Myren Consulting and AGH apply for Department of Energy R&D Grant

Down drafting stove would be open-source

Myren Consulting and the Alliance for Great Heat, along with Stonybrook University and German experts from DBFZ (Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum) are seeking to build an open-source wood stove that can help any manufacturer adopt the innovative approaches used by this stove. The goal is to make an ultra-clean wood stove that will consistently burn around 1 gram an hour without a catalyst and 0.5 grams with a catalyst, regardless of who loads and starts the stove.

The stove will use a downdraft airflow that brings the flames through the coal bed, and it will have a fan that induces the draft until the flue gases are hot enough to shut it off. The team will employ Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to optimize the design and the air flow. The stove will also have a robust, multi-purpose data logger that can engage the operator via lights on the stove or through a sophisticated smart phone app. The app will feature content from our partner groups and walk consumers through all stages of the purchase, installation, operation, troubleshooting and maintenance. The consumer can choose if they will be the only one with access to the data, or whether they are willing to share it with the manufacturer, the retailer and/or a chimney sweep, for example.

Throughout the entire project, if funded, the team will share R&D decisions, designs, and data with the stove industry, regulators, and the public. The team will also seek to “crowd-source” solutions to problems and issues that may emerge by regularly seeking input from a range of stakeholders, from industry players to public health and low-income advocates. The stove will undergo a series of rigorous tests in Ben Myren’s lab over a 3-year period because a novel, top-notch stove needs that amount of time to get the design, airflow and other features just right. The stove will be tested to the traditional EPA reference Method 28, and the more recently approved ASTM 303-5 and IDC protocols. The stove will also undergo in situ real world testing, round-robin lab testing and be tested to the rigorous Blue Angel standard in Germany (not with DOE funds) to understand how it can handle a variety of loading and testing methods. 

Current certified stove design configurations have been developed since the mid 1980’s and are all based upon the draft generated by an EPA freely communicated lab chimney that is 15 ±1 ft. These designs have been developed somewhat over the years using a vast number of prototypes that have had many design changes made to them during this multi-year, multi-prototype R&D process. However, R&D in the stove community has not been robust and most manufacturers simply follow a well-known design pattern that has proved to be successful enough. We are attempting to disrupt that design pattern by maximizing secondary combustion in the upper part of the firebox but then drawing the gases down through the coal bed for an even more efficient secondary (or tertiary) emission reduction process.

With the change in draft proposed in this proposal, that entire body of knowledge becomes questionable.  And the project’s timeframe doesn’t provide for the typical long, slow development of a stove that will meet the current emissions standards. Thus, we propose to build upon a technique that we have been successfully using where some stove components are bolted together, rather than being welded together. This technique will allow us to rapidly make design changes which will hasten the entire R&D process. It will also enable us to fine-tune the combustion system in the stove by changing known critical components, e.g., the internal cross-sectional area of secondary air side manifolds, to facilitate the reduction of particulate matter (PM) emissions. The following table contains a (partial) list of critical components known to affect emissions.  Almost all of these features will still be relevant for a downdraft stove, but their size, shape and placement may change based on the downdraft design and the results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis.

  

• LPAO: Lower primary air orifice
• Horizontal throat gap: shortest distance between the front edge of the baffle and the backside of the air wash
• Vertical throat gap: shortest distance between the top of the baffle and the bottom of the top

All equipment used in the revised dilution tunnel system will be maintained and calibrated using current EPA criteria. Our stove will first assess how consistently we can operate under 1 gram an hour without a catalyst, but we plan on designing a model with a catalyst as well. Wood stoves are often not sufficiently optimized in terms of low-emission combustion, so that the catalyst is subjected to excessive overloading.

The initial group of expert advisors who wrote letters of commitment include the Tribal Healthy Home Network, the German Biomass Research Centre, the Danish Technological Institute, the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), the National Fireplace Institute, Industrial Chimney Company-Renewable Solid Fuel (ICC-RSF), Masonry Heater Association, Sunstein Intellectual Property Law Firm, and 509 Fabrications.

