November 2011
Green Heat NewsAGH logo
Issue No. 27
In This Issue

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2010 Census Shows Wood is Fastest Growing Heating Fuel in U.S.  

Recently released U.S. Census figures show the number of households heating with wood grew 34% between 2000 and 2010, faster than any other heating fuel. In two states, households using wood as a primary heat source more than doubled - Michigan (135%) and Connecticut (122%). And in six other states, wood heating grew by more than 90% - NH (99%), MA (99%), ME (96%), RI (96%), OH (95%) and NV. (91%).  
    

 

Residential Heating Fuels Show Diverse Growth Patterns

Map of Fastest Growing Heat Fuels
Wood was the fastest growing heating fuel nationally but in some regions, electricity, natural gas, propane and even oil are experiencing rapid growth. Wood grew the fastest (+34.6%), followed by electricity (+26.8%) and natural gas (+4.9%), and both propane (-16%) and oil (-21.9%) declined. But regional differences abound.

John Ackerly, Jon Strimling, NH State Senator Lou D'Allesandro & NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen
NH Senator Jeanne Shaheen visited
WoodPellets.com headquarters in Goffstown
to brainstorm about how to level the playing field for biomass energy. "Biomass presents an excellent opportunity to keep our energy dollars at home, instead of shipping them overseas to foreign oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela," Shaheen said.  "At the same time, it allows businesses and consumers to switch to an energy source that is cost-effective, clean, and renewable."

(We ran this story in the last newsletter and are running it again because it was so popular.)  Objective ratings of pellet stoves are nearly impossible to come by, but Scott Williamson, an independent pellet stove technician, kept meticulous repair histories from more than 5,000 house calls. He identifies four of the most reliable pellet stoves, including an England Stove Works model, the Lopi Leyden, the Enviro Mini-A, and pictured right, the Harman Accentra.      

 

 

Resources      

  

Community Roadmap to Renewable Woody Biomass Energy: A Step by Step Decision-Making Tool 

Roadmap 

A civic decision making tool for evaluating  

the viability of wood biomass district heating systems for New Hampshire communities will make it easy for communities interested in district heating for cost savings and environmental reasons to get started by providing information and technical assistance.  

Featured Product     

  

Tree ID Smartphone App 

Arbor Day's "What Tree is That?" tree identification guide for smart phones makes identifying tree species easy and convenient. This app, available for $4.99, can help users identify over 250 trees in the United States and Canada.        

 

Featured Opinions     

 

How to Get the Best Firewood for Clean and Affordable Energy  

A clean burning, EPA certified stove is only half the equation.  John Gulland, member of the Alliance's Board of Advisers, spells out why firewood is equally important to heating your home.  

 

Real Deal: Save Money by Saving the Planet

Barrien Moore, director of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire and Rebecca Flora, executive director of the Green Building Alliance, both suggest adding a pellet-burning wood stove to a high-traffic area of the home to give the furnace a break.

Call for Abstracts 

The Program Committee is welcoming presentation proposals and "Real Projects" nominations from those interested in speaking at the conference and helping to shape the program. Deadline is December 1, 2011.           

 

Low-Income Heating Spotlight 

The talk of cutting home energy assistance by as much as 50 percent may end up as just a political exaggeration. If it were true however, Maine's Indian reservations would be among the rest of the state's low income communities to be impacted through the cold winter.         

 

Innovation Spotlight 

Conference on Low-cost, Electricity Generating Heat Engines for Rural Areas
Over 1.4 billion people cook on an open fire with
no access to electricity. This conference invites papers that discuss technology, mass manufacturing or the social context associated with the supply of electricity to rural areas using heat stoves.

 

Wood Heat Media Watch
(Misguided and humorous media tidbits.  Please send us your favorites.) 
 
Beware! This Log Might Catch Fire 

Consumer Reports (Nov. 2011) caught this warning label on the packaging of a Western Family 5 lb Firelog advertised as "easy lighting - burns up to 3 hours": "Caution - Risk of Fire."  Yes, let's hope that this "easy lighting" log might actually ... catch fire.

 

 
From the Newsroom

  

International 

 

Jump in Norwegian Wood Orders      

Bad weather fears have led to people stocking up on wood for heating earlier than usual this year. And people are buying larger quantities.

The on-off launch of the UK's Renewable Heat Incentive is back on again after the European Commission finally provided state aid approval for the scheme. Tim Minett, chief executive of UK wood pellet supplier CPL Distribution says, "The Renewable Heat Incentive ... will be a game-changer for the UK's transition to a low-carbon economy."

  

Award-Winning Chef Jose Andres Joins Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves 
The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves announced that Chef José Andrés will serve as Culinary Ambassador, helping to raise awareness of the death, sickness and injury caused by toxic smoke from cooking stoves in developing countries.

Canada

 

Six Million Earmarked to End Wood Burning

Homeowners on Montreal Island will soon be able to claim a rebate if they condemn their wood-burning stove or fireplace or replace it with a cleaner alternative. The province announced this week it will make $6 million in funding available for a rebate program.    

