Happy new year and thank you to our readers

AGH wishes our diverse readership a happy new year and thanks those of you who made donations in 2022. You are the best! And, keep sending important stories and leads about things that yo think should be in our next newsletter.  Each year our readership increases and we look forward to more growth as support for affordable renewable energy grows.

Firewood banks

Funding still available for firewood banks

We have now received 31 applications requesting more than $350,000 of the $590,000 available. To be safe, get your applications in soon before funding runs out.

USDA funds start to flow to firewood banks

AGH will be wiring $260,000 to firewood banks this week. The 18 wood banks receiving this first salvo of funding are run by tribes, churches, local non-profits and individuals.

Demand for assistance, firewood, and chimney sweeps is up. 

As the price of heating a home spikes, community action agencies and wood banks are preparing for a difficult winter. Southwestern Community Services generally serves about 4,000 clients each year through their fuel assistance program.

Congress & Agencies

Clarification on IRS tax credits. 

The 30% tax credit of up to $2,000 for wood and pellet heaters can be taken in addition to the $1,200 tax credit for building envelope upgrades, energy audits, etc. AGH urged the IRS to allow this. So far, the IRS has still not defined how to calculate 75% HHV efficiency.

USDA funds biomass boilers to offset fossil fuel

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funded companies in Michigan, New Hampshire, Tennessee, and Wisconsin to build modern biomass boilers. In Vermont, REAP funds are helping a new wood pellet production facility, producing 30,000 tons of pellets annually. A full list of project awards is available on the USDA website. Information on new fiscal year 2023 funding opportunity is on this website.

EPA: Biomass Heating and Cooling Technologies

The EPA does a pretty good job recognizing value of woody biomass in their renewable energy pages. But why use an image of a typical outdoor wood boiler to illustrate the available technology?

Is your old stove certified or uncertified?

This decision tree helps people determine if a stove is certified or uncertified. Thanks to Tim Davis from the Oregon's Washington County Wood Stove Change out Program. Click here to see a large scale image.

Wood stove insurance coverage complaints

Wood stoves are not the main cause of house fires, by a long shot, but insurers are targeting them, especially if the homes has no other heating source. This article is an example of good journalism on a tricky topic.

The healthiest ways to light up a fireplace

A Washington Post story about health impacts of wood, gas, electric fireplaces and stoves was pretty fair and got 250 comments from readers who thought it was too favorable or not favorable enough to various products. We think they should have included back yard fire pits and the carbon benefits of using dead or down trees.

Kenyan stove innovator bags $1.2M award

Kenyan founder of Mukuru clean cooking stove Charlot Magayi, was awarded $1.2 million Earth Shot Prize by British Prince William. Mukuru Stoves aims to bring cleaner stoves to women in Kenya and Africa as a whole.

Sensibo smart indoor air quality monitor review

We heat our house with a wood stove, and I’ve always been concerned about indoor air quality as a result. When the opportunity arose to review the Sensibo air quality monitor, I was pretty excited. I noticed small spikes when I cook and when our downstairs shower is used. Really, any time things are heated, VOCs are released and the monitor reacts. Interestingly, I’ve never seen spikes in ethanol or PM2.5. 

AGH recommendations for California's wood stove replacement program

We think California's program is one of the best in the country but could be improved. Our comments focused on relying more on hybrid stoves, enlarging the number of eligible non-cat stoves, targeting stoves in more densely inhabited areas and learning about the carbon footprint of firewood.

Free chimney sweep vouchers for qualifying residents

Very cost effective way to improve cleanliness compared to a change-out, considering good sweeps also do an inspection of a stove, which can lead to safety and other repairs, recommendations about firewood storage, etc.

Mobile pellet mill attracts investors

Proxipel’s business model involves a mobile pellet-production unit that transforms green waste into pellets for heating as it moves from location to location. The pellet production unit, mounted on a truck trailer, can be used by municipalities and their forestry services, or directly by waste collection centres, provided that the wood has not been treated beforehand.

State News



California group begins development of 2 industrial pellet plants

California: Golden State Natural Resources, a California-based nonprofit public benefit corporation, is developing two industrial wood pellet projects within the state as part of its effort to increase forest resiliency and reduce the risk of catastrophic forest fires.

Maine Supporting Biomass Combined Heat and Power Projects

Maine: The Maine Public Utilities Commission released an RFP for combined heat and power projects utilizing biomass energy. 

County urges consumers to contact auditor if firewood sellers don't follow law

Ohio: Every state has laws on firewood sales such as requiring wood to be sold by the cord, providing consumers with a written receipt of the price, amount, contact info etc. A $25 vendor license is also required.

Minneapolis museum has biggest collection of Swedish tile stoves in North America 

Minnesota: Despite its popular nickname, Minnesota holds records for more than just lakes. It boasts the largest shopping mall in the United States, the world's tallest family and the biggest collection of kakelugnar — Swedish tile stoves — in North America.

International

Australia rejects forest biomass for electricity

Australia: Under the nation’s new policy, wood harvested from native forests and burned to produce electricity cannot be classified as a renewable energy source.

Euro stats: Wood as a source of energy, 2016

Europe: This graph shows the percent share of wood and wood products in gross inland energy consumption in EU countries. In most of Eastern Europe, wood is more than 50% of all renewable energy use.

Woody biomass: A sustainable solution to Europe's energy crisis

Europe: Today's energy security crisis is a heating crisis. Heating accounts for 50% of EU energy demand, and 42% of it is supplied by natural gas. This crisis led to huge increases in energy prices and exposed the vulnerabilities

associated with the dependency on fossil fuel imports.

Russians face spikes in prices for firewood

Russia: While Russian state propaganda portrays Europeans freezing in their homes, there is actually a tougher challenge faced by many Russian households to keep warm.

Best of Facebook

Another modern technology breakthrough!