The $2 million price tag would include $1.3 million expenses at Myren lab, $300,000 at AGH, $215,00 at Stony Brook University, $125,000 by the German team working at Myren labs (no DOE funds will be spent abroad) and about $70,000 for other vendors and subcontractors.  We are requesting $1.6 from the DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office.

In the spirit of this open source project and collaboration with other teams, the following materials can be downloaded:

The full technical volume 

Letters of commitment

Summary slide

Resumes

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan

Australia Firewood Association Scores Win for Wood Heating

A green building standard in Australia has assigned very low carbon values for wood and pellet heating, which will encourage builders and architects to specify wood heating, because it is now a cost effective means of achieving points toward the green building. The standard, called BASIX stands for the Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) and aims to deliver equitable, effective water and greenhouse gas reductions across the state. BASIX is one of the strongest sustainable planning measures to be undertaken in Australia.  The US equivalent is LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and overseen by the US Green Building Council, which is also grappling with how to assign points to wood and pellet heating systems in LEED certified homes and buildings.

From the Firewood Association of Australia – This relates to New South Wales (NSW) building regulations, but the science behind it applies everywhere, wherever there are restrictions on using wood fires, or campaigns against the environmental credentials of firewood.

NSW BASIX, the Building and Sustainability Index, is an integral part of the planning system in NSW. All new dwellings and alterations/additions over $50,000 in NSW must have a BASIX certificate before they can be approved by the council. It has taken seven years but we have finally achieved a major change in the BASIX rules, which, instead of discriminating against wood fires, now gives them a significant advantage.

Here is how it all happened, and what it means.  In August 2007 we sent a letter to the NSW Department of Planning that set out our case for a decrease in the “greenhouse factor” that is used for wood heaters within the on-line rating tool used to generate BASIX certificates. We felt that wood heaters were unfairly prejudiced in the rating system by being given the same “greenhouse” emissions rating as a 4 Star gas heater, when it had been confirmed by the 2003 CSIRO Life Cycle Analysis that firewood was (practically) a greenhouse neutral heating fuel. The department’s response to our letter was that they could not accept firewood as being greenhouse neutral because the 2003 CSIRO study did not include an assessment of non-CO2 greenhouse gases like methane and carbon monoxide.

The FAA subsequently contacted the CSIRO research team that had carried out the 2003 analysis. They eventually agreed to revise and extend their initial study to include carbon monoxide and methane. The results were formally published by CSIRO in April 2012 in a scientific journal (see the article on the front page of the FAA web site). The revised life cycle analysis showed that the greenhouse effect of non-CO2 gas emissions from firewood is minimal.
Following the, we approached the Department of Planning again to request that they re-consider a revision of the BASIX rating for wood heaters. This time we received a more positive response and the team from the Department’s Sustainability Unit agreed to consider our detailed submission.

Finally on the 10^th of June 2014, after almost 18 months of negotiation with the DPI Sustainability Unit, the BASIX on-line rating tool was updated to reflect a very much reduced emission factor for wood heaters. As noted in previous issues of the FAA e-news, the proposed change was strenuously opposed by the NSW EPA because they are funding a local government campaign to reduce the number of wood heaters in the State.

Because of the complexity of the BASIX system the impact of this change on any individual rating assessment is a little difficult to quantify precisely, but it will have the effect of making wood heaters much better than a 5 Star gas heater or a 6 Star reverse cycle air conditioner and in fact better than every other type of domestic heating including ground source heat pumps.

One of the likely outcomes of this change is that builders and architects will be encouraged to specify wood heating, simply because it is now the most cost effective means of achieving the required BASIX target.

Obviously manufacturers and retailers of wood heaters will be the big winners from this change. However, from a firewood industry perspective there will undoubtedly be an increased demand for wood, even if some of the new wood heaters are only used occasionally. The other main benefit for both sectors of the wood heating industry is that we have finally got formal government acknowledgement of the greenhouse benefits of firewood, which is something that the entire industry can use to its advantage.

