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Volume 156
Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating

August 2022
Featured Stories

What: This would increase the tax credit from 26% to 30% for 10 years but limit it to $2,000 per year, which is not good for wood and pellet boilers. It includes installation costs too.
What else: The bill also includes $15 million for the EPA for "testing and other activities to address emissions from wood heaters."
Why: Senator Manchin wanted to limit heat pumps to $2,000, which meant biomass heaters also are limited to $2,000. The $15 million could be used for protocol development and enforcement.
Our take: AGH fully supports more funding for the EPA to work on wood heaters to help America reduce fossil heating fuel. AGH also fully supports robust national incentives for pellet heaters, especially now when there is so little renewable electricity on the grid. Wood heaters are better suited in rural areas. AGH has been working closely with the IRS to plug loopholes that allowed some manufacturers to determine their own efficiencies.
What next: The bill could be voted on by the House and Senate this week. Read the full bill here.

This BTEC overview outlines a range of other wood heat related funding in the Schumer Manchin bill, if its enacted, including $100 million for the wood innovation grant program.

If your home is 50 to 100% electric but your utility company is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, then you are doing little to reduce fossil fuels. In most areas, you can switch to another renewable power provider who uses the wires of your utility. Using wood or pellets responsibly, solar panels, heat pump water heaters are all affordable to most of us. "It’s a really important step in the right direction."
5th Wood Heater Design Challenge

Full applications for the Wood Heater Design Challenge are due on Aug. 31. The registration for the public to watch the September 29 Slam will be online soon. Thanks to all the teams who are competing. There is still time to form a team and apply to be part of this Challenge to design a wood stove that will consistently perform well in the hands of consumers.
Agencies & Federal Labs

US Senator Collins extols the benefits of pellet heating, avoiding the confusion that so many scientists and organizations are spreading when they fail to distinguish between using pellets for industrial scale electricity in Europe vs. local heating right here at home.

The Forest Service issued a Request for Information (RFI) about how to support firewood banks across the US and in tribal areas. "Firewood banks have provided emergency and seasonal wood for heating homes for decades. Modeled after food banks, there was reported that there were approximately 65 firewood banks in 2016, but it is now projected that there may be nearly 150, with the potential for more in the future." AGH has been working closely with the Forest Service providing input on how to efficiently use these funds.
Industry
Another stove company sold to a larger conglomerate: Pacific Energy has been purchased by a Swedish heating company.
Past & Present
A short history from the Smithsonian magazine of the transition from wood to coal heating and the various reasons people don't want to switch to new fuels.

Twelve years ago, the Alliance for Green Heat started making waves in the wood heating community. Few in the wood heat industry were taking on outdoor boilers in their heyday. The Alliance was a vocal critic, but it also fought to “recognize the leadership of low and middle-income Americans in fighting climate change through the long-term, sustainable use of biomass heat.”

Deforestation in 1600s in Europe and Asia led to improved forestry–and improved stove technology. In many countries, “coppicing” became the norm, a continuous cycle of harvested new stems from old stumps, on rotations between seven and thirty years. In the 1600s and 1700s, the Shogn in Japan 1666, the shōgun made it a policy to reduce logging and increase the planting of trees, and in Korea, ondols where fueled by sticks, not logs.
Energy & The Russian Invasion of Ukraine
A major bank talking about large-scale switch back to wood heat? Yes, in Europe they are talking about it and its starting to happen. Then, next up would be running our vehicles on wood to gas, or syngas which was used in World War 2 for transportation fuel.
State News

Alaska: Very few places in the US have ever banned the use of uncertified stoves and not many have even banned the installation of uncertified stoves. Both of these measures are can be practical and effective as long as households are given several years notice and rebates provided to upgrade.

California: The Placer County Air Pollution Control District is pleased to announce the opportunity for Placer County residents to receive an incentive to replace their pre-1990, high-polluting wood stove with a cleaner-burning, more efficient stove or insert.

Minnesota: The 22,000 sq. ft. Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center has heated their campus in Finland, MN with biomass for 34 years. Their low carbon heating helped them meet challenging goals of the International Living Future Institute.
Recalls

A tent sold at Cabellas is being recalled because the "stove jack ring" where the stove pipe exits the tent can deteriorate, leading smoke back into the tent. AGH has compiled a list of all stove recalls here.
Best of Facebook

Our daily Facebook posts are one of the best ways to stay abreast of breaking news, analysis and international developments. And, periodically we include things like this, which always get far more likes than the serious stuff.
Conferences & Webinars
Vancouver, Canada, September 20-21, 2022
This year’s theme is "The Power of Pellets: Unlocking a World of Possibilities".

Dowagiac, Michigan, September 25-27, 2022
Venue plans include a tour of Dowagiac Historical Museum and Vicksburg Paper Mill.

Virtual, September 29, 2022
Save the date!

Manchester, New Hampshire, October 14, 2022
The event of the year for local energy champions, policymakers, municipal officials, town staff, regulators, and industry representatives.

Washington DC, October 20-21, 2022
Keep an eye out for updates regarding the 2022 RTC Summit soon! 

Burlington, Vermont, October 27-28, 2022
Celebrating its 22nd year, REV’s Annual Conference and Expo is the leading renewable energy event in northern New England.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 7-8, 2022
Two days of region-specific education, networking opportunities, and more.

Leipzig, Germany, April 18-20, 2023
A network-hub, the "World of Fireplaces" also includes many wood heaters.

Seattle, Washington, April 17-20, 2023
This event brings together contractors, weatherization professionals, trainers, program administrators, energy auditors, and others for the latest developments in the industry.

Wels, Austria, March 1, 2023
"2023: Pellets = Energy security!"

Louisville, Kentucky, March 11-13, 2023
"Louisville may be called the Gateway to the South, but in 2023, it’ll be known as the gateway to greater profitability."
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