The Sensor Surge: Why Equipment Engineers Are Adding Sensors Everywhere — and Why the Wood Stove May be Next

MF Fire is the US industry leader in
integrating sensors into wood stoves

Over the last decade equipment engineers have been rapidly adding sensors to cars, HVAC systems, laundry machines, refrigerators and other household appliances. That trend isn’t just about bells and whistles — it’s driven by lower sensor costs, smarter processing at the edge, connectivity, regulatory and efficiency pressures, and real customer value. Below is a concise look at the benefits, the sensor types being deployed, why prices are falling, where the trend is headed, and how this sensor wave will likely soon be more widespread in something old-school: the wood stove.

Sensors have slowly started to enter the wood stove technology space and are catching on in Europe much faster than North America.  In the US, the Baltimore-based MF Fire made an after-market device with funding from the Department of Energy that represents the most sophisticated use of sensors for wood stoves.  At least one big European stove brand, Jotul, with a major footprint in the U.S. are releasing stoves with automated combustion control only in the European market. 

In 2025, Ecodesign suggested that automated combustion control (ACC) should become mandatory on all new stoves, a suggestion that presumably comes from studying the Blauer Engel (Blauer Engel, 2020) certification. This sent a kind of a shockwave through the stove manufacturing industry, and resulted in industry pushback.  The Nordic Ecolabelling system, representing five countries, is considering requiring ACC in new stoves, or other technology innovation. 

According to a 2025 report from Nordic Energy Research, "In Europe, fully automated stoves have been on the market for some time—for example, RIKA (AU) since 2007 (RIKA Rikatronic, 2025) and HWAM (DK) since 2012 (HWAM, 2025)—and are beginning to gain wider recognition amongst consumers and distributors. The Rikatronic technology (now Rikatronic4 as the latest version) was introduced by RIKA of Austria in 2007; it integrates temperature sensors and electronics to control the air supply and advises when another wood log should be put on the fire through a light visible at the front of the fireplace. This seems to be the most advanced technology for a batch fed or manual wood log burner in terms of automating the reloading and ensuring optimum firebox temperatures for reducing emissions."

There are now more than 10 wood stoves with ACC on the market in Europe, with many in the range of US$2,500 - $4,000.  The best selling automated stove in the world may be the Connect 556 made by Contura a major Swedish stove manufacturer.  Once wood stove certification tests become stricter than they are today in the US and Europe, automation is likely to be the safest way to pass the tests.  Otherwise, the inherent variability in combustion in manually operated stoves will not leave any comfortable margin to passing emission tests.  Currently, stove certification labs on both continents have been able to develop the expertise to pass emission tests without hardly any record of stoves failing the test.

European retailers are also starting to advertise the benefits of automated stoves, socializing the technology benefits to consumers, retailers and the wider community concerned about the health impacts of residential wood smoke. But wood stoves still lag far behind other heating and combustion devices when it comes to embracing the adoption of more and more sensors.

It is important to distinguish full automation in wood stoves from partial automation. Full automation means that the stove has no lever for the operator to adjust air flow, unless the onboard computers can override and optimize the stove for emissions, before responding to the user adjustment for more or less heat. With partial automation, the stove still has a lever or handle to adjust airflow, and the stove has some technology to make minor adjustments in air flow.  The bi-metal coils in Blaze King stoves could be considered partial automation, along with the valves in Pacific Energy Neo stoves. Partial automation, often achieved with the need for electricity, appears to only offer minor benefits compared to fully automated stoves.

Without automation, there is
virtually no way to predict the
performance of a stove 
once it leaves the lab.

Air quality agencies in the U.S. – from the EPA, to NESCAUM to state and local agencies – have been focusing on the shortcomings of the certification process and on designing a better testing protocol.  But US institutions are far behind Europe in studying and promoting automation in stoves.

One of the most obvious benefits of ACC is to prevent overnight smoldering along with speeding up the start-up of the stove. But it may be the safety aspects – producing less creosote and safety sensors that offer peace of mind to homeowners (and insurance companies) that will drive innovation.

From 2013 – 2023, the Alliance for Green Heat ran a series of Design Challenges with the Brookhaven National Lab, and funding from NYSERDA, the Department of Energy and Osprey Foundation that sought to accelerate research and production of automation in wood stoves. Some of the contestants, such as MF Fire, have gone on to get that technology into the marketplace with the Fire MAPS Smart Fire Assistant. 

