stove information, interior design inspiration, and easily digestible wood stove news and education!
Best of Facebook
Anyone ever seen a taller stack of cordwood. Ben Myren, who found this photo of a traditional Estonian stacking method, estimated it at 168 cords. An Estonian reader wrote the purpose of stacking it so high was 1. saves space, 2. reduces pieces on the top, which rot, and 3. to show off your woodpile and stacking skills!
Conferences & Webinars
August - September, 2021
The webinar series facilitates the design of policies promoting the adoption of clean household energy. It will feature sessions on standards, data for decision-making, interventions, and cross-cutting themes such as climate change and gender.

Scranton, Pennsylvania, August 29 - September 1, 2021
A forum to trade, buy and study antique stoves and socialize with other antique stove experts and collectors.

Virtual event, September 20-22, 2021
Making a difference globally and at home.

Virtual event, September 29-30, 2021
Collaborate, accelerate, decarbonize.

Verona, Italy, February 23-26, 2022
World trade show of pellet heating systems.

Wels, Austria, March 2-3, 2022
Deadline for paper/speaker submissions is October 12, 2021.

Atlanta, Georgia, March 2-5, 2022
Annual North America industry heart trade show.
Please support our work!
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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Alliance for Green Heat | (202) 365-4765 | contact@forgreenheat.org | | www.forgreenheat.org