Price of Oil
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October 2012: $86.65
October 2011: $91.12
October 2007: $88.30
Source:www.ycharts.com
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Heating Degree Days in DC
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July 1 to date: 112
Last year July 1 to date: 143
Figures are through Oct. 27.
[Source]
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Office Equipment Needed
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Have a printer, scanner or computer that is still relatively up to date and in good working order that you don't need? Donate it to the Alliance for Green Heat and get a tax credit. Contact: melissa@forgreenheat.org
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| Design Challenge Judge Profile |
Norbert Senf, one of the judges of the Wood Stove Design Challenge, has extensive knowledge of masonry heaters. He has been building them since 1979 and was a founding member of the Masonry Heater Association of North America (MHA). Norbert hopes that the recent development of simpler testing technology will accelerate the search for the cleanest ways to burn cordwood.
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| Quote of the Month |
"Method 28, in my opinion, has hamstrung the industry into creating stoves that amplify the possibility of poor field performance due to the low burn criteria. I truly believe that industry wants to create clean units, however no thought was given as the ramifications of demanding demonstration of >1 kg/hr burn rate."
Reg Davenport
DNR Engineering, LLC
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Join Our Mailing List
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And stay up to date with all things wood heat. To sign up,
click here
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Wood Stove Design Challenge Updates
 Registration for the Wood Stove Design Challenge closes today, November 1st. Seven new teams have signed up to participate this month, bringing our total up to 40. Click here to see our complete list of teams and here to register! Challenge Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities Available
The Alliance is now seeking cash and in-kind donations from corporations for the Wood Stove Design Challenge. Sponsors will receive recognition in all online and print materials leading up to and at the Wood Stove Decathlon. Contact Melissa Bollman for more information on sponsorship levels and details.  Click here for a short PowerPoint presentation profiling the Next Generation Wood Stove Design Challenge. It contains information on the concept, goals, judges, registered teams and more.
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Alliance for Green Heat Projects & Activities
The EPA has started listing some actual efficiencies for wood and pellet stoves, instead of just the default numbers. This will help consumers know the actual efficiency of the stove they are buying. Currently many, if not most, manufacturers provide little information about efficiency and what is provided is often confusing or even misleading.
Minimum Stove Efficiency Vital for Industry and Consumers
Efficiency standards being proposed by Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) are requirements placing limits on the energy consumption of appliances and equipment, and they have become benchmark standards for a range of appliances and devices, including office equipment, heat pumps, and air conditioning equipment. We argue why these standards are necessary for wood stoves.
 The EIA released its annual assessment of prices and availability of heating fuels this month and for the first time it included information on pellets and firewood. The change came after over a year of discussions and meetings between the EIA and a coalition of wood and pellet groups and discussions with Senator Shaheen (D-NH).
Applications for the Maryland wood and pellet stove rebate program are coming in slower than expected, but more applications are likely as systems are installed. Maryland will provide $400 for eligible wood stoves and $600 for eligible pellet stoves.
 Maryland's first conference on wood heat, "Accelerating Wood Energy in Maryland: A Discussion on Public Policy, the Environment, and Economic Opportunities" will be held Nov. 14 in Annapolis at the Navy-Marine Core Memorial Stadium. Don't miss it.
Two New University of Maryland Wood Heat Factsheets  The University of Maryland Extension in collaboration with the Alliance for Green Heat has published two more fact sheets on the topic of residential wood heating in the state of Maryland. The topics are "Buying a New Wood Stove" and "Considerations for your Wood or Pellet Stove Installation." The Alliance is chairing a sub-working group of the Building Performance Initiative to develop "how to" standards to for the BPI-1100 Home Energy Auditing Standard. Click here for a presentation on assessing wood stoves by John Ackerly. Tom Butcher of Brookhaven National Laboratory co-presented on boilers. |
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Washington Watch
Profiling Team Romney
Romney's candidates for energy secretary include U.S. Representative Joe Barton, known for his infamous apology to BP after the company was required to pay for its Gulf Oil Spill, and Continental Resources' Harold Hamm, an avid supporter of increased US fossil fuel use who has criticized alternative and sustainable energy strategies as "a magical fantasy" and "a cruel hoax played upon the American public." MIT Technology Review has outlined some of the key differences between the Obama and Romney views on clean energy.
AGH Presents to DOE's Woody Biomass GroupThe Alliance for Green Heat gave a presentation on the "Future of Residential Wood Heating" at the Woody Biomass Utilization Group (WBUG) Partners Meeting on the October 16, 2012 at the Department of Energy Headquarters. Visit the WBUG webpage to download all the meeting's presentations.