The next thing to do is to make sure that we effectively communicate and promote what is truly a landmark win for wood heating. To get the ball rolling the FAA is obtaining quotes from commercial marketing organisations in NSW for the preparation and delivery of an integrated and targeted marketing strategy. When we are in possession of these quotes the FAA will invite all parties with a vested interest in the NSW wood industry to attend a meeting where the detailed ramifications of the rating change can be explained and a marketing strategy can be agreed.

We would like to express our thanks to the team from the DPI Sustainability Unit for their cooperation in what has been a long and challenging process. Our thanks also go to Joel Belnick of Jetmaster Fireplaces (Aust) Pty Ltd for his encouragement and assistance.

The Alliance Partners with USDA & Groups to Promote Wood Heat

John Ackerly, president of the Alliance for Green Heat, on September 11 joined the USDA's Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, along with leaders from, the Biomass Power Association, the Biomass Thermal Energy Council, and the Pellet Fuels Institute, in Washington for the announcement of their new partnership agreement. The alliance will jointly promote and expand the woody biomass sector, which will help to improve the safety and health of our nation's forests.

"Today's announcements will help us find innovative ways to use leftover wood to create renewable energy and support good jobs in rural America," USDA Secretary Vilsack said. "Wood to Energy efforts are a part of our 'all of the above' energy strategy. Appropriately scaled wood energy facilities also support our efforts to remove hazardous fuels and reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfires."

The Alliance for Green Heat is part of this partnership to work more closely with the US government to advance cleaner and more efficient wood and pellet stoves. "The USDA is uniquely positioned to help rural families better use wood and pellets to heat their homes and we look forward to working with them on that," said John Ackerly.

The partnership agreement focuses on promoting wood energy nationwide as a means to address fire risk, bolster rural economic development, improve air quality and help meet the Obama Administration's renewable energy and energy efficiency goals. These organizations support the use of wood energy across the scale of users – from residential users, to commercial and institutional facilities, to industrial production of heat and/or electricity to drive businesses and feed the electrical grid.

Staff from USDA and the four groups will meet regularly to develop and implement an action plan for wood energy, seeking to increase awareness of USDA program opportunities, encourage adoption of wood to energy technologies, and strengthen coordination of industry and USDA initiatives.

See More Photos Here
See the USDA's press release Here
See remarks delivered at the event by John Ackerly below.

Remarks by John Ackerly at the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

September 11, 2013

I'm John Ackerly, President of the Alliance for Green Heat. We represent the interests of more than 10 million American households who heat their homes with wood and pellets.

We hear about solar a lot, but families who heat with wood make three times the energy that all residential solar panels make. In fact, it's rural Americans with modern wood and pellet stoves who are leading the residential renewable energy movement and that is something we should be really proud of.

With the resurgence of wood and pellet heating, it's the third most common form of heating in America after gas and electricity.

But we need even cleaner and more efficient stoves on the market, and we need to help remove the older, less efficient wood stoves. The Forest Service is a partner in places like Seeley Lake, Montana, where old stoves are being replaced with modern, new ones, resulting in significant improvements in air quality. We are glad this MOU will put a spotlight on how wood and pellets can help rural families affordably heat their homes with a local, renewable fuel.

On November 16^th through 19^th, we are holding the Wood Stove Decathlon, a competition to see what team can make the cleanest, most efficient, and most affordable wood stove, right here on the National Mall in front of this building. We are proud that USDA is a partner in this technology competition. I invite you all to come.

You probably think you know what a wood stove is. Well, come check out these high-tech stoves in November: you will see computerized wood stoves, condensing wood stoves, stoves you control with your smart phone – and stoves that even charge your smart phone in a black-out. And maybe most importantly, you will see stoves that are automated with oxygen sensors, which are used in all of your cars, and are key to clean and efficient combustion in cars, boilers and many other applications.

Thank you Secretary Vilsack, and also Chief Tidwell, and I look forward to seeing you on the Mall in November. 

