June 2023 Green Heat News

Volume 156

Green Heat News

A free monthly news service on renewable,

low carbon heating issues

June 2023

Features

New York bans fossil fuels in new builds in 2026: Implications for hearth retailers are still unfolding

Prohibited appliances in new buildings include gas, oil and propane space heating systems, gas dryers and gas water heaters, among others. Electrification must happen— how will hearth retailers respond, and how will this affect wood and pellet stoves?

Senator Murkowski presses EPA chief Regan on stove certification program

Murkowski, R-Alaska, called on U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan to fix the agency’s mishandling of its wood heater certification program during a Senate hearing. Regan referenced the additional $10 million previously set aside for the wood heater program but offered no new funding. AGH extends its thanks to the Senator for raising the issue.

Wood and pellet heating relieves grid stress in France

Domestic wood heating, as it is used by the French today, can offset 10 GW of power demand from the electricity grid during peak demand at 7pm in the winter. 7pm is when most French households use their pellet stoves, pellet boilers, masonry heaters and wood stoves. As a result, wood heating plays a major role in balancing electricity supply and demand in France.

Vermont passes Affordable Heat Act, promotes biomass heating

Seventy-three percent of Vermont’s heating fuel comes from fossil fuel but the states new law will require fossil fuel importers to deliver cleaner heat options — primarily to low- and moderate-income Vermonters — and especially with solutions that cut costs over time, like weatherization, heat pumps, and advanced wood heat. With support from mainstream enviro. groups, this new law will keep far more heating dollars in the state.

Agencies

ENERGY STAR is behind the times on wood heat

An EPA webpage says you should “Consider switching to a more efficient gas or wood pellet stove” if you own a wood stove. Heat pumps should be highlighted, and why would the EPA urge consumers to consider switching from a renewable to gas, absent other factors like being in a non-attainment area?

EPA: air quality getting consistently better

America’s air quality continues to improve with unhealthy air days dropping by two thirds since the year 2000.

USDA's REAP program supports wood heat in NH

In NH and other states, Rural Energy for America (REAP) grants can cover 25% of institutional wood heating systems. NH also offers free consultation for institutions.

HHS: Alaska heating assistance pays households that gather own wood

Federal low income heating assistance has always paid utilities and fuel providers directly for fuel provided to eligible households. AGH applauds Alaska, believed to be the first state in the nation, that will pay a household if they gather their own firewood.

HHS: Tribal heating assistance program advertises repairs for wood stoves

The federally funded heating assistance program run by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs advertises that the program covers repairs to wood stoves. While all programs should cover wood stoves repairs, most do not provide the inspection that would lead to a repair, much less advertise the opportunity.

Congress

House leadership bill would end wood heater, energy efficiency and renewable tax credits

H.R. 1 has no chance of passage, but is a strong statement that would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, including the tax credits under 25C, 25D and many other provisions.

AGH News

AGH staff visit more firewood bank visits

In May, AGH staffers John Ackerly and Darian Dyer conducted firewood bank site visit in AZ, MA, NH and VT. Each site visit illuminates new best practices, opportunities to scale up and challenges to reaching families most in need. A report and video compilation is forthcoming.

Adam Sherman joins AGH Board of Directors

Adam is a Senior Consultant with VEIC. With 20 years of experience in the renewable thermal energy sector, Adam is a valuable addition to the Board. Adam lives in Duxbury, VT where he heats his home with wood.

Wood & Pellet Stoves

The Palazzetti 02Ring

The O2Ring device is composed of active elements that, on entering into contact with combustion gases, start a controlled chemical reaction which, on average, neutralizes up to 80% particulates and CO.

Rika offers a wood and pellet combi stove

At least four European stove manufacturers are now selling units that can burn both wood and pellets. Most or all of them can detect when the log fire goes out and will automatically switch over to pellets. This one can work without electricity, at least in cordwood mode. None are yet available in the US, due in part to the inflexible testing protocols that favor traditional, manually operated stoves.

Consumer Reports rates "Smokeless" fire pits

Fire pits are far from smokeless, but perhaps the marketing ploy has led to consumers wanting secondary combustion as they embrace outdoor firepits with a new fervor. CR focused on designs that promoted “a more-thorough burning and smoke reduction” and brands like Cuisinart, Inno and Blue Sky performed better than the more well-known brands Solo, Biolite and Breeo, which came in last.

Testing the Grizzly wood stove

This mini wood stove, rated for between 8,000 and 18,000 BTUs, but its tiny firebox limits it to RV users, van-lifers, or really small off-the-grid cabins. The author has a 320 square foot cabin (approx. 18x18 feet) and the stove worked fine in the fall, but could not heat it in the coldest parts of the winter. These tiny stoves do not have to be EPA certified if they aren't meant for "residential" heating and don't advertise for that.

State News

Hooked on heating oil: New wood heat options comes with climate trade-offs

Maine: Maine's decarbonization focus is usually on weatherization and electric heat pumps, but its vast forests make wood heat cheap and widely available. Needing to cut fossil fuels, some oil distributors are looking at converting wood to liquid biofuels.

Letter: Heat pumps heads up

New Hampshire: Heat pumps are great heating devices. But, those in areas where temperatures drop below 0 degrees F need to have a back up heat source in place.

Qualterra delivers milestone unit to Vaagen

Washington: The timber company will use the biomass processing unit to process a variety of agricultural and timber waste materials into biochar. One biomass processing unit can process 450 tons of plant material to create about 112 tons of biochar per year, Werner previously told the Journal.

International News

New white paper accelerates the shift to bioheat

Canada: The paper titled, "Certification of Small Solid Biomass Combustors (SSBC) in Canada," is the culmination of five years of work. Current manufacturing code in Canada is incompatible with the safety certification procedures used in Europe. This paper attempts to harmonize the two.

Traveling on the Firewood Express

India: "Left with few livelihood options, Adivasis and Dalits from villages on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh take the train to various towns to sell firewood and earn a few hundred rupees after a hard day"

Best of Facebook

"Hard to believe that anyone ever thought this was a good idea!"

Conferences & Webinars

PFI 2023 Annual Conference

Austin, Texas, June 6-8

The Pellet Fuel Institutes annual conference, networking and golf tournament.

2023 Air Sensors Quality Assurance Workshop

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, July 25-27, 2023

The 2023 Air Sensors Quality Assurance (QA) Workshop will help the air sensor community better understand established and emerging QA methods.

2023 Antique Stove Convention

Estes Park, Colorado, September 24-26, 2023

The Antique Stove Association brings amateur and professional collectors, experts and artisans who buy, sell, repair and restore antique wood stoves.

Annual Renewable Energy Vermont Conference

South Burlington, Vermont, October 18-19, 2023

The largest comprehensive renewable energy gathering in the region, bringing together a variety of stakeholders that are ready to build a path to a 100% renewable energy future.

Renewable Thermal Collaborative Summit

Washington, D.C., October 19-20, 2023

The Renewable Thermal Collaborative (RTC) is the global coalition for companies, institutions, and governments committed to scaling up renewable heating and cooling.

2023 New England Home Performance Conference & Trade Show

Springfield, Massachusetts, November 7-8, 2023

This two-day conference will deliver the latest region-specific updates and information to home performance and weatherization professionals living and working in New England.

Please support our work and keep this newsletter free of charge

Thank you to everyone who donated to AGH during 2022! Your support makes a huge difference and helps to keep this newsletter a free source of information for everyone. 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.

Become a Green Heat Supporter: Make a donation here

Alliance for Green Heat | (202) 365-4765 | contact@forgreenheat.org | | www.forgreenheat.org