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Focus on Firewood
Half of Retail Firewood is Insect Infested
New research finds that at least 47 percent of all firewood purchased from big box stores, gas stations, and grocery stores is infested with live insects and their larvae.
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Focus on Pellets
24/7 Wall St, a news center for U.S. and global equity investors, reports that the U.S. now stands as the number one exporter of wood pellets in the World, shipping more than 760,000 tons in the first half of 2012.
The Telegraph also reported data from Wood Resources International showing that the Southeast leads the U.S. in wood pellet exports, thanks to its fast-growing softwoods.
Biomass Magazine says this is the beginning of "a new era in the wood heating industry." Three pellet producers agreed to certify their products' quality through a third-party verification system.
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Consumer Focus
Buying a Used Wood Stove
Considering buying and refurbishing a used wood stove? The process is not as simple and economical as you might think.
Every fall tens of millions are spent by aggressive companies touting the "miracles" of their electric heaters. Advertised as "made by Amish" and "as seen on TV," these heaters are usually overpriced, over-hyped resistance heaters. ConservingElectricity.com and Consumer Reports tell it straight.
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Feature on State Policy
Paper Examines Thermal RECs in State RPSs
A new paper released by FutureMetrics, LLC shows that including full thermal RECs in state RPSs could lead to many great benefits for states as well as homeowners.
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| From the Newsroom
International
Borough-State Mull Ways to Meet EPA Standards
AK: Fairbanks residents voted in favor of Proposition 3, a bill preventing the borough from regulating air pollution from home heating devices. Prop 3 has forced Fairbanks to end its wood stove exchange program, which gave homeowners up to $2,500 cash for trading in old stoves for EPA-approved ones. The borough , sent out a press release earlier this month buy many are not in support of ending the program, and some including one Alaskan assemblywoman are shocked that Prop 3's conflict with the exchange program was not made clear before the vote.
Woodstove Change Out Money Available
CA: While Alaska's wood stove exchange program may be on its way out, Monterey Bay is readying to launch round-two of it's successful exchange program, with $125,000 in grants available to help homeowners switch to cleaner stoves.
First-offense wood burners: Go to smoke class
CA: The Bay Area is getting tough on pollution - now, first-time wood burning violators will be required to either pay a $100 fine or take an online class on the health hazards of wood smoke.
Man Finds New Career Bringing Old Woodstoves to Life
KA: A quick stop into an antique shop turned into a 40-year hobby of refurbishing old stoves for Kansas-resident Danny Hayward.
LePage Wants Heating Oil Use Cut in Half by 2014
ME: Maine governor LePage's plans to cut the state's oil use from 80% to 40% by 2014. Some are unconvinced his goals are realistic.
Alternative Fuels Touted at Pellet Summit
ME: Speakers at the Maine Pellet Summit promoted the many benefits of switching to pellet heating from more costly fuels.
Bethel Town office heating with wood
ME: The Bethel Town office has installed a wood boiler expected to save the town almost $5000 a year in heating costs.
Got an Old, Dirty Woodstove? Stevens County Wants It
WA: The Washington Department of Ecology is offering homeowners $200 for their old wood stoves.
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Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
Sacramento, California, November 13, 2012
The Annual Meeting of the Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases.
Accelerating Wood Energy in Maryland
Annapolis, MD, November 14, 2012
This one-day gathering will bring together regulators, legislators and experts in the commercial and residential biomass sector to explore how Maryland can increase adoption of clean, affordable wood energy systems.
National Summit on RPS Washington DC, December 3 - 4 The State-Federal RPS Collaborative serves as a forum for government officials, energy experts and stakeholders regarding the implementation of state RPS policies. Save the Date: Annual Membership Meeting of the New York Biomass Energy Alliance
 On December 6, 2012, the New York Biomass Energy Alliance
will hold its 3rd Annual Membership Meeting at the New York Forestry Resource Center in Rensselaer, NY. Look for registration information for Alliance members and invited guests over the next month.
2013 The World Sustainable Energy Days Conference Wels, Austria, February 27 - March 1, 2013 The World Sustainable Energy Conference is one of the largest annual conferences on sustainable energy in Europe. Hearth, Patio, & Barbeque Expo 2013 Orlando, FL, March 13 - 16, 2013 North America's largest indoor-outdoor living showcase. Northeast Biomass Heating Expo Saratoga Springs, NY, April 3 - 5, 2013 Fifth annual conference to be held this year in Saratoga Springs.
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Photo of the Month: The Hot Tug
 An electric floating hot tub with a wood-burning stove, courtesy of Gas 2.
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