Why sensors are being added:

• Improved safety: early detection of hazards (overheat, leaks, CO) reduces fire and poisoning risk.
• Energy efficiency and emissions: feedback lets systems run only as hard as needed (modulating burners, variable fans).
• Predictive maintenance: sensors spot component wear and anomalies before failure, lowering downtime and service costs.
• Better user experience: remote monitoring, diagnostics, adaptive settings, and automated schedules.
• Regulatory and reporting needs: emissions, indoor-air-quality (IAQ) monitoring, and energy reporting demand measurement.
• Data-driven product improvement and new services (e.g., subscription performance monitoring).

The use and benefits of sensors are different for each
application based on the risks that application faces.

Common sensor types now used in consumer equipment

• Temperature sensors (thermistors, RTDs, digital temp ICs) — ubiquitous in HVAC and appliances.
• Pressure sensors — used for refrigerant systems, combustion chambers, and airflow measurement.
• Humidity sensors — for IAQ, laundry cycles, and HVAC control.
• Gas sensors (CO, CO2, O2, NOx) — safety and emissions control in furnaces and cookers.
• Particulate sensors (optical/laser) — measuring PM2.5/PM10 for IAQ and emission controls.
• Flow sensors (air and liquid) — ensure correct ventilation, fuel, and coolant flow.
• Vibration and accelerometers — detect mechanical faults in compressors, pumps, motors.
• Current and voltage sensors — monitor electrical health and detect stalled motors or short circuits.
• Optical and camera sensors — visual inspections, flame detection, and product state recognition.
• Position and angle sensors — actuators, dampers, and valve control.

The steady growth in the use of sensors is driven by
safety, consumer appeal and benefits to manufacturers. 

Why sensor prices are falling

• MEMS and semiconductor scaling: MEMS fabrication and CMOS integration drive down unit cost and size.
• High-volume consumer markets: smartphones, wearables, and automotive volumes subsidize production for other markets.
• Integration: multifunction sensor packages combine temperature, pressure, humidity, and motion on a single die, lowering BOM cost.
• Standardization and modularity: off-the-shelf sensor modules and cloud-friendly firmware speed integration and reduce engineering cost.
• Wireless and low-power tech: cheaper connectivity (BLE, LoRaWAN, Thread) reduces installation complexity and cost of retrofits.

Is the trend likely to continue? Yes. Expected drivers:

• Continued unit-cost declines and richer sensor fusion capabilities.
• Edge computing and tiny ML: more intelligence on-device reduces data bandwidth and privacy concerns.
• Stricter efficiency and emissions standards worldwide.
• Growing consumer demand for smart, connected products and services.
• OEMs monetizing data and offering remote service/subscription models.

Expect more sensors per device, tighter integration with controls, and better diagnostics.

HVAC sensors are dominated by temperature sensors, which 
in wood stoves are usually Type K thermocouples that 
typically cost a dollar or two.

Is this trend likely to come to wood stoves? Yes — and in multiple practical ways:

The increased use of sensors in stoves is likely for many reasons, not least of which is that they should make it easier to pass new certification tests in the US and Europe. Automation directly address the IDC’s challenge of consistent, repeatable combustion across varied loads and user behavior. That could make automation an attractive technical route to meet performance targets reliably. However, many manufacturer don't have experience with sensors and will likely want to optimize passive design, secondary combustion, or catalytic systems rather than add electronics.

The biggest hurdle in the short term is that government regulators in the US and European countries often do not have the expertise, resources or clout to overcome resistance by industry to changes leading to improved test methods and stricter emission limits. The US currently has an industry friendly, anti-regulatory administration, which could mean individual states get more involved.

Politics aside, the sensor boom is applicable in wood stoves in obvious ways:

• Combustion efficiency: O2, CO, and temperature sensors can enable feedback-controlled air supplies to keep burn in the optimal stoichiometric window, increasing heat output and reducing fuel use.
• Emissions reduction: particulate sensors (optical) and CO monitors can detect smoldering or incomplete combustion and trigger corrective measures (adjust draft or alert the user), reducing smoke and creosote formation.
• Safety: CO sensors and high-temp cutoffs can warn of dangerous conditions or auto-shutdown linked to ventilation failure.
• Draft and airflow control: pressure or differential-pressure sensors across the stove and flue help manage draft for steadier burns.
• Predictive maintenance: temperature profiles, and smoke signatures can indicate gasket wear, or creosote build-up.
• Remote monitoring and automation: smartphone alerts, remote adjustments to air dampers or blower speeds, and usage logging for fuel optimization.
  
