Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating
August 2020
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Focus on the EPA and the NSPS
“After EPA enforcement officials effectively sidelined themselves, regulators in a second state have faulted hardware giant Lowe's Cos. Inc. for apparently selling wood stoves that don't meet the agency's latest emission standards. In a letter New York Attorney General's office said the company's website advertises wood-burning devices that don't meet the stricter "Step 2" standards that took effect in mid-May. Besides seeking an immediate halt to such sales, an assistant attorney general there asked Lowe's for information on the number of stoves sold both in its New York stores and to New York customers via its website since May 16. "We are also investigating whether other retailers are continuing to sell non-compliant devices," the attorney general's office said in a separate letter to HPBA. By Sean Reilly, E&E News reporter. Published: July 29, 2020. To get their side of the story, AGH reached out to Buck Stoves, whose Step 1 stove was allegedly being sold at Lowe's but has not yet heard back from them.
HPBA's lawsuit is now about just one particular aspect of the 2015 NSPS: that EPA’s "imposition of compliance audit testing, while declining to address and accommodate testing imprecision, is arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion. The EPA, states and other litigants will post their briefs soon.
Lamppa Manufacturing is hoping to get a second wood furnace, the Vapor Fire 200, certified later this year. With the new rules in place, Horihan said the 200 model could significantly expand the company’s market share, and is less expensive than the Vapor Fire 100. However, the testing lab has been backlogged with wood furnaces that other companies are currently testing in hopes of meeting the new emissions standard.
On June 29, 2020, the EPA issued an Addendum to its March 2020 COVID-19 Temporary Enforcement Policy announcing that the Policy will terminate in its entirety on August 31, 2020. The Addendum also indicates that, subject to seven days’ notice, the EPA may terminate the Policy earlier on a state or national basis
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Focus on DOE
DOE announced their 2020 funding for R&D to build new residential wood heaters. Ohio State University got $2.5 million and NTRE Tech, also from Ohio, got $2.4 million. Partners include New Buck Stove Co, and Oakridge Lab and Babcock and Wilcox Company. Last year, SBI and MF Fire won the grants.
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This section would tighten energy efficiency standards for biomass stoves by requiring the efficiency to be determined in reference to the EPA’s “List of EPA Certified Wood Stoves,” and would be required to have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 73 percent. After 2020, biomass stoves would be required to have a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75 percent. Further, this section would increase the credit cap for biomass stoves to $400.
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"Government subsidies and a ban on oil-fired heating due to come into force in 2026 are encouraging consumers to switch to renewable forms of domestic heating. Sales of pellet-fired boilers in Germany are rising."
Instead of big corporations making and selling massive amounts of green electricity, we could choose local energy options, typically community-based, which show “economies of scope”. That means one energy solution produces several benefits, such as energy efficiency projects designed to reduce overall energy use and the coordinated use of heat pumps and wood burning appliances.
To seize the economic opportunity in recovering from the pandemic, we will need leadership from our federal and state governments — especially to ensure an equitable energy transition for lower and middle income households. But the responsibility also lies with individual consumers when purchasing any new energy equipment. Each of us can make this basic commitment: never buy another piece of fossil fueled equipment for which there is an affordable electric or renewable alternative.
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On average, the ESP reduced emissions from a pellet stove by 47% but were still not low enough to support an exemption for ESP-equipped pellet stoves from Stage 2 Alerts in Fairbanks, Alaska. For non-cat wood stoves, the ESP failed due to creosote build-up, even though the wood was seasoned. In the cat stove study, the ESP did not significantly reduce PM and thus offers little benefit for the community. These disappointing results have not been fully analyzed yet as ESP performance appears to have had much better results in some European tests.
This is a very commercial review and the Bob Villa industrial complex probably gets a percent of sales. But some experts say it’s a good review.
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HPBA is doing a survey about how people use wood and wood-burning appliances. Data collected will help HPBA influence a test method for woodstoves that more closely reflects how people actually use their stoves. Lots of good questions but data may be skewed towards those affiliated with HPBA retailers unless HPBA uses professional firm to gather data. Still, this 5-10-minute survey can be useful.
Press release: Napoleon will be adding 110 manufacturing positions. "Napoleon is proud to offer local jobs and job security during the COVID-19 pandemic. It now operates with 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space and employs more than 1,400 associates and is North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of quality wood and gas fireplaces and gas and charcoal grills."
Many energy companies and industry organizations have made public gestures of support for the demonstrations sparked by a Minneapolis police officer’s killing of George Floyd. Oil giants like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and the industry group American Petroleum Institute all came out with statements condemning racism, as did leaders of the wind and solar energy sectors." It is now "commonplace" for companies and associations to issue statements about racism to help build an atmosphere of inclusivity and tolerance in industry associations. AGH asked HPBA if their board had discussed this issue but has not heard back yet.
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The Canadian Society for Bioengineering awarded Fahimeh Yazdan Panah, the research and technical development director for the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC), the 2020 Glen Downing Award. Panah received the award for her contributions to engineering for bioenergy and biological systems through her research and leadership activities.
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State Wood & Pellet News
Maine: During the tight Senate race in Maine, Senator Collins stops at the Jotul plant. "And I’m very proud that Jotul is developing technology to produce the cleanest burning wood stove ever, ever, and will be developing that here in Maine,” said Collins. Gideon, her Democratic opponent, says Collins looks out for "the interests of the President" more than Mainers.
Minnesota: According to the DNR, in the last 15 years, more than 150 of the state's lumber mills have closed. It is due to evolving technologies, new forms of energy and growing competition in other parts of the country. Most recently, the pandemic led to the shuttering of Verso in Duluth.
Rhode Island: Report overlooks heat pumps? But it does not it even mention advanced wood heating. AGH promotes pairing heat pumps with pellet stoves to reduce wintertime peak demand for electricity and provide affordable heat during the coldest weeks of the year.
Utah: “They’re just a part of American history,” Farr says. “The new generation, they don’t care about this stuff. But the craftsmanship and artistry is what’s amazing to me — thinking of all the hours that went into carving those wooden patterns for the intricate designs on the stoves.”
Vermont: The planned building will act as a distribution hub for wood pellets used in central heating in Vermont. Before, trucks were delivering pellets from Maine. The concept is using a local fuel source to supply customers in a proximity close to where it’s being used.
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At least this house will have dry wood this winter.
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Scranton, PA, August 31-September 1, 2020
Visit the webpage to see photos from previous conferences.
Vancouver, Canada, September 21, 2020
OptiPellet is the only event of its kind focused on current and future state-of-the-art pellet production technology.
Aug. 10 - Options for domestic water heating
Sept. 17 - Control concepts for hydronic heating systems (Part 1)
Oct. 29 - Control concepts (Part 2)
Nov. 12 - Case study: Pellet boiler system at boat maintenance facility in NY
South Burlington, Vermont, October 13-14, 2020
Renewable Energy Vermont’s annual conference convenes innovators and policymakers working to advance renewable energy, electricity, heating, and transportation solutions.
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.
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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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