Alliance for Green Heat, December 3, 2012 - By the year 2000, the French wood stove industry knew it had to change. Wood smoke from older wood stoves was becoming a greater problem and the R&D needed to make much cleaner appliances was lagging. Industry also needed to work better with the French government to show their technology deserved tax credits. The result was Flamme Verte, a green label recognizing the cleanest stoves. France set a goal to have 9 million homes heated with wood by 2020, a 50% increase over the 6 million homes that used wood at the time, using the same amount of fuel because the new appliances were so much more efficient than the older ones.
Today, the French wood stove industry is one of the most robust in Europe, selling more than 450,000 units per year. Germany follows with around 400,000. As of 2010, the French industry had created 21,130 jobs and was estimated to hit 38,000 by 2012. The industry estimates that the sector represents a potential source of more than 100,000 jobs by 2020 if the goals are reached.
To read the complete French stove industry report, click here.
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