Trends and Opportunities in Residential Wood Heating: Low Hanging Fruit for Incentive Programs

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1 Trends and Opportunities in Residential Wood Heating: Low Hanging Fruit for Incentive Programs Maryland 2013 Wood Energy Conference John Ackerly Alliance for Green Heat October 30, 2013

2 Wood is 3 rd most common heat in U.S. 70 US Residential Heating Fuel Use 60 Millions of US Homes Secondary Primary 10 0 Electricity Natural Gas Wood Propane/LPG Fuel Oil Kerosene

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4 States with high unemployment and/or little natural gas access are experiencing fastest growth of wood heat.

5 We are market leaders in reducing fossil fuels in the US Over 10 million homes heat with wood Less than 500,000 have solar panels

6 Transforming Wood Heat in America: A Toolkit of Policy Options Fossil Fuel Reduction of a $2,000 Wood/Pellet Stove = Fossil Fuel Reduction of a $20,000 Solar PV Both systems can displace equal amounts of carbon from fossil fuel: 3 tons. 1 kw system, 1 cord of wood or 1 ton of pellets all displace about 1 ton of carbon from fossil fuels. Full report available at:

7 Transforming Wood Heat in America: A Toolkit of Policy Options Wood Stoves vs. Solar PV & the Prius Technology # of appliances installed Tons of carbon saved per Total tons of carbon as of 2010 year per appliance saved per year in US Pre 1990 stoves 6 million 1.5 tons 9 million EPA certified stoves 3 million 1.9 tons 5.7 million Pellet stoves 1 million 3.5 tons 3.5 million Total stoves 10 million 1.8 tons 17.7 million Solar PV panels (4 kw) 0.3 million 3.5 tons 1.05 million Prius 0.8 million 3.75 tons 3 million Full report available at:

8 Most Wood Heating Equipment is Outdated and Too Polluting

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12 MEA Wood & Pellet Stove Grant Program Rebate of $700 for pellet stoves and $500 for wood stoves Must displace electric, non natural gas fossil fuel heating systems or old woodstoves, and Eligible stick (log) stoves must: * Be EPA Certified, and * Emit no more than 3 grams of particulate matter (PM)/hr Eligible pellet stoves must: * Be approved by the state of Washington, and * Emit no more than 2 grams of PM/hr

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14 Most rebates have been focused on electricity and ignored space heating Source: Maryland Energy Administration

15 Pepco has focused on reducing electric demand for appliances. Why not for pellet stoves if you heat with electricity?

16 Cost of Utilities in Maryland for Low Income Families

17 Maryland Heating Assistance More likely to Go to More Expensive Fuels Less likely to take fuel More likely to take fuel More Expensive Fuels

18 Wood Heat Provides Heating Security More stoves = greater fuel security You can get your own fuel for wood stoves in rural areas. A wood stove can often reduce the worst case scenario and prevent a house from going cold. More stoves = fewer emergency shut offs The more homes with wood stoves, the more families can provide heat for themselves. More stoves = more food security Heating bills do not have to compete with food bills.

19 Recomendations EmPOWER Addition of heating fuel efficiency programs in EmPOWER Focus on homes that heat with electricity, and provide additional incentive to use supplemental pellet heat Wood and pellet stove grant program: Requiring that pellet stoves be EPA certified Including a minimum efficiency, similar to Oregon and Maine Maryland Energy Assistance Program Assist rural homes on energy assistance to repair and upgrade wood or pellet stoves. Reduce barriers to use renewable heat and protections for fossil heating fuels

20 Recommendation cont d Emissions and Air Quality Change MDE that favor qualified outdoor boilers, but don t allow far cleaner, unqualified indoor boilers Ban new installs of old, uncertified stoves in densely populated areas. Require old, uncertified stoves to be removed upon sale or rental of home. Adding biomass thermal to the RPS Approving BTU meters on pellet stoves ultimately wood stoves Maryland Energy Audits Include safety and efficiency inspection of all HVAC appliances, including wood and pellet stoves.

21 The Wood Stove Decathlon 13 teams, inlcuding one from University of MD, competing for $35,000 prize money Exhibits of innovative stoves, components and software VIP tours for agency officials, members of congress and staff

22 Inspired by the Solar Decathlon DOE s Solar Decathlon helped solar energy gain significant attention from policy makers and the public. The Wood Stove Challenge and Decathlon will bring similar attention and exposure to the potential of wood heat.

23 Competition. The Wood Stove Design Challenge is a technology competition to create a next generation cordwood appliance that can heat an average sized American home. Credibility. Stoves will be professional tested on the National Mall in Washington, DC and evaluated by a panel of expert judges. Visit for more

24 Judging panel Raymond Albrecht Consulting Engineer Ellen Burkhard NYSERDA Thomas Butcher DOE Brookhaven Nat l Lab Bill Clarke Osprey Foundation James Meigs Popular Mechanics Norbert Senf Masonry heater expert Kirk R. Smith UC, Berkeley Rod Tinnemore Wash. State Dept. of Ecology Mark Knaebe USDA Forest Service Technology Marketing Unit, Forest Products Laboratory

25 Judging criteria. Criteria Could a winning stove be... Emissions. Under 1 gram per hour? Efficiency. Over 85% efficient, HHV? Affordability. Retailed under $2,500? Market appeal. Smart with features that connect to iphones & charge devices in blackouts? Innovation. Automated so operator only loads stove and sensors maintain optimum efficiency? Possible features and attributes of a winning stove are only examples. The judges award up to 10 points for each category, and the stove that receives the greatest total number of points wins.

26 What is possible? A $2,000 wood stove that heats a 2,000 sq.ft home with hot water Mini residential combined heat and power (CHP) units. Oxygen sensors & microprocessors that maintain lowest emissions and highest efficiency by the second. A stove that shuts down when loaded with wet wood.

27 Future of wood and pellet heating is in full swing in Europe... Solar and biomass feed into same tank for space heating and domestic hot water. Or, instead of heating water, stove fans send hot air through ducts to nearby rooms.

28 These boilers pipe hot water through the entire house Popular in European urban, suburban and rural markets, they have yet to catch on in the US.

29 The future of wood heat: oxygen sensors, catalysts and connectivity

30 Future? 1. Combining biomass thermal storage with solar thermal. 2. Mini residential CHP units. 3. Real time digital display of emissions/efficiency. 3. Making electricity to recharge a cell phone or light a room.

31 John Ackerly Alliance for Green Heat 6930 Carroll Ave, Suite 407 Takoma Park, MD (301)