March 2014
Green Heat News AGH logo
Issue No. 55

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Price of Oil

February 24, 2014: 103.17

February 24, 2013: $93.12

 

Source:www.ycharts.com  

In Case You Missed it

Top stories in past issues:  

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: info@forgreenheat.org 


EPA Proposed New Heater Regulations

 

Industry & Air Agencies Spar at EPA's Public Hearing on New Wood Stove Regulations 

Alliance for Green Heat - Most of the controversy at the EPA's public hearing on their new residential wood heater regulations was not about outdoor wood boilers or other unregulated heaters but about the traditional wood stove. 
 

EPA Publishes Trove of Documents that Influenced NSPS 

AGH - Along with proposed regulations, the EPA published 367 documents that are now available for public review and scrutiny. Many are available to the public for the first time.   

 

HPBA Joins Lawsuit Against EPA 

AGH - In November, 2013 the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) joined a lawsuit brought against the EPA arguing that its members have and are suffered economic injury as a result of the EPA's failure to enact the NSPS in a timely way.

A Sampling of Recent NSPS Media Coverage:

Valley News - Hearthstone and Vermont Castings say proposed regulations too strict, but Woodstock Soapstone says its a good regulation.    

New Rules Could Clear the Air, Push Up Prices   

NH Public Radio - It has been 25 years since the EPA wrote the first woodstove regulations. Since the rules were last refreshed, the health hazards from the unburned particles in wood smoke have been researched and quantified.
Climate Progress - As the state of Missouri fights against the EPA's long-awaited pollution regulations for new wood-burning stoves, a flame has been sparked in the conservative blogosphere.

 

New Standards Will Backfire, Says Maine Manufacturer 

Bangor Daily News - Some in the industry say proposed regulations will increase the cost of stoves for consumers and discourage people from investing in new, cleaner burning stoves - an effect contrary to the government's intended goal.  
 

EPA Summary of NSPS: 

Wood Stove Design Challenge  

  

The Next Chapter of the Wood Stove Design Challenge  

AGH - Initial plans are underway to organize a week-long workshop in the northeast for engineers and experts to study, test and tweak automated stoves and stove prototypes.  For more info, contact caitlin@forgreenheat.org, or watch our blog or Facebook page.

Popular Mechanics - James Meigs, Editor in Chief of Popular Mechanics and a judge in the Wood Stove Decathlon argues that the law favors solar panels, rewarding them with hefty tax credits. But when it comes to helping the planet, wood stoves may be a better bet.  

Al Steele, US Forest Service - There are a lot of folks who appreciate the virtues of elegant simplicity in the wood stove. I met some very talented people at the Wood Stove Decathlon who may figure out how to drastically improve performance, without sacrificing the simplicity. 

Alliance for Green Heat Activities 

  

Testimony in Support of Thermal Energy in MD's RPS  

AGH - The Alliance for Green Heat urged the Economic Matters Committee to include thermal biomass in the state renewable energy standard, including certain residential technology.
   

Most Liked Stories on Facebook

 

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Pellet News         

Some local residents are finding that it's harder now to find wood pellets to fuel the stoves they are using to heat their homes, and those who produce and sell the pellets say there are reasons they're in shorter supply this year.  

 

From the Newsroom  
   

International 

 

Waste Coffee Grounds Set to Fuel London  

UK: Sometimes an idea seems so good you can't believe it hasn't been done before. Using waste coffee grounds to make biomass pellets and biodiesel occurred to Arthur Kay in 2012.

UK: Rising energy costs and growing eco-consciousness amongst consumers are forcing hoteliers across the country to explore new ways of making their businesses leaner and ultimately, greener.
 

States 

 

Wood Boiler Users Dispute Heavy Pollution Claims  

CT: There are 500 to 1,000 unregulated wood furnaces in the state, the Department of Environmental Protection estimates.
 
CT: Among car exhaust, factory fumes and coal-fired power plants, there is one source of air pollution that Connecticut residents know little about: emissions from residential wood smoke.
  

Des Moines Woman Asks to Ban on Wood Stoves  

IA:  A Des Moines woman wants wood stoves banned in the city. For some people, a toasty wood fire is hard to beat. Brenda Walker is not one of those people.
  
