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.)

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With the EPA’s Residential Wood Heater New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) now on the horizon, the State of Indiana has joined with many states in regulating outdoor hydronic heaters (also referred to as outdoor wood boiler or outdoor wood furnace). On May 18th, Indiana’s first rules regulating the sale, installation and operation of outdoor wood furnaces became law. The rules affect an estimated 8,000 Indiana residents who currently use an outdoor wood furnace to heat their home.

So, if you are an Indiana resident and either own or plan to purchase an outdoor wood boiler, here is a summary of some of the major elements of the adopted regulation 326 IAC 4-3.

• emission limits for new units must meet EPA Phase 2 standards,
• existing non-EPA qualified units must limit their operation to the heating season (October 1 – April 30),
• increasing the stack height for certain existing units, and
• notice requirements for sellers of outdoor hydronic heaters.

For additional information on this regulation, please visit the Indiana Department of Environmental Regulation website for outdoor hydronic heater regulations. A copy of the entire rule is available here or IDEM provides a fact sheet for more concise reading about the outdoor wood furnace rule.

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As part of the federal government’s initiative to reduce spending, the contingency budget for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that provides heating assistance for those with low incomes was cut by 67%, from $591 million to just $200 million. LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households pay their home heating and cooling bills. It operates in every state and the District of Columbia, as well as on most tribal reservations and U.S. territories.

If you are one of the homeowners that was receiving these subsidies, this cut is going to hurt, especially with energy prices at all times highs. However, rather than discuss the pros/cons of the action, I wanted to look at a different segment of homeowners and how they are addressing the financial strain that home energy costs place on their bank account.

We are finding that many people are adopting high efficiency wood-fired central heating as a means to stem the flow of monies out the door to pay for heating their home. People with access to money or a loan — use that money to pay for high-efficiency wood furnace and then pay back the loan from the annual savings on their oil bill. This is pretty clever, and kudos to the local banks who provide these types of loans.

Now back to the LIHEAP contingency budget. What if that same loan-based approach was applied to the families and homeowners that currently receive funding or might be on the cusp of needing money from the program?

From a policy perspective it’s the “teach a man to fish parable” — the choice between a our tax dollars paying for foreign oil for 1 day of warmth, versus those dollars staying in our country and providing warmth year after year. The program has an incredible opportunity to reduce our dependence on imported energy, one low-income family at a time.

To learn more about LIHEAP in your area, visit the State Grantees website.

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In a surprise move, two months after putting the regulation on hold, the NY DEC approved stricter regulations for new outdoor wood boilers effective April 15th, 2011.

Like many other northeastern states, New York follows the format of much of the EPA voluntary OWHH standard — this includes: emission performance, wood boiler stack height, approved fuels, and setbacks (from adjacent buildings). In addition there are labeling, consumer education, and reporting requirements for manufacturers and wood furnace dealers.

A unique twist introduced in the regulation is the designation of a residential wood boiler and a commercial wood boiler — with a wood furnace that is rated below 250,000 BTU/hr classified as a residential system. The regulations for commercial systems (> 250,000 BTU/hr) may not be installed for residential use and include greater installation requirements.

It is unclear at this point in time how this commercial aspect of this regulation relates to other existing commercial biomass boiler regulations. However one thing is clear, with the many interested parties on this topic, there will be additional news on New York’s new outdoor wood boiler regulations.

Details of the regulation are available on the DEC website.

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Wood heat is a political topic?

No, this is not the 19th century, but in today’s political climate, energy and energy security are core issues in the political debate.

Who would have imagined that wood boilers might have played a role in shaping the landscape? Over the past six months, we have had the pleasure of speaking with many state and national government representatives regarding the use of clean wood-fired central heating as an essential part of the nation’s energy portfolio — clearly the message is getting through.

As we get closer to November 2nd and the political race heats up — we encourage you to stay engaged with your local races and ensure that your elected officials understand the benefits of clean, renewable wood heat!

