April 2013
Green Heat NewsAGH logo
Issue No. 44

Quick Links

Price of Oil

March 25, 2013: $94.55

March 25, 2012: $106.43

 

Source:www.ycharts.com  

In Case You Missed it

Top stories in past issues:  

9 Reasons Wood Stove Manufacturers Don't Use Sensors

 

Rebates for Stoves Reach Less Affluent Families  

 Design Challenge Judge Profile
Raymond J. Albrecht, P.E. is the technical consultant for the Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC) and technical representative for National Biodiesel Board in northeastern United States, providing biodiesel energy and environmental information support to State and local government agencies, not-for-profit organizations and industry organizations.


People's Choice

 

As of April 1st, 2013, the three teams leading the People's Choice voting are:   

Kimberly Stove (28%)

Helbro Stoves: Gymse (26%)

Travis Industries: Lopi Cape Cod (15%)     

Visit the Popular Mechanics polling page to cast your vote for the most innovative stove in the Challenge! (Only one vote allowed per IP address.)

 

Office Equipment Needed

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] 

Join Our Mailing List

And stay up to date with all things wood heat. To sign up,

click here   

 

Like us on Facebook  

Visit our blog  

Follow us on Twitter 

Wood Stove Design Challenge Updates  

  

Popular Mechanics magazine has announced a People's Choice Award for the Wood Stove Design Challenge, separate from the official judging that will take place on the National Mall.  Head over to Popular Mechanics website to read about the finalists and choose your favorite! Voting is open through the Decathlon. 

New Partners & Sponsors (& Opportunities Available)
The Oregon Department of Air Quality and the National Firewood Association became Wood Stove Design Challenge partners and supporters last month. And, one of our sponsors, SCHOTT ROBAX, recently released this expressing their support of the Challenge. Additional partnership and sponsorship opportunities are available. If interested, contact [email protected]

Wood Stove Innovation Spotlight: Delta-T
The Delta-T Wood Stove Generator is a thermoelectric generator that harnasses the temperature differential between the pipe and the cooler air of the room to generate electricity. An automatically dampened catalytic converter likely also improves emissions and efficiency. 
 

Stay Abreast of Breaking News  

   

Like us on Facebook! 

Don't wait until the end of the month. "Like" the Alliance for Green Heat page on Facebook to get breaking news and analysis from a consumer perspective about the wood and pellet stove and boiler community.     

 

Alliance for Green Heat Projects & Activities 

                 

Pellet Stoves Make Huge Gains in Market Share 

In 1999, pellet stoves had an 11% share of the stove market. Nine years later in 2008, they had a nearly 43% market share. Today, for every three stoves sold, two use cordwood and one uses pellets. For a technology that was only invented in 1980s, this is a remarkable innovation success story.    

 

Victory in Utah! Outdoor Wood Boiler Regulations Safe   

The Republican dominated Utah Senate upheld regulations on outdoor wood boilers by not voting on a bill that had easily passed the Utah House. The bill would have likely passed the Senate had it not been for the efforts of advocacy groups such as the Alliance for Green Heat, the Wasatch Clean Air Coalition and others.  

 

The EPA released information about the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) this month after making many changes to accommodate state demands for cleaner stoves and boilers. Click here to see a new overview of the draft NSPS.   
 

Task Group Begins Work to Include Wood Heaters in Energy Audits     

Tens of thousands of energy audits happen every year, but wood and pellet stoves are almost always left out of them. The Alliance for Green Heat took this on, challenging energy audit institutions to justify overlooking such a critical piece of heating equipment.

 

Maryland Wood Stove Grants Bolster Business and Improve Energy Savings in Lower Shore

In addition to helping homeowners purchase a cleaner and more efficient means to heat their homes, MEA's Clean Burning Wood Stove Grant Pilot Program has had a beneficial effect on Maryland businesses.  

 

Washington Watch   

 

New EPA Nominee Stresses Need for Clean Cookstoves 

Gina McCarthy, Obama's nominee to head the EPA, speaks at the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Launch. McCarthy is known for her work fighting climate change as well as her Boston accent.    

 

USDA Studies Home Heating with Switchgrass Pellets

Studies by a USDA scientist have provided a complete cost-benefit breakdown of using switchgrass pellets, which are potentially a cheaper source of energy, instead of fuel oil to heat homes and businesses in the Northeast.   

Focus on Firewood  

 

Travis Takes Lead on Including Free Moisture Meters      

Travis Industries has begun to include a free moisture meter with each of its wood stoves. Travis teamed up with the EPA's Burn Wise program, which is promoting voluntary efforts like this to help wood stove owners burn cleaner and more efficiently. The Alliance for Green Heat urges other manufacturers to start providing moisture meters with their new wood stoves and will publicize their efforts here.       

 

Focus on Pellets  

 

First Pellet Producer Qualifies for PFI Standards Program

New Hampshire-based New England Wood Pellet has qualified for the Pellet Fuels Institute's pellet fuel standards program, making it the first manufacturer to do so.

 

Focus on Wood Stoves  


What's the Cleanest Wood Stove?  

The Sierra Club's Mr. Green asked the Alliance for Green Heat to help answer a stove question and we enlisted hearth.com to help. Can a stove with front door open produce more heat than closed?

Focus on Outdoor Wood Boilers   


The Alliance for Green Heat posted information about the push to overturn outdoor wood boiler regulations in Utah at Hearth.com, the leading Internet forum of residential hearth experts. We received responses from forum goers in the form of casual observations that are informative, and sometimes startling and humorous.     

