According to the 2012 Fannie Mae Housing and Economic Report, home sales and construction will improve this year, contributing to a modest lift in the US economy. After acting like an anchor on the economy since 2006, this is welcome news.

While slow at first, the sales of new and existing homes are likely to increase 3.5 percent and housing starts are projected to rise 16 percent. This growth is driven by improvements in apartments and single-family house construction. Continued low interest rates will also support an increase in housing investment, with interest rates forecasted to rise slightly over the year.

If we look outside the housing market, the Conference Board, which tracks leading economic indicators see broad-based improvement in employment, consumer confidence, CEO confidence and other leading economic indicators.

Is this a sign that things have turned the corner?

Well, caution would certainly be the most prudent course of action, but there are positive signs. With rates low and the strain easing (in some areas), perhaps it is time to consider taking a look at some of those projects that you have been waiting to complete — but don’t get too ambitious, yet.

These days, we are all looking for a bargain and Greenwood is only more than happy to help. How would you like to win $200 towards a STIHL chainsaw or other STIHL products? Simply like us on Facebook to enter the contest to win!

We reached out to our friends at STIHL to let them know that with the holiday’s coming up, our readers may want to buy a STIHL product but right now, maybe can’t afford to spend the extra money. As a clean burning wood boiler manufacturer, we want to help make sure you are prepared for the cold winter months. If we can help you buy the STIHL chainsaw you’ve been eyeing for a while, we’re glad to help!

By liking us on our Facebook page, you will be automatically entered to win a $200 STIHL gift certificate to use towards a new STIHL chainsaw, blower or other outdoor power equipment item – check out STIHL’s products here! What is most exciting is that since our Facebook page is new (and as of this writing) we have fewer than 100 fans; the chances are high that you could win! Go to Greenwood’s Facebook page today and like us to enter to win $200 towards STIHL products!!

Earlier this month it was National Chimney Safety Week, a gentle reminder to wood burning homeowners to have an annual inspection by a professional chimney sweep.  Cutting corners and delaying routine maintenance may lead to additional expense in the future.  Even the Greenwood Frontier or that new wood stove you got last year, that produce little emission, should have their flue or chimney inspected annually — it will keep your costs down in the long run and your house safe and warm.

The National Chimney Sweep Guild and the National Fire Protection Association both recommend that homeowners call a professional chimney sweep for an annual chimney inspection. Only a qualified professional will be able to identify and resolve maintenance issues before potential carbon monoxide intrusion and chimney fire hazards risk your time, health or money. So visit our friends at the National Chimney Sweep Guild or the Chimney Safety Institute of America to find a qualified sweep.

Data from the 2010 US Census shows that wood heat grew faster than any other heating source in the last decade. The use of wood fuel grew 34% compared to the 26% increase for electricity.

Wood heat grew fastest in the Northeast and the Great Lakes regions with Michigan and Connecticut seeing the largest increases at over 120% each.  Other states which saw significant increases in wood heat penetration over the decade, include high-density states New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio with increases exceeding 65 percent.

The rise of wood and wood pellets in home heating is often driven by a need for homeowners to reduce their heating bill with lower cost fuels like wood that are used in wood stoves, wood boilers and fireplace inserts. Over the last ten years, wood heat has been driven by the climbing cost of oil, the economic downturn and the movement to use renewable energy.

According to the EIA, residential wood heat accounts for 80% of residential renewable energy, solar 15% and geothermal 5%. By contrast, the only part of the country where wood fell in use were the warm weather states of the South, with Florida seeing the highest decline at 21 percent.

John Ackerly, with the Alliance for Green Heat, stated it most clearly, “Heating with wood may not be hip like solar, but it’s proving to be the workhorse of residential renewable energy production.”

For more information on heating fuel, visit here.

According to Boston Globe, this past summer, Massachusetts households experienced the highest summer fuel-oil prices of the last three years. In fact, prices averaged $3.73 a gallon last month, over a $1 more than the same time last year.

If these prices remain, it would increase the average Massachusetts home heating bill by $225, effectively pulling an additional $200 million out of their pockets.

No one knows where oil prices are going — some say over $100 barrel (currently the mid-$80′s) and others see it easing a bit. The bottom line is simple — if you are on a tight budget or fixed income, you don’t like the uncertainty.

In addition, there has also been serious talk about cutting the LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) by as much as 50 percent, adding to an already difficult situation. Even at the current cap of $1000, this provides participants a tank of oil — enough fuel for up to half a heating season. Any cuts and this benefit is reduced.

This never-ending spiral is what leads many homeowners through the doors of our dealers. They are tired of the vicious cycle and the strain it place on their lives. They want to take control of home expense that can be as high as $3500 a year or more.

Operating a wood boiler is not for everyone, it requires some tending every day. The good thing is that today’s advanced wood gasification boilers take away much of the hassle of traditional wood boilers — little or no smoke, less maintenance — and in the case of Greenwood Frontier less work since you don’t need to split the wood. In all cases, these appliances are convenient and are run from the home’s thermostat.