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced yesterday that they have submitted a regulation to the state Environmental Board for consideration at its October 25 meeting that will set stringent performance standards for new outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) sold in New York State. If approved, the regulation would go into effect 30 days after its filing with the state Secretary of State. The stricter guidelines will ensure that new OWBs burn at least 90% cleaner than older models.

The regulation includes restrictions on fuel, stack height, set back and seasonal operation. Details of the proposed ruling may be found at the NY DEC site.

Currently, installed wood boilers that do not comply with the proposed regulation are grandfathered in compliance, but the DEC has proposed a study period to evaluate the impact of requiring their removal.

So, if you live in New York State and stay-tuned or raise your concern — you are running out of time to have your voice heard.

If you live in New York state and were not aware of the discussion going on around wood boiler regulation, you better start paying attention! According to the Watertown Daily Times, the NY Department of Environmental Conservation would require that units be installed 100 feet from neighbors property line and with stacks that are 18 feet tall.

While chimney pipe is not inexpensive, perhaps the more troubling fact for existing wood boiler or outdoor wood furnace owners is that existing units will need to be retired by either 2015 or 2020. Take a look at this article for more information.

In the midst of an uncertain economy, outdoor wood boilers and wood-fired furnaces have become a way for people to reduce their monthly heating bills and cut heating costs. We have found that we are getting more questions from folks who have never used a wood-fired central heating system, so I thought I would answer some often asked questions to help people better understand the appliances and make informed decisions about their home heating choice.

What is a wood boiler?  Wood boilers burn wood and convert the energy in wood to hot water for use as space heating or domestic hot water. They are very similar to a central gas, propane or oil boiler, except the burn wood for fuel.

Will a wood boiler work with my existing forced air heating system?  Wood boilers will work with most existing heating systems (e.g. forced air, baseboard, radiant, etc.). They are controlled by the thermostat inside the home.

Are wood boilers and wood furnaces the same? Technically, boilers create hot water and and furnaces create hot air. However, when the terms wood boiler or wood furnace are used, they are often used to refer to the same appliance. The term wood boiler is an East Coast term, while wood furnace is a often used in the Midwest

What is the difference between a traditional wood boiler and a clean technology wood boiler?  Over the last few years, the US EPA has been working with manufacturers to promote the development of clean technology wood boilers. These high efficiency units capture most of the heat produced from burning wood and emit 90% less emission than their dirty cousins, the traditional wood boiler. In addition, they use 50-60% less wood, while producing the same amount of heat.

Why are clean technology wood boilers more efficient? Clean technology wood boilers, such as those manufactured by Greenwood Technologies, burn at much hotter temperatures. Through a process called wood gasification, these units burning the wood completely and also burn the smoke and the gases released from the wood. There is little left to exit the chimney as smoke.

How do I know which wood boiler to buy?  Look for wood boilers sold with an Orange or White Tag. These appliances are designated by the EPA to be clean burning and meet low emission standards. A short list of manufacturers that currently meet these standards is located at www.epa.gov/woodheaters.

Does my state have regulations for wood boilers? Due to the pollution caused by traditional wood boilers, a number of states including Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have guidelines for new appliances.  Many additional states are also creating model rules. Check with NESCAUM (Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management) or you might take a look at the list that the State of Vermont has pulled together here.

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The outdoor wood boiler (outdoor wood-fired furnace) good versus bad conversation continues to heat up. Just to make sure everyone sees Greenwood in the right light, we have the good products. Greenwood only makes clean burning wood boilers. In fact, as of the date of this post, we have the cleanest indoor and outdoor wood boilers as determined by the EPA. Sorry, no dirty-burning devices for us.

Greenwood Technologies outdoor wood boilers are designated by the EPA with an Orange Tag because of their low emission status. The Greenwood Aspen 175 and Greenwood Furnace Model 100 are certified for outdoor installation in the State of Vermont.  This is good news for clean burning wood boilers and wood-fired furnaces.  Read more about the debate in a NY Times article that posted on 9/19.

http://www.amny.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny–outdoorfurnaces0919sep19,0,7542616.story

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