Prof. Hopke Becomes Judge of Wood Stove Design Challenge

Professor Philip Hopke, of Clarkson University, has become the 10th judge of the Wood Stove Design Challenge. Dr. Hopke is the Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor at Clarkson, the Director of the Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science (CARES), and the Director of the Institute for a Sustainable Environment (ISE).

For the past 5 years, he has been actively studying solid fuel combustion systems with an emphasis on emissions and efficiency. “We can take advantage of our large wood resources if it can be burned more cleanly,” Prof. Hopke said. Clarkson University is located in northern New York, surrounded by communities that heavily rely on wood and pellet heating.

As a Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Department of State in 2008-09, he advised the Department on strategies to support the development of cleaner wood cook stoves in the developing world. In that capacity, he also worked with Prof. Kirk Smith of University of California Berkeley who is also a judge in the Wood Stove Design Challenge.

Dr. Hopke is also the past Chair of EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), and has served on the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB).

Professor Hopke received his B.S. in Chemistry from Trinity College (Hartford) and his M.A. Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from Princeton University and had a post-doctoral appointment at M.I.T

For more information on the Wood Stove Design Challenge and the judges, click here: http://www.forgreenheat.org/stovedesign/judges.html

Senate Committee approves extension of biomass stove tax credit

Alliance for Green Heat, Sept. 14, 2012 - The Senate Committee on Finance marked up a bill last month dealing with the extension of energy efficiency tax credits, and included the $300 “25C tax credit” for home installation of biomass stoves and boilers. The bill, known as the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act, would allow residential consumers to continue to be eligible for the tax credit until December 31, 2013, a two-year extension of the previous deadline.

The Senate Committee on Finance estimates the extension to reduce tax revenues by $2.4 million dollars over the two years, but believes "extending the credit for energy efficient improvements and property expenditures will encourage homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient, thus helping to reduce residential energy consumption." Click here for a copy of the full bill: http://www.finance.senate.gov/legislation/details/?id=1cb48bce-5056-a032-5255-272274d52b64. Click here for previous news and analysis about the 25C tax credit: http://www.forgreenheat.org/incentives/federal.html

The bill could be passed by the full Senate in the lame duck session after the November elections and before the end of the year. Some similar version would also have to pass the House of Representatives and be reconciled by a committee representing the two chambers.

Although aimed at encouraging efficient energy consumption, the bill’s vague efficiency standards definitions create what some may call a loophole for appliance manufacturers. The bill requires boilers and stoves to have a 75% thermal efficiency rating at the lower heating value (LHV); however, manufacturers are able to self-certify their efficiency using any of several formulas. The result is that virtually every pellet stove and EPA-certified wood stove on the market was claimed to be 75% efficient. This has little effect on increasing stove sales overall, but prevents the bill from incentivizing the most efficient stoves. The Alliance for Green Heat believes this is a disservice to consumers and ultimately to the industry itself, because consumers, regulators, and the renewable energy community do not see movement toward higher efficiency. The bill in its current version reinforces the image that wood stoves are a static technology that has not changed much in decades.

Best of AGH Newsletter: March 2011 – March 2012

 The following stories from our monthly newsletter, Green Heat News, were the most popular stories amongst our readership. Our mailing list of about 4,000 people includes hundreds of state and federal regulators and policy makers, over a thousand in the wood and pellet stove industry and hundreds of consumers and non-profits.

March 2011 - EPA Rolls Out Proposals for Wood Heating Units

The EPA has begun to release what will likely be their new proposed emission standards for wood and pellet stoves, boilers and other appliances. EPA is proposing to match the Washington State standards that they adopted in 1995 of 4.5 grams an hour for wood and pellet stoves and 2.5 grams and hour for catalytic stoves. Indoor and outdoor boilers would be held to 0.32 lb. / mmBTU heat output by 2014 and 0.15 lb. / mmBTU heat output for 2016.

Hearing on Maryland Wood Heat Legislation

The Maryland House of Delegates heard testimony on HB 829, the Renewable Energy Act for All. HB 829 was introduced by Delegate Heather Mizeur (right) who represents the Alliance for Green Heat’s district. The bill would provide a rebate to people buying the cleanest wood and pellet stoves, as part of a larger rebate program for solar, wind and geothermal. HB 829 combines important goals in Maryland, including promoting renewable energy, helping low and middle-income residents to affordably heat their homes, changing-out older wood stoves, etc.