      

National 

 

Tiny City in Yukon Takes a Giant Renewable Step

AK: A city of 300 in Alaska is at the cutting edge of bioenergy. Dealing with that cold requires a lot of heat and, if you're dependent on diesel for that heat, a goodly pile of dollars, not to mention carbon dioxide emissions. So what to do? Lots, because there is an alternative: wood.   

 

Oil May be King, But It's Time for a Revolution 

AK: Oil provides 80% of our region's heating energy. We won't dethrone this monarch soon, but we can whittle away its empire. Southeast is the Saudi Arabia of biomass. Waste wood can replace the entire 20 million gallons of heating oil the Southeast uses.     

 

AR: Gathering around a warm fire is a natural, comforting ritual, but fireplaces, woodstoves and pellet stoves require maintenance before you start building fires. Getting your woodstove ready for winter is key.   

   

ID:  An Idaho company sells 2,500 cords of wood a year, mostly from pine beetle killed wood.

 

Pinehurst Residents Can Get Wood Stove Rebate  

ID: Residents of the Pinehurst area can obtain a rebate and discount on new, cleaner-burning wood stoves through a Wood Stove changeout program sponsored by the city and an Idaho state agency.

 

EPA Ordinance Open for Comments

IN: The EPA approved Indiana's request to redesignate the Cincinnati area from non-attainment to attainment. One contingency plan includes wood stove change out programs.  Comments due by Nov. 18.    

 

KS: The Grinter Place State Historic Site will host a series of workshops honoring the Grinter Place heritage of cooking on the wood stove.   

      

Heating with Wood Requires Some Homework

MI: It's a romantic notion, sitting around a wood stove on a crisp autumn night, or a frigid January morning. Using wood to heat a home or business is also cheaper than just about anything else.    

 

MI: Wood's use for home heating dates back further than perhaps any other fuel on the market, and it's popularity isn't about to flicker out. As winter approaches, several local firewood dealers report that demand for their product is steady or growing this year.    

 

Volunteers Cut Wood to Keep Seniors Warm 

MI: With rising energy costs, people will struggle to heat their homes in the winter, especially the elderly who live on a fixed social security check. That's why Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly in Hancock holds a wood cutting event each fall.

 

Beware of Chimney Repair Scams

NJ: Safety inspections are vital, but they can sometimes be the prelude to a scam. The NJ State Attorney sued a chimney cleaning and repair company accused of high-pressure, deceptive tactics.   

 

NJ: The Planning Board made short work of its consideration of future installation requirements for outdoor wood furnaces within the township, recommending to Township Council that the devices be banned entirely.    

   

Stoking the Taos Home Fires with Wood Heat 

NM: Wood heat goes bone deep. Like our abundant New Mexican sunshine, wood fires keep many Taoseños comfortable despite some long cold winters. And it turns out, wood heat has environmental advantages when burned right.

 

Home Heating Costs to Rise this Winter 

NY: According to home heating companies, the cost of heating your home this winter is on the rise, whether you are using firewood, wood pellets, natural gas, or home heating oil. But Dale Matthews of Matthews Firewood said the cheapest way to heat a home is firewood.

 

OH: As reports of frost move into central Ohio, one man spoke about how to get the best value on a source of heat. A cord of wood is selling for $150 dollars this year, depending on delivery.  

 

Wood Stove Rebate Vouchers Still Available 

OR: Qualified homeowners can receive a voucher to help pay for and install a new wood or pellet stove through LRAPA.  

   

TN: An April tornado left tons of wood. There's a temptation to use it as firewood, but Clay Dennis, president of Southern Hearth and Patio, said avoid all pine and other soft woods like spruce or cypress.  

 

Interiors: Wood Burning Stoves Back in Style   

WA: An interior designer praises wood stoves for their style, convenience and comfort: "It can create enough heat for an entire home - or, if you prefer, one specific room. It also makes a fashion statement."   

 

Upcoming Conferences and Webinars 

 

Wood Energy in the Northeast Course

State College, PA November 8-9

Join us for this hands-on short course that is focused on identifying and developing successful wood energy projects.  

 

Biomass Thermal DC Summit

Washington, DC November 16

Rural, renewable energy and natural resources interests will be gathering for this event, hosted by BTEC, AGH and others.  

 

Woody Crops Webinar Series

November 16     

The University of Minnesota-Extension is offering a series of free web-based seminars on woody biomass this fall.     

 

Fourth Annual Northeast Biomass Heating Expo

Saratoga Springs, NY March 22, 23

This exposition is the successor to three very successful Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass conferences. 

 

Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo

Atlanta, GA March 1-3

More than 350 leading hearth, patio and barbecue manufacturers and suppliers will exhibit and demonstrate their latest products.   

 

European Wood Stove Expo

Saint-Etienne, France March 22-25

This exhibition promises to showcase many technology advances in European wood stove design.        

 
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Thanks Too...
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.

Alliance for Green Heat is funded in part through a grant by the Wood Education and Resource Center, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service. AGH is an equal opportunity provider.

You can make a secure donation online through paypal here:

www.forgreenheat.org/support/donate

A special thanks to those who have contributed $2,000 or more between June 2009 and February 2011
-- Dr. William & Frances Ackerly
-- American Biomass
-- Arbolito Foundation
-- Family Alliance Foundation
-- Osprey Foundation
-- Ramsay Merriam Fund
-- Takoma Foundation

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