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In Case You Missed it
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Top stories in past issues:
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| New Research Fellows | |
We want to welcome Ivana Sirovica and Olivia Wondu to the Alliance for Green Heat. They will be focusing on the Collaborative Stove Design Workshop. Ivana recently graduated from Cornell University and Olivia from Knox College.
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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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EPA Proposed New Heater Regulations
In July, three men met in Canada for sensitive, private meetings to see if they could reach agreement on key sections of the proposed EPA wood heater regulations. More than a month later, after consulting with their members, they flew to Washington and presented their consensus positions to EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe.
Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin met with Vermont Castings at the manufacturer's facilities in Kentucky and Vermont. The topic was increasing regulatory restrictions on the hearth industry and their effects on the welfare of the manufacturer, who employ over 600 people.
Key NSPS Links: |
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Wood Stove Technology Competitions
The Collaborative Stove Design Workshop kicks off in 5 weeks, with 7 stoves competing to see who can best automate the operation of a wood stove, enabling the operator to "load & leave." In addition to the teams, many stove manufacturers, regulators, and innovators will be helping to assess and push forward concepts.
AGH - The U.S. The Forest Service's "Rural Revitalization Through Forestry" program is providing a 2-year $25,000 grant to support the "Wood Stove Design Challenge," that aims to find cost-effective ways to reduce smoke from wood stoves through automation.
Rebecca Trojanowski, Tom Buthcer and other scientists from Brookhaven National Lab prepared a technical report on the methods, results and challenges of testing stoves in the field.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency just announced a technology competition for retrofit devices for uncertified wood stoves. Like the Wood Stove Design Challenges, this retrofit competition offers free testing, publicity, a cash prize and retention of all IP rights.
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Washington Watch
Funding options for wood burning appliance changeouts
The EPA's BurnWise Program held a webinar detailing a new report, "EPA's Guide to Financing Options for Wood-burning Appliance Changeouts." The report is about resources available to assist states, tribes, and local organizations to investigate and create financing options for wood burning appliances changeouts.
The U.S. Senate is once again addressing energy tax incentives but there is still little movement toward extending tax incentives, including the wood heat tax credit that expired at the end of 2013.
Another Republican lawmaker became a co-sponsor of proposed legislation to block the EPA from setting Step 2 emission levels for 8 years. The bill has extremely little chance, if any, of passage and may be mostly designed to send a message to the EPA.
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Fuel News: Firewood & Pellets
Dry firewood in short supply across North America
 Last year's long winter prompted thousands of Twin State residents to burn more firewood than usual, fueling shortages and price increases this year. In Nova Scotia, a natural resource minister explains the causes of the firewood shortage there are complex and not due to lack of wood. Meanwhile, in Vermont, short supply is blamed on declining logging industry.
Pellet Heat Amore
 Italian homeowners burned 2.5 million tons of wood pellets for home heat in 2013, making Italy Europe's largest residential pellet market. Over the past three years, Italy has seen a steady 15 percent demand growth.
Wood Pellet Quality Schemes
A variety of pellet quality schemes can certify or qualify pellets. The four most commonly referenced in North America are the Pellet Fuels Institute Standards Program, CANplus, ENplus and DINplus.
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Most Liked Stories on Facebook
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* Fresno changeout incentives offer more than cash
* Wood heat and the NYC People's Climate March
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States
New restrictions, incentives approved for central valley
CA: The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has increased the number of no-burn days for everyone except those who buy the cleanest burning stoves and fireplaces.
Program replaces old wood burning stoves IL: After last winter, Gary Smith knew his 100-year-old wood stove wouldn't last another season. But Smith is now heating his home with a new EPA-certified wood stove that was installed at reduced cost through an American Lung Association program.
Wood stove swap will clean airIN: A wood stove swap program in Lake, Porter, Jasper and Newton counties can net participants a voucher of $1,000 toward purchase of a new EPA-certified wood stove and up to $4,000 to replace an outdoor wood boiler. Renewable sources of heat will qualify as incentives under new Mass. law MA: Massachusetts' generous incentives spurred a wave of solar panel construction. We might soon see the same type of success with renewable heating devices and technologies.
Jotul to shift manufacturing from Scandinavia to Maine
ME: The Norwegian home heating company Jotul plans to expand its Maine-based manufacturing, moving production of its wood stoves to the company's North American headquarters in Gorham.
MN: Crimped by a wet spring and summer that kept loggers out of the woods, loggers and firewood suppliers say they just don't have any seasoned wood to sell this fall.
Community aims to develop district heating program
MN: A proposed biomass-fueled district heating project in Grand Marais, Minnesota, is one step closer to reality with the recent publication of a Step II study. Construction could begin as soon as 2016 if state bonding is secured.
MT: Eight years after its elementary became the one of the first schools in the state to heat with biomass, Troy Public Schools is in the process of converting its high school to wood pellets.
NE: The Nebraska Forest Service announced it will offer two cost-share assistance grants for organizations including municipalities, universities, hospitals and greenhouses that wish to install woody biomass-fired energy systems.
OR: A new permit offered by the Sisters Ranger District will allow firewood collectors to pick up wood left behind from thinning projects and logging operations.
 WI: A new poll finds that most voters within the state support the increased use of biomass energy. Results of the poll also show the state's voters want to see Wisconsin's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) expand.
WI: After dealing with a propane shortage last winter, some homeowners are finding a shortage of seasoned is already starting this year.
VT: The 42,000 people living in Burlington, Vermont can now feel confident that when they turn on their TVs or power up their computers they are using renewable energy. VT: When we contemplate large wood-burning systems, the question of fuel-wood supply arises. Cutting trees specifically to supply heating systems is the primary, but not necessarily the only, means to that end.
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Upcoming Conferences and Webinars
September 15 - November 21
Developed in partnership with BTEC, this 10-week online course in designing and installing heating systems taught by John Siegenthaler is worth 20 AIA credits.
NFPA Fire Protection Week
October 5-11
Most people don't test their smoke alarms as often as they should, or clean their chimneys often often. Help spread the news during Fire Protection Week.
Hyattsville, MD, October 14-15
Jump start the Energy Renaissance, with the dissemination of ideas to transform customers from passive to engaged decision makers and participants in their energy future.
ACI New England Home Performance Conference 
Springfield, MA, October 15-16
Alliance for Green Heat and BPI will be presenting at this conference that brings thousands of home energy professionals to Springfield, MA.
Burlington, VT, October 16-17
This event highlights current energy challenges, Vermont's leadership role in the energy industry, and moving towards an integrated energy infrastructure.
National, Oct. 22 The Second Annual National Bioenergy Day is an opportunity to showcase bioenergy facilities and the bionenergy supply chain around the United States.
Unity, NH October 22 This is the second biomass boiler operator's workshop coordinated by the NH Wood Energy Council for those responsible for operating commercial, institutional and industrial scale wood pellet boilers. Brookhaven Nat'l Lab, Nov. 4 - 7
Building on the Wood Stove Decathlon, this event will focus on automated stoves and bring experts together to study, test and improve automated stove designs.
Washington DC, December 7-10 BECC is the premier event focused on understanding individual and organizational behavior and decision-making related to energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and sustainability.
Seattle, WA, February 2-3, 2015 ACI is excited to return to Seattle, WA for the 2015 Northwest Regional Home Performance Conference!
Lancaster, PA, February 18-21, 2015
The National Chimney Sweep Guild is now accepting speaker proposals for presentations at the NCSG 2015 National Convention in February.
Wels, Austria, February 25-26, 2015
With more than 600 participants every year, the European Pellet Conference is the largest annual pellet event in the world!
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