Price of Oil
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November 27, 2012: $86.81
November 27, 2011: $98.21
Source:www.ycharts.com
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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: [email protected]
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AGH People
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The Alliance for Green Heat welcomes Ben Larson as the newest member of our Board of Directors. Ben works as a consultant in biomass and water restoration and previously served as a renewable energy policy advocate for the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). In addition to advancing state and federal renewable energy and climate legislation, he developed consensus with forest owners, foresters, conservationists and biomass generators on sensible, cost-effective sustainability standards for biomass policy. He has a masters in forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and lives in Maryland with his wife and daughter, Piper.
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| Design Challenge Judge Profile |
Thomas Butcher is a Research Engineer and the Head of the Energy Conversion Group at the DOE Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY. His long standing research interests include advanced concepts for building heating and cooling and the application of conventional fuels and biofuels in stationary combustion applications. He has been a part-time lecturer at Stony Brook University since 2008 and acts as a mentor at BNL in programs for visiting engineering students.
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| Quote of the Month |
"To truly succeed in designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling great products, you do need to treat your business like you are in fact making iPods. There is a tendency to think that because we're making products that improve people's lives we don't need to focus too much on user-centered design, on marketing, on packaging, on aesthetics. Wrong."
- Eoin Flinn
Operations Manager,
Burn Manufacturing
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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
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. Our first confirmed sponsors are NYSERDA, SCHOTT, and Blaze King. Judges To Meet At Brookhaven Labs to Select Finalists
Our eight judges will meet and select finalists for the Design Challenge at Brookhaven National Laboratories in New York City Wednesday January 23. Teams have until December 20 to submit their applications to [email protected].
 This Stove Performance Inventory, developed by the Berkeley Air Monitoring Group in partnership with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves contains data from over 600 cookstove performance tests. Click here for a detailed report.
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Alliance for Green Heat Projects & Activities
In an effort to make more low and middle-income families eligible for a stove rebate program, the Maryland Energy Administration is waiving the requirement of professional installation under certain circumstances. The MEA is also allowing families who heat with wood or pellets to use the rebate to get a replacement stove.
 New Masport wood stoves, made in New Zealand but neither certified by the EPA nor exempted, have been advertised in the Washington DC area on Craigslist for several years. A recent photo on Craigslist shows a room with multiple new, boxed Masport wood stoves selling for $1,500.
Green Label Transforms Sales of Wood Stoves in France
 By the year 2000, the French wood stove industry knew it had to change. Wood smoke from older wood stoves was becoming a greater problem and the R&D needed to make much cleaner appliances was lagging. The result was Flamme Verte, a green label recognizing the cleanest stoves.
Experts Discuss Stove Programs for Low-Income FamiliesThe Alliance for Green Heat and Pam Porter of P Squared Group have begun an informal network of groups and state agencies exploring stove programs aimed at low-income families. The first call of the Network included state officials from Wisconsin and Maryland, the EPA, and Innovative Natural Resource Solutions.
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Washington Watch
National Forum Debates Options for NSPS
Six months ago, the EPA's new proposed standards for wood heating appliances seemed almost complete. Today they may be more up in the air than ever. After a 3 to 4 year process, how could this have happened?
EPA Selects Finalists of Air Pollution Sensor ChallengeFour individuals and teams have been selected for the final phase of My Air, My Home Challenge sponsored by EPA and NIH. The Challenge was to encourage the development of portable devices that gather and integrate health and air quality data.
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Focus on Health
Wood Biomass for Heat and Power: Addressing Public Health Impacts
In November 2011, the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production hosted a science policy symposium on the public health implications of using wood biomass to provide heat and power for industries (including electricity generators), commercial enterprises, and institutions. Click here to download the full report.
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Focus on Firewood
Firewood Sales Popular Despite "No-Burn Days"
Sales of firewood have increased by 30 percent over the past year, despite the expectation of more "no-burn days" this winter as the California Bay Area tries to safeguard air quality.
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Focus on Pellets
 The Biomass Thermal Energy Council unveiled a recognition program for home and business heating systems using local, renewable biomass in place of fossil fuels like heating oil. The Biomass Green Heat Registered Site plaque will allow residential, business, and facility owners to proudly showcase their biomass thermal appliances to colleagues and neighbors.
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Consumer Focus
Consumer Reports on the Reliability of Gas Furnaces  Wood and pellet stoves are a secondary fuel of choice for many. But gas furnaces still provide cheap heat. Choosing a reliable brand of furnace is still important, and the December 2012 issue of Consumer Reports advised consumers to think twice about York furnaces which broke down about twice as often as other brands. Don't Move Christmas Trees?
 Just like firewood, you should buy Christmas trees local, and/or from a reputable dealer. Christmas trees are a pretty well regulated product, so as long as you are buying from a licensed local business, your potential to spread pests accidentally is very low.
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Energy Audit & Weatherization Focus
As of September 27, one million homes were weatherized under the Department of Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) since April 2009. That result is due to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which allocated $5 billion for WAP.
