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 |
The Alliance for Green Heat is proud to welcome its newest judge Mark Knaebe to the Wood Stove Design Challenge judging panel. Mark is a Natural Resources Specialist at the USDA Forest Service Technology Marketing Unit, located at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. Among his other bioenergy projects, he advises on kiln heating systems and has designed wood heating systems for residential use.
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Wood Stove Design Challenge Updates
The Design Applications Are In! Now its up to the 9 judges to select up to 16 finalists to compete on the National Mall in Washington DC from November 5-11, 2013. Thirty teams applied representing universities, large and small companies, and independent inventors.
Competitors hail from eight different countries, including the UK, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Canada, Mexico and the United States. The DOE's Brookhaven Lab in hosting the judges on Jan, 22 - 23 to select the finalists, experiment with test equipment and test a sample wood stove. Finalists will be announced by the end of the this month! New Design Challenge Sponsors
The Alliance for Green Heat proudly welcomes NYSERDA, the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, SCOTT, and Blaze King as sponsors of the Wood Stove Design Challenge. Contact Melissa Bollman for more information on becoming a sponsor.
Thanks to our sponsors:
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Alliance for Green Heat Projects & Activities
To promote the Maryland rebate program, still in effect as of Jan. 2013, we created a handout for Maryland stove retailers. The University of Maryland Extension also created a handout that can be downloaded here. Manufacturer Responds to Illegal Sale of ProductsLast month, we wrote that uncertified imported stoves were being illegally sold online in the Washington, DC area. The New Zealand manufacture of these stoves, Dave Wenham, replied that the stoves being sold must have been manufactured prior to 1993. He was also very surprised to see these stoves being sold in America.
A number of organizations have been formally weighing in with the EPA well ahead of the much anticipated 90 day comment period. The organizations are mostly calling on the EPA to move quicker and finalize the NSPS, but they also contain many substantive recommendations for the NSPS.
Fuel Switching: Oil to Wood has Biggest Carbon Benefit
Switching to wood heating from oil can has nearly twice the carbon impact of switching from natural gas. A typical Maryland family that uses a wood or pellet stove for 60% of their heating needs avoids 3.9 tons of carbon compared to oil heating.
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Thank You!
Thanks to everyone who supported our fundrais- ing match campaign. We were able exceed our goal of $2,500, raising a total of $4,203. With the match funds and small foundation grants, we raised nearly $10,000 in December. Thanks to the following for their generous donations:
Lisa Buttner, Michelle De Cou-Landberg, Susan & Kelly Colfer, Lily Donge, David & Tina Egan, Josh Elmore, Daniel Freihofer, Chris Hoskin, David Hyerle & Sarah Goodman, Mimi & Sat Jiwan Ilke-Khalsa, Jonathan Kahn, Kim Kaston, Denis Keleman, Eric Kessler, Ben Larson, Charles Levesque, Eric Moshier, Jenni & Todd Owen, Beth Rappaport, Nick Salafsky & Julie Segre, Nina Smith, Bill & Cathy Smock, Patricia Sobecki, Victora Sujata, Jon Strimling
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Washington Watch
Federal Tax Credit fo Stoves Reinstated and Retroactive
Congress passed a bill addressing parts of the Fiscal Cliff on January 1st, and it included a reinstatement of the 10% tax credit up to $300 for biomass heaters. It also made the credit retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012.
Wood Stoves and the New EPA Soot Rule
The new soot rules, announced by the EPA on December 14, require a 20% reduction in particulate matter to 12 micrograms per cubic meter annually, which may make it tougher for counties with excess wood stove smoke to comply with federal air quality standards.
ACEEE: Stoves Need Higher Efficiencies for Tax CreditsWell-targeted energy efficiency tax incentives will result in significant energy savings and more energy-efficient products being released into the market faster, according the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, who testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. EIA Releases Annual Energy Outlook 2013The Energy Information Agency predicts that renewables will grow at a much faster rate than fossil fuels. The share of electrical production from all renewable sources is projected to increase from 13 percent of power generation in 2011 to 16 percent in 2040. Biomass is expected to account for 24 percent of that growth. Senator Shaheen Receives 2012 Biomass Thermal Award  The Biomass Thermal Energy Council named Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) the Biomass Thermal Champion of 2012. Sen. Shaheen received the award in large part to her years advocating for the inclusion and parity of biomass thermal energy in federal energy programs and legislation.
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Focus on Pellets
Popular Mechanics Primer on Pellet Stoves
 A lot of homeowners are thinking about installing pellet stoves to stay warm this winter, and for good reason: they burn cleanly, produce tons of heat, and require little maintenance. And people who own pellet stoves absolutely love them.
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Consumer Focus
Two NH electric utilities are now making available on-bill financing of renewable energy technologies, including high efficiency pellet heating systems, at very attractive terms. Public Service of NH and Unitil, which together serve 85% of NH ratepayers, administer a program called Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, that allows high efficiency wood pellet boilers to qualify for on-bill financing.
Beware of Ads for 99% Efficient Wood Boilers
Each issue of Mother Earth News, a magazine that caters to the granola, Birkenstock and organic vegetable crowd, also carries many ads from outdoor and indoor biomass boiler companies. The Alliance for Green Heat has regularly featured outlandish claims by various manufacturers. This month we feature a company who is advertising 99.4% combined efficiency wood burning furnace.