Focus on Indoor Air Quality   

         

Researchers at John Hopkins School of Medicine conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of conducting indoor environmental monitoring in rural Appalachia. They found homes had evidence of poor indoor air quality with high concentrations of indoor PM and a large burden of cigarette smoking.

From the Newsroom   

State  

 

Wood Incentive Replacement Program 

CA: Trinity county is doing what seems to be the obvious and practical thing few change-out programs do: in the event the program is oversubscribed, "areas subject to considerable wood stove pollution will receive priority."  

 

Replace that Old Wood Stove 

CA: Residents of Inyo, Mono and Alpine counties who are currently relying on old wood stoves or open fireplaces to heat their homes may qualify for a new program recently launched by the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District.

 

Commonwealth Small Pellet Boiler Pilot Grant Program  

MA: There is $475,000 in the Small Pellet Boiler Pilot Grant Program for financial assistance to Massachusetts residents and organizations who install high-efficiency, low-particulate matter pellet boilers or furnaces in their homes or businesses.

 

Documentary on Maryland's First State Forester 

MD: Baltimore-based filmmaker Cheryle Franceschi is producing a documentary on Maryland's first state forester, Fred W. Besly.   

 

Mill's Stance on Black Liquor Irks Lawmakers 

MD: A month ago, Luke paper mill in western Maryland pledged to remain neutral on a bill in the state legislature that would curtail renewable energy payments to mills burning a residue called black liquor. Then, they changed their mind. The bill passed the Maryland Senate but failed to pass a House committee. Read more here.  

 

Biomass Boiler is a District 32 Success Story 

MO: Despite a winter with numerous days of freezing temperatures, students at Perry County School District 32 enjoy toasty, warm classrooms courtesy of an innovative heat source.

 

Timber Company to Pay $130K for Air Quality Violations  

MT: An Oregon timber company has agreed to pay $130,925 to a wood stove replacement program under a settlement that resolves air pollution violations alleged by Montana regulators.

        

MT: Air quality alerts have been commonplace this winter in the Helena Valley. However, most residents - nearly 80 percent according to a recent poll - don't believe the Helena Valley has an air quality problem, despite the inversions.  

Committee Tries to Overturn Outdoor Wood Boiler Ban  

UT: A committee of Utah lawmakers struck back at a fledgling rule to improve air quality, asserting the ban on outdoor wood furnaces is unfair and would not significantly address the problem of air pollution. The bill passed in the House but died in the Senate.   

 

Why Does Rep. Mike Noel Hate My Kids and Grandkids? 

UT: Rep. Noel passed out a flier on the House floor in support of his bill to ease regulations on outdoor wood boilers that contained blatant falsehoods. A Utah columnist takes him to task.   

 

Biomass Plant Closes in Louisa 

VA: Citing financial reasons, Biomass Energy LLC closed its wood-pellet manufacturing plant in Louisa County on Thursday. Biomass customers included hospitals, schools, colleges, manufacturing facilities, commercial properties and municipal facilities. 

 

VT: A concerned citizen in North Springfield, Vermont argues that a biomass to electricity power plant is a bad investment for the city, citing several examples of failed projects in other municipalities.   
 
Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
          

Saratoga Springs, NY, April 3 - 5, 2013

The 5th annual event unites a diverse audience from the biomass community to break barriers for biomass thermal and CHP systems. The Alliance is a co-sponsor and has helped plan this vital gathering of stakeholders.  

 

Heat Metering Biomass Stakeholder Session   

Saratoga Springs, New York, April 3, 2013 

An ASTM E44.25 task group session, sponsored by BTEC, will explore the inclusion and application of biomass technologies in E44.25 standards activities. Registration is required. 

 

International Biomass Conference & Expo

Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 8 - 10, 2013

The largest gathering of biomass professionals in North America.  

 

European Conference on Renewable Heating & Cooling

Dublin, Ireland, April 22 - 23, 2013

This two day, 4th annual conference will cover solar thermal, geothermal and biomass thermal.   

 

Carlton, MN, April 24 - 26, 2013

For anyone interested in supporting and expanding the use of biomass for heat and CHP in the Midwest.

  

Low Income Forum on Energy (LIFE) Regional Meetings Various locations, New York, May 2 - 22, 2013  

Six regional meetings across New York State about the issues that confront low-income energy consumers.   

 

MDE Fuel Burning Equipment Stakeholder Meeting

Baltimore, Maryland, May 20, 2013  

The Maryland Department of the Environment is considering regulatory action pertaining to fuel burning equipment and is holding a stakeholder meeting from 9-11am May 20th at the MDE office in Baltimore. For more information, call 410-537-3240.   

 

Pellet Fuel Institute Annual Conference

Asheville, North Carolina, July 28 - 30, 2013 

PFI's annual event dedicated to the pellet industry.    

 

2013 NC Wood Exports Conference

New Bern, North Carolina, November 13 - 15, 2013

This conference highlights the port response to increasing exports.

    

Photo of the Month: New Stove Design   

What do you think the two stacks attached to this new Italian stove could be? Speakers? Heat transfer towers? Something else? Help us figure it out by adding your ideas here.



 
Please Support Our Work


Thanks
to ...




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.
 
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 January 2013

-- Dr. William & Frances Ackerly
-- American Biomass
-- Arbolito Foundation
-- Constellation Energy
-- Family Alliance Foundation
-- Osprey Foundation
-- Ramsay Merriam Fund
-- Jim & Patty Rouse Foundation 
-- Takoma Foundation
-- University of Maryland Extension Service
-- Wood Education and Resource Center, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, U.S. Forest Service 

Become a Green Heat Founding Member: Make your donation here  

 

  Find us on Facebook