The one thing that all wood heating appliances have in common is that they decrease the operator’s heating costs and reduce the exposure to increasing fuel oil prices. With the ability to lower a heating bill by over 70 percent, year-in and year out, the question I continue to struggle with is a simple one:

With today’s clean, high-efficiency systems why aren’t we using wood-fired central heating and why isn’t our public policy moving those best suited to use wood heat to wood as fuel for heating their homes?

Yes, you read the headline correctly, some are predicting that wood fuel is ready to make a big move similar to oil’s rise from $20 to $150 a barrel.

According to the Globe and Mail, there are lots of reasons to be bullish, some more obvious than others:

• Demand is up in China, which recently changed its building codes to favor lumber.
• Environmental regulations in Europe are driving the change from coal-fired power plants to biomass-fired plants.
• In North America, the rate of change is slower, but regulations and emerging biomass combustion technologies, like Greenwood’s CrossFire™ Combustion are making biomass a more attractive option for heating.

So, what does that mean for you and me? When you look out your kitchen window in the morning or take that drive through the countryside to look at the beautiful fall colors, don’t be mistaken, there is gold in the forest.

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NH-PUC) has announced improvements in its Residential Bulk-Fuel Fed Wood-Pellet Central Boilers and Furnaces rebate program for automated wood pellet boilers and wood furnaces.

The program allows consumers to get a rebate of 30% up to a maximum of $6,000 on the purchase and installation of a qualifying heating system. To qualify, the installation must receive authority approval and include an efficient and automatic feeding wood furnace or pellet boiler. The appliances must installed before February 2012.

The two modifications to the program enable more systems to qualify:

• the overall efficiency rating has been lowered to 80% (from 85% or greater), and
• systems now qualify that require routine cleaning for each ton of premium pellets used. (Systems that automatically clean the burn chamber and the heat exchanger still qualify.)

Once in a while, you come across a good idea that really stands out as a winner. Here is one from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and Scholastic that fits that description.

The NFPA has partnered with Scholastic to create Fire Prevention Week (October 9 – 15) classroom kits for teachers and students from pre-K through grade 5.  The free, standards-based lessons and printables teach and reinforce crucial fire-safety skills with children, including the importance of testing smoke alarms and what kids should do when the alarm sounds.

NFPA is providing all the program materials free to download. If you are a teacher, or have small children or grandchildren we encourage you to take a look.

According to a new study from RISI, a global forest products industry information provider, renewable energy policy in Europe will generate a 44% increase in biomass demand by 2020.

Biomass is currently the largest source of renewable energy in Europe which poses challenges of its own. The demand is high, however the report goes on to report that unless new sources of biomass are developed (beyond existing levels), Europe will face an acute shortage of biomass.

With this type of outlook, it is no surprise that wood pellet mills in the United States and Canada are exporting their products to Europe in in record quantities. It is also not surprising, that although we have greater pellet production in North America, prices remain elevated. Unfortunately, this is not likely to change with current government policies.

The findings are presented in European Biomass Review, and outlines three potential scenarios for explores new sources for supply. The report covers the EU27 countries (and Norway and Switzerland) with breakdowns for five regions (North, West, East, & South Europe, UK and Ireland). It highlights opportunities for global biomass exporters, as well as the need to develop infrastructure.

As reported by Biomass Magazine, despite the unstable economy, wood heating is dominating the residential renewable energy market in America. With its affordability and today’s efficient wood heating appliances, homeowners are looking for greater certainty in their utility bills. In today’s economy, families do not want to pay the extra expense for high heating bills during the winter months. An efficient wood heating appliance could cut a person’s heating bill by 70 percent.

The Transforming Wood Heat in America report states, “…despite all the hoopla around solar, wood heat creates 80 percent of all residential renewable energy.” Wood heat is attractive with stretched wallets and tight government spending. Log wood is an ideal fuel for families that are feeling the pressure of paying high oil bills to heat their homes. Families typically do not have the income to invest in popular technologies such as solar and geo-thermal as a result wood heating is efficient and cost effective.

The article’s author, Lisa Gibson, explains the advantage of wood heating, as it provides year-round heating for the consumer’s home and does not require much effort. By simply putting a few wood logs in the appliance, the home is comfortably heated throughout the cold days and evenings. By contrast, using solar panels in the long, dark winter months does not heat the home efficiently and needs an alternative source to provide the energy the home requires. However, wood heaters can be used year around and do not need another energy source to provide heat for the home.

These are difficult times, and with summer coming to a close and fall just around the corner, more and more people are returning to the basics of wood heat. Particularly with today’s cleaner, more efficient and affordable technologies, home heating bills can cut down exponentially and are proving to be a popular option.

Special thanks to Nick Biagi (@Nick_Biagi), our summer intern, for authoring this post.