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Focus on Health
A Health Impact Assessment, performed by the Sequoia Foundation finds that a small biomass electric facility will likely benefit community health in the Lake Tahoe region through the removal of forest slash and reduction of wildfire fuels, the diversion of open pile burns to more emission efficient combustion, and the diversification of energy sources.
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| From the Newsroom
International
Bioenergy: An Energy Solution for Remote Communities
Canada: After last year's fuel and housing crisis in a Northern Ontario community and this year's barely averted disaster in neighboring one, everyone seems to agree that bio-energy is a a good solution.
WBA Disputes Forest Biomass Carbon Payback Theories
The World Bioenergy Association released a new biomass fact sheet in November asserting that theories on carbon debt and "payback time" of biomass are not credible. According to the WBA, these assumptions are based on the unrealistic assumption that trees are burned before they are grown. Download the factsheet here.
Fireplaces, Wood Stoves Taking Toll on Health
 Greece: The increased use of fireplaces and wood-burning stoves by Greeks anxious to cut down on the rising cost of heating their homes has led to higher levels of atmospheric pollution that comprise a public health risk, according to a new study by Aristototle University.
Fighting Winter with Fire? Wood Heating on the Rise
The number of US homes relying on burning wood for heat is up 24 percent since 2006. But environmental concerns could quash further growth of wood-burning, says the Christian Science Monitor.
New Federal Law May Make Replacing Furnaces Costlier
Gas boilers and furnaces must be 90% efficient starting May 1 in the northern U.S., but 78% ones can still be installed in southern states. Would different efficiency thresholds make sense for wood and pellet stoves?
State
San Geronimo Valley Change Out Program
CA: Residents of the San Geromino Valley can receive a $250 rebate for turning in a non-certified appliance or a $750 rebate for changing out their old stove for a new certified appliance. The program extends through August 1, 2013, while funds last.
Air District Recognizes Clean-Burning Technology
CA: As everyone who lives here knows, the Central Valley has been plagued with a pollution problem that rears its ugly head every winter - air pollution from wood smoke - and the San Joaquin Valley Air District has been charged with the unbelievably difficult task of cleaning it up.
Commonwealth Wood Stove Change Out Pilot Program
MA: A Pilot Program in Massachusetts to replace non-EPA-certified wood, wood-pellet-, or coal-burning stoves. Stoves must be at least 70% efficient and lower than 4.5 gph for non-cats and 2.5gph for cats. Vouchers are $1,000 or $2,000 for low-income residents.
Massachusetts Wood Stove Buyers Cautioned
MA: Building Inspector Rod Palmer is cautioning residents who are in the market for a wood or pellet stove to make sure the model they purchase can be used in Massachusetts. MA prohibits the use of stoves that do not have a UL label.
Wood Touted as "New" Renewable Fuel
MD: Wood, humanity's earliest fuel for keeping warm, is being touted these days as the latest thing in renewable energy: a greener, cheaper way to heat a home or building than burning oil or propane or consuming coal-fired electricity. It's also less expensive to buy and install than solar panels or geothermal systems.
Manufacturer Funds Southern New Hampshire Change Out Program After Violating Clean Air Act
NH: A specialty coated products manufacturer has agreed to pay a penalty of $20,200 and to spend $80,800 to replace old, polluting wood stoves in southern New Hampshire with new, cleaner models to settle EPA claims that it violated the federal Clean Air Act.
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Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
Urban Wood Utilization Webinar
January 8, 2012, 10:00am - 12:00pm EST
John Ackerly of AGH will present at 11:30am.
Improving Biomass Heating System Efficiency Webinar
January 10, 2013, 12:00 - 1:15pm EST
This BTEC webinar will discussion on combusting biomass and improving thermal energy efficiency.
Development of a U.S. Steam Metering Standard
January 10, 2013, 12:30 - 2:00pm EST
James Critchfield (U.S. EPA), will host a webinar to discuss the development of a U.S. heat metering standard (HMS) for steam applications. Many industry representatives believe a steam standard is important to increased deployment of CHP.
Environmental & Clean Energy Inaugural Ball
January 21, 2013, Washington DC
The event, co-organized by EESI, will once again be held at the beautiful Sequoia Restaurant located on the Washington Harbour waterfront in Georgetown from 8:00 PM to Midnight.
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 like small scale biomass!
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.
Canadian Wood Pellet Heating Conference
Quebec City, Quebec, February 27-March 1, 2013
Organized by the Wood Pellet Association of Canada and the Quebec Wood Export Bureau, this event will allow visitors to learn, share and discuss issues and opportunities for pellets in Canada.
Hearth, Patio, & Barbeque Expo
Orlando, FL, March 13 - 16, 2013
North America's largest indoor-outdoor living showcase.
Northeast Biomass Heating Expo: Registration Now Open!
 Saratoga Springs, NY, April 3 - 5, 2013
This is the 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.
Pellet Fuel Institute Annual Conference
Asheville, North Carolina, July 28 - 30, 2013
PFI's annual event is dedicated to the pellet industry.
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Photo of the Month: Cool Woodpiles
Click on the image to see even more amazing woodpiles, courtesy of Chuck Ray's excellent Go Wood blog.
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