  

  

  In the US, the Department of Energy is
  also supporting important automated 
  stove research at Nordica McCarthy's
  lab at Oregon State University

Practical considerations and challenges for wood stoves

Wood stoves present unique challenges because they use a solid fuel with very diverse characters, unlike electricity liquid fuels. In addition:

• Harsh environment: soot, ash, high temperatures and corrosive gases require rugged sensors and protective housings.
• Sensor placement: measuring combustion gases accurately often needs sampling ports or heated lines to the sensor; fouling is a risk.
• Power and connectivity: many stoves are off-grid or in remote cabins; low-power sensors and local edge logic are important. The ability of the stove to work without electricity/sensors is important.
• Cost vs. value: retrofit kits must be affordable and simple; OEM integration at manufacture yields better reliability.
• Certification and safety/regulatory acceptance: devices that influence combustion or safety need testing and standards compliance.
• User behavior: alerts are useful only if users understand and act on them; automation helps and users are learning from all the other sensor interactions in their daily lives.

Jotul says this stove "continually
monitors  temperature  and
automatically  adjusts  air supply  to
optimize combustion — giving cleaner,  more
efficient burning  and reduced emissions."

How this could be deployed

• OEM integration: manufacturers build sensors and control loops into new stoves (best performance and reliability).
• Retrofit modules: compact sensor packs (temp, CO, O2, particulate) with a local controller and optional wireless gateway for older stoves.
• Service-focused models: subscription diagnostics for stoves used in rentals, remote cabins, or commercial premises – or in any stove where the user wants greater peace of mind.
• Simple consumer features: auto-damper control, burn-stage alerts, and CO alarms tied to phone notifications.

Bottom line: Falling sensor costs, smarter edge processing and connectivity are driving a widespread sensor adoption in vehicles and home equipment — and that momentum should continue. Wood stoves are a natural candidate for the next wave of sensor-driven improvements: safer, cleaner, and more efficient burning is technically feasible today, but practical rollout requires rugged sensors, thoughtful placement, simple user interfaces, and standards-compliant designs.

Innovation in stove technology will also be driven by public health concerns. If wood stoves continue to be popular or become more so due to rising heating fuels - electricity, gas and oil - there will likely be more pressure on governments to do a better job at certifying new stoves. However, global warming is making winters warmer, reducing heating bills, which typically reduces the use of wood stoves, which in turn may ease pressure on air regulators.

Expanded tax credits for modern, high efficiency wood and pellet heaters a big step in the right direction

Maine Senators Collins and King were
primary, bi-partisan champions of an
investment tax credit for wood heat.

Update for 2023 - The legislative victory that achieved the 26% tax credit in 2020, has now been upstaged by a law that will give a 30% tax credit as of Jan. 1, 2023.  The only downside to the 30% credit is that is has a $2,000 cap, which makes it of little value for homeowners who want to install very expensive whole house wood or pellet heating systems. Click here for our blog on the 2023 - 2032 wood heater tax credit.

2020 - 2022 - On December 28, 2020 President Trump signed into a law legislation passed by Congress which was the largest renewable energy spending bill in a decade and included incentives for solar, wind, advanced wood heat and a host of other technologies. This marks the first-time modern wood heating systems have been granted an Investment Tax Credit (ITC), rather than the far smaller tax credit wood heating technologies had been receiving.

The incentive provides a 26% tax credit for stoves and boilers that are 75% efficiency or higher. Consumers can easily identify efficiency levels by checking the EPA lists of certified wood and pellet heaters. The credit has no upper limit and lasts for three years, declining to 22% in 2023.

The effort to pass such an ambitious bill was led by the Biomass Thermal Energy Council, who started lobbying for it in 2009. In recent years, another significant push was led by Charlie Niebling, a consultant for Lignetics and former Chairman of BTEC. The Alliance for Green Heat contributed time and resources to both of these efforts, along with many other BTEC members.

As the founding Chairman
of BTEC, Charlie Niebling
was a chief architect of the 
bill and perhaps its most
ardent advocate.

Many Senators and members of Congress signed on to various iterations of the bill over the last decade, but it was Senator Collins and Senator Angus King who provided the final push, along with Chairman Richard Neal in the House of Representatives.

The legislative effort gained momentum as new EPA regulations required wood and pellet heaters to be cleaner and to disclose their efficiencies. “This is an important step forward but it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle to modernize the technology and the test protocols,” said John Ackerly, President of the Alliance for Green Heat.

