Wood stoves are beginning to be formally included in
standards used by energy auditors, which will lead to energy auditors
recommending that old stoves be upgraded.
This initiative marks a new strategy in the movement to change-out
millions of inefficient and polluting uncertified wood stoves.
The first standard that instructs energy auditors to inspect
wood stoves was developed and issued by the Building Performance Institute
(BPI) at the request of the Alliance for Green Heat, who drafted the
language. The Home Energy Auditing
Standard (BPI-1100-T-2012) now includes two provisions for wood stoves and
other solid fuel burning devices.
The first, listed under 7.8 of the section on Combustion
Appliance Testing, requires home energy auditors to “inspect solid fuel burning
appliances for safety and efficiency” (page 6). The second, 7.23, instructs
auditors to “recommend replacement of solid fuel burning appliances with
UL-listed and EPA-certified appliances if the existing appliance is not
UL-listed or has signs of structural failure” (page 7). You can view the entire
standard here: http://www.bpi.org/files/pdf/BPI-1100-T-2012_Home%20_Energy_Auditing_Standard.pdf
The inclusion of 7.8 and 7.23 followed a meeting between
John Dupree, the EPA wood stove
NSPS compliance lead, John Jones, BPI National Technical
Director and staff of the Alliance for Green Heat. Much more detail about how stoves should be
inspected and assessed will be followed in BPI Basic Analysis of Buildings Standard 1200-S. The Alliance for Green Heat is in the process
of reaching out to HPBA and relevant institutions to form a working group to
help draft provisions this standard, a companion piece to BPI-1100-T-2012 that outlines
how energy auditors shall meet the requirements listed. It is expected to be finished later this year.
BPI-1100-T-2012 is also in the process of becoming an American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard, which are commonly adopted by state
agencies such as NYSERDA.
The standard represents a major step forward in the Alliance
for Green Heat’s mission to make wood stove inspections a routine part of home energy
audits. Energy auditors could be
assessing fuel savings by switching from oil to wood or pellets, testing wood
for moisture, recommending chimney cleanings and generally helping to educate
homeowners about clean burn practices.
Wood burning stoves started out as a way to heat a home more effectively than with open fireplaces, which had traditionally been used.
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