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Focus on Hurricane Sandy
Heat, There When You Need It
Watching civilization grind to a halt this week in New Jersey and New York has me reflecting on the most underrated value of wood heating. That is, whatever comes, you can cook and keep warm if you have a wood stove and firewood. Fire Marshal Timothy Smith has a message for residents: Don't burn any wood collected from Hurricane Sandy. Smith said it would be dangerous because any wood must be seasoned.
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Memorial Service for Paul Tiegs
Paul Tiegs
1943 - 2012
Paul's wife Beth, and the employees at OMNI have set Friday December 7th as the day for "Toast in Remembrance of Paul" at OMNI laboratories in Oregon to honor Paul and share memories. If you plan to attend, please
RSVP to [email protected].
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| From the Newsroom
International
Heating with Wood has its Benefits, Challenges
Canada: After looking at many different options a local Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia citizen decided on a zero clearance fireplace to heat her home.
Vancouver Considers Regulating Woodsmoke
Canada: Vancouver is looking at regulations which could include stricter emissions standards for wood-burning appliances or potentially even phasing out fireplaces and wood stoves altogether.
Wood Stove Revival in Umbria
Italy: As fuel costs soar, wood is back, fire has been re-discovered. Many an Italian home is wood stove-warmed today: Since early 2012, firewood imports are up 26% and the consumption of oil has dropped 50% over the last twenty years.
Small-Scale Biomass Heating Factsheet
The World Biomass Association released a paper on new small-scale biomass combustion technologies and the huge market for residential biomass heat. It is also intended to send a strong message to national governments to implement programs or incentives to replace fossil fuels with biomass. Download it here.
State Says Fairbanks Can Continue Wood Stove Program
AK: The state has given the Fairbanks the go-ahead to continue its wood stove exchange and removal program even though the borough can no longer enforce air pollution regulations. An editorial urges the Borough to amend the ordinance to prevent fraudulent exploitation rather than repeal the program entirely.
Wood Smoke Ordinance Takes Affect for Marin County
CA: Marin County, California has banned the installation of non-EPA certified wood burning heaters or fireplaces in new construction. Pellet appliances are still allowed.
Northern Indiana Wood Stove Changeout Begins
IN: EPA and NIPSCO, a electric utility, with help from the Midwest HPBA will conduct a changeout of old wood stoves and hydronic heaters. The program has $500,000 from a settlement between NIPSCO and EPA and be administered by the American Lung Association and includes incentives in the $1,000 - $2,000 range.
Conference Explores Options to Expand State's Wood Use
 MD: More than 100 people gathered in Annapolis November 14 for the first conference of the Maryland Wood Energy Coalition. Foresters, engineers, environmentalists, manufacturers, state officials and clean energy experts explored the opportunities and challenges to growing the wood energy in Maryland.
Program Offers Firewood for Elderly Residents
MI: For 30 years, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly has cut, split, stacked, and delivered firewood to many elderly residents for whom wood is a primary source of heat.
Outdoor Wood Boiler Smoke Still an Issue in Upsala
MN: The city council in Upsala has received more complaints about smoke from an outdoor wood boiler that is bothering residents.
Seeley Lake Working Toward Pollution Solution
MT: Seeley Lake is widely recognized for its beauty and charm, and as a popular resort destination. But recent air quality studies show it's a town has a wood smoke pollution problem.
Wood Pellet Production in the Works for North Carolina
NC: Local, state and regional leaders have been diligently working to develop wood pellet production to be exported from the eastern parts of North Carolina to the United Kingdom and later Europe.
Wood Pellet Boiler Rebates Again Available
NH: New Hampshire is continuing its rebates of 30% of the installed cost for residential wood pellet boilers, up to $6,000. The program has enough funds to provide rebates for 80-100 homeowners.
Wood Smoke Complaints Hang Over Ithaca
NY: The city is receiving a handful of complaints about wood smoke, and, in response, mailed out educational material in residents' water bills regarding responsible wood burning.
Cash For Old Wood Burning Stoves
WA: To help improve air quality, the Department of Ecology held a cash back event in Ellensburg to collect wood burning stoves. Residents received $200 for each old wood stove they traded in.
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Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
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
CCAN's Annual Keep Winter Cold Polar Bear Plunge
Oxon Hill, Maryland, January 26, 2013
 The annual "Keep Winter Cold" Polar Bear Plunge is the Chesapeake Climate Action Network's annual fundraising event to move Maryland, Virginia and DC off of planet-heating fossil fuels and onto clean energy. AGH is forming a team. Contact us if you would like to jump into the freezing Potomac with us or support us and CCAN by donating.
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.
European Pellet Conference
Wels, Austria, February 27-28, 2013
With over 600 participants every year, this conference is the largest annual pellet event in the world.
Hearth, Patio, & Barbeque Expo
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.
International Biomass Conference & Expo
Minneapolis, MN, April 8 - 10, 2013
The largest gathering of biomass professionals in North America.
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Photo of the Month: BioLites in NYC
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, BioLite Campstoves helped charge cell phones in New York City where millions had lost power.
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