Green Heat News
A monthly news service for everyone
interested in renewable wood & pellet heating
December 2020
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Thanks to our readers! Since we started this newsletter, readership has steadily gone up every month and we now provide this free service to more than 13,000 people. Today is giving Tuesday! Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the Alliance for Green Heat to support this news service and our work. (To stay neutral and independent, we do not accept any advertising.) |
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Featured Stories
A sell-through for Step 1 stoves and central heaters appeared to be extremely likely 6 months ago. But it unraveled in the fall of 2020 in the face of opposition from states, lack of support from political appointees at EPA and possibly resistance from EPA staff. HPBA’s strategy to go it alone, instead of building more consensus among agencies and non-profits, may get tougher under a Biden Administration.
Advanced wood and pellet heating deserves more attention and support under the Biden Administration. AGH Board of Directors and Board of Advisors developed this list of goals for the White House, EPA, DOE, USDA and Congress.
On November 16, Alaska posted summary review sheets of nearly every certified wood and pellet stove, exposing issues in a certification system that has been running for decades with little oversight. Of the 131 wood stove models, 130 had major problems in their testing report based on the Alaska classification system.
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Focus on Federal Agencies
It is an almost annual ritual that the tax credit for energy efficiency property expires at the end of the year, only to be retroactively reinstated the following year. AGH has works intensively with the energy efficiency groups in to expand this credit to at least $400, clarify the eligibility rules and make it proactive so industry and consumers can take advantage of it. This year may again be a continuation of the existing disfunctional process, where the credit lapses, but then comes back to life, unchanged.
Here are six people the Biden team is considering to head up the EPA. One of them, Mary Nichols, currently head of the California Air Resources Board, is no stranger to wood smoke issues. Possibly an even more important for wood stove technology, and the development of a cord wood test method, will be the head of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR).
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While wood stoves are commonplace, hardly any of them have modern controller technologies to reduce harmful soot and CO emissions,” says Prof. Paul DesJardin. He is part of a three-year, $2.5 million grant from the DOE. The team includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory and manufacturer Buck Stove.
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There have been at least seven recalls of wood and pellet burning products since 1979. Four of those were in 2015-2016 and the largest was for a window-mounted pellet stove. While there are few reports of any injuries, recalls are expensive and time consuming for stove manufacturers.
The average U.S. household spends about $4,470 per year on heating and cooling, generating hot water, and driving cars. Ultimately, switching to 100% clean energy could save up to $2,585 per year to each American household. AGH supports a transition that also relies renewable wood and pellet heating.
Wood stove insiders know about hearth.com and so should you. Its a great resource and pretty easy to search for any question you may have. Here is a good one: what do I do if my professional installer tells me I don't need a permit?
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Firewood sales are booming and Alberta suppliers say they've never seen anything like it. Sales doubled, so owner Tyler Cotter ordered more logs and hired additional workers. Staff started working weekends and racking up overtime, and the busy season has yet to end.
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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.
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States
Alaska: Alaskans spend nearly 60% more on energy than the national average, and in some rural communities, that number is much higher. The Kupreanof Island village of Kake is trying to bring down the high cost of energy by transitioning to renewables. They’ve looked at solar, wind, hydro and now biomass heating.
Connecticut: Almost as many trees will be sold off as firewood, though the winner of the bid, Andy Clark, owner of Essex-based Limb-It-Less Logging, says that the price of firewood has plummeted due to warm winters and the low price of heating oil.
Idaho: The University of Idaho will lease its steam plant and utility system to a concessionaire as part of a public-private partnership that will allow investment in student access and research initiatives for the next half-century.
International
Denmark: "Our results demonstrate that the transition from coal to wood biomass has had a positive effect on CO2 emissions after an average of six years," says the Danish university study.
Canada: A $1 million grant from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is allowing a First Nation–owned business to deliver waste wood that would have otherwise been burned to a pulp mill, pellet plant and power generation company.
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Best of November Facebook |
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November - December
Renewable Energy Vermont’s annual conference is virtual this year, with sessions from September through January. Topics include 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.
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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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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