Analysis

Wood and pellet heaters that at least 75% efficient are cleaner on average than those that have efficiencies below this threshold. Pellet stoves that test over 75% efficient emit five times less carbon monoxide (CO) than those with efficiencies under 75%. Wood stoves that test over 75% efficiency emit less than half of the CO of their less efficient counterparts.

The 75% efficiency threshold favors pellet technologies, as consistently dry fuel and automated combustion make it far easier to achieve consistently higher efficiencies. Sixty percent of all pellet stove models are over 75% efficient, compared to only 40% of wood stoves. Most catalytic and hybrid wood stove models are above 75% efficient, but only 12% of non-catalytic stoves will be eligible for the tax credit.

The seventy-five percent efficiency requirement was originally chosen about seven years ago, when fewer appliances could meet that level. With today’s technology, 75% efficiency is not a particularly high threshold, but it is much higher than how the 75% threshold was interpreted by industry to meet the previous $300 wood heating technology tax credit. That credit, under Section 25C of the tax code was also pegged to 75% efficiency but Congress did not consistently specify high heating value.

Using efficiency as the sole metric to identify wood and pellet heaters to receive public subsidies is a blunt and imperfect metric but satisfies legislators’ need for simplicity. Particulate matter (PM) emissions from cord wood stoves and boilers are a more important metric for public health. Efficiency is a more valuable tool for pellet appliances since their lab tested efficiencies are a reliable indicator for the efficiency homeowners' get. But wood and pellet appliance manufacturers sometimes purposely lower their efficiency to achieve other goals valued by consumers. Some pellet stove manufacturers use excess oxygen, leading to lower efficiency, to keep the viewing glass clean. Some wood stove manufacturers use excess oxygen to achieve cleaner, faster combustion and to prevent the operator from giving the unit too little air, which causes smoldering. The State of Alaska is currently exploring new metrics to identify cleaner wood heaters, including using the amount of PM created during the first hour of certification test burns.

Using efficiency as a metric does help deploy heaters that will save consumers money with a low-carbon renewable. Since the early 1900s, wood fuel has been the primary way that American households have avoided or reduced fossil heating fuel. An estimated half of American households who heat with wood gather all or most of it themselves, making it a highly sustainable fuel in a country with extensive forest cover.

This bill will help Americans afford to replace older wood heaters or buy higher efficiency ones and have them professionally installed because the tax credit covers the cost of installation. It will also help scores of small pellet mills across the country that mainly use sawdust produced by sawmills. Finally, the bill will also help manufacturers of more efficient wood and pellet appliances and encourage them to redesign heaters to be more efficient.

Benefits of a tax credit do not help everyone equally. Lower income families benefit far more from a rebate granted at time of purchase and many do not have the income level to benefit from a tax credit. And, the 75% efficiency threshold excludes the value wood stoves sold at hardware chains that are affordable to lower income households. Unlike wood stoves, many low cost pellet stoves are at least 75% efficient.

“The Alliance for Green Heat applauds this increased tax credit and calls on Congress needs to do more,” said Ackerly. “We need a dedicated federal fund to switch old, uncertified stove to cleaner heating technologies, similar to the federal program for diesel trucks. We also need increased funding for DOE and National Labs to focus on R&D to develop a new class of automated wood stoves and smart pellet appliances that integrate with solar and heat pumps and reduce electricity demand during winter electricity peak events,” Ackerly continued.

A separate bill included report language that directs the DOE to continue the $5 million grant program for R&D to modernize residential wood and pellet heaters. The Alliance for Green Heat worked with Senator Collins’ office to ensure this report language was included again.

The massive omnibus package included other provisions that could help advance cleaner and more efficient wood and pellet heating:

• $1.7 billion reauthorization of the Weatherization Assistance Program to support low-income families by retrofitting homes with cost-saving clean energy technologies.
• Robust funding for EPA “core” programs to protect clean air.
• Reauthorization of the EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, which is a model for a national wood stove change out program.
• $200 million timber hauling businesses that experienced a loss of at least 10% of gross revenue between January 1, 2020 and December 1, 2020, compared to the gross revenue earned in the same period in 2019.

 Related stories

Guidance on the 26% tax credit for 2022 and changes for 2023 (Oct. 2022)

AGH urges IRS guidance to recognize efficiencies in the EPA Database (Feb. 2021)