MA: The program offers rebates to assist Massachuseresidents in replacing non-EPA-certified woodstoves with cleaner, more efficient wood or pellet stoves. Applications will be accepted through March 4, 2014.

 

Big Stores Struggle to Meet Demand for Wood Pellets

ME: A retail shortage of wood fuel pellets locally has less to do with a dwindling supply and more to do with a cold winter.

New Program Off-sets Cost of Pellet Stoves 

ME: Grant money is available to help homeowners ditch their oil furnace and get one that burns wood pellets instead. One of the programs  is now working with homeowners in Farmington and Wilton.

 

More Air Quality Improvements Seen for Wood Stoves 

NH: Despite the benefits, a number of state and national agencies are now saying that wood burning is not always as ideal as people expect. In fact, burning wood to heat a home can lead to environmental, safety and health problems if it is not done responsibly. 

 

NH: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that $3 million has been awarded to 18 research institutions, technology developers and biomass-fuel businesses to encourage the growth of high-efficiency, low-emission wood-fired heating equipment.

 

Henrico Neighborhood at Odds with Wood Boiler 

VA: Outdoor wood boilers are legal, but it's fueling hostility in one Henrico neighborhood, pitting one man at odds with his neighbors.  

 

Group Explores Biomass 

VT: According to Guy Payne of the Sustainable Energy Outreach Network, this area could develop into a foremost center of renewable and sustainable energy in rural America.   

Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
   

Biomass Heating Integration Workshop

Anchorage, AK, March 3-4, 2014
Opportunity to earn Continuing Education Credits on topics such as wood gasification application, pellet boiler application, heat metering and thermal storage.

HBPA Expo

Salt Lake City, Utah, March 5-8, 2014 

The annual Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Expo will be held in Salt Lake City Utah this year. 

March 10, 2014
The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) is hosting an upcoming webinar on renewable thermal in RPS.

Washington DC, March 26, 2014
LIHEAP Action Day is an opportunity to educate Congress about the increasing energy burden on low-income Americans.
 

Northeast Biomass Heating Expo

Portland, Maine, April 9-11, 2014

The Expo unites a diverse audience from fuel, supply chain, developer, manufacturer, non-profit and government sectors to break barriers for biomass thermal and CHP.     

 

Urban Wood Utilization Webcast

April 15, 2014  10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern

Join us to learn about urban wood utilization activities, including urban timber measurement protocols. For the audio portion, call toll-free at (888) 844-9904 and use participant passcode 7578516.

 

Profitable Firewood Processing Workshop

Princeton, WV, April 17, 2014

This educational and networking event will provide the firewood processing industry with the latest knowledge on processing, kiln drying, and marketing firewood. For additional information, contact Harry Watt from North Carolina State University at 704-880-5034.

 

Mid-Atlantic Biomass Heat & Power Conference

Gettysburg, PA, April 23-24, 2014  

An opportunity to network with colleagues, attend field trips, review successful Pennsylvania Biomass projects, and hear panel discussions.

 

Advanced Energy 2014 
Albany, NY, April 28-29, 2014 
The Advanced Energy Conference has solidified its position as the premier energy conference in New York State, and one America's most comprehensive and influential events on the future of energy.

Green Bay, WI, April 29-May 1, 2014 
This 3rd Annual Conference features a tour of biomass facilities, key-note presentations and an expo.

Antique Stove Association Convention

Cody, Wyoming, June 1-4, 2014 

The schedule includes a visit to the Buffalo Bill museum and a stove auction.   

 

Lake Placid, NY, June 4-6, 2014
 The Conference Planning Team is currently requesting abstracts for presentations.

 


 
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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.
 
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A special thanks to those who have contributed $2,000 or more since Jan. 1, 2013

-- Dr. William & Frances Ackerly
-- Arbolito Foundation 
-- Chimney Safety Institute of America 
-- England Stove Works
-- Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
-- New York State Energy & Research Development Authority
-- Osprey Foundation
-- Jim & Patty Rouse Foundation 
-- Schott-Robax
-- University of Maryland Extension Service  
-- DC Dept. of Transportation, Urban Forestry Administration
-- U.S. Forest Service
-- West Penn Power Energy & Sustainability Fund

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