April 2011 - Oregon Bans Phase 2 Outdoor Boilers
Oregon recently adopted a rule that prohibits the sale of any solid fuel-burning device that is not certified for sale by the DEQ or by the EPA. This mainly affects outdoor wood boilers and single burn rate wood stoves. These devices are no longer exempt in Oregon. Pellet stoves, masonry heaters, cook stoves, fireplaces and antique stoves continue to be exempt. This policy, similar to ones in Washington State, has the unfortunate result in also banning the cleanest indoor pellet boilers, including those that have so successfully started replacing fossil fuel boilers in Europe.

May 2011 - Solar Pellet Focus
The new pellet boiler OCTOplus by Solafocus recently received the "Energie Genie 2011" innovation award. The boiler combines solar and biomass technology into a fully automated system, with both a pellet burner and a 500-liter (130 Gallon) solar accumulator tank. System advantages include high efficiency (94%), compactness, simple hydraulic integration, an innovative control system, intuitive operation and a large removable ash pan. 

June 2011 - Are We Ready for Large-Scale Deployment of Pellet Stoves?
The EPA is currently undertaking regulations for New Source Performance Standards for wood stoves and for the first time ever, pellet stoves. The Alliance for Green Heat believes that if we want to see widespread deployment of pellet stoves in the US, like they have in Europe, a stricter standard is needed.

July 2011 - Commentary: Innovative Hydronic Heater Bill Stalls
Rhode Island residents and legislators have some innovative ways to combat the residential hydronic boilers that are often highly polluting. H5783 required anyone selling or renting property with a traditional hydronic heater to remove it. The Alliance supported this bill but opposition by outdoor boilers companies prevented its passage.

Biomass: Sustainable, but "Never Carbon Neutral"
Recently, Vermonters have begun to think about forests in a new way: As renewable energy from waste wood products that can heat homes, campuses, and more. How much of the region can-or should be-harvested?

 
August 2011 - Biolite campstove, with USB charging
The Biolite stove is not only being utilized by backpackers who look to cut down on the fuel they carry, but also the companion homestove is revolutionizing cooking in developing countries. The Biolite stove can charge cell phones and LSD lights as well as producing heat that increases its usefulness across the board. 

No Process for Resolving Air Pollution Problems
Many families are experiencing excessive wood smoke from a neighbor's outdoor wood furnace coming into their home. You would expect that there would be some agreed-upon process for resolving this kind of problem. There's not. Some families have been forced to move.

September 2011 - New Developments in European Stove Technology
European wood and pellet stoves are making technological advances, offering more options for consumers. From heating water, to syncing with heat pumps and solar thermal systems, to using ducts to heat adjacent rooms, there is clearly a renaissance of development in both wood and pellet stoves in Europe.

Hydronic Heater Ads Misleading Consumers
Through the hydronic heater Phase 2 Partnership Agreement, outdoor boilers were testing at up to 99% efficiency. The Alliance for Green Heat calls on the EPA to disassociate the Phase 2 program from the now discredited efficiency numbers that are still being used by some manufacturers.

Reliable Pellet Stoves
Objective ratings of pellet stoves are nearly impossible to come by, but Scott Williamson, an independent pellet stove technician, kept meticulous repair histories from more than 5,000 house calls. He rates what he found to be four of the most reliable pellet stoves. He includes a Harman, a Lopi, an Enviro and, pictured left, the England Stove Works model 25-PDV. 

October 2011 - Residential Heating Fuels Show Diverse Growth Patterns 

Wood was the fastest growing heating fuel nationally but in some regions, electricity, natural gas, propane and even oil are experiencing rapid growth. Wood grew the fastest (+34.6%), followed by electricity (+26.8%) and natural gas (+4.9%), and both propane (-16%) and oil (-21.9%) declined. But regional differences abound. The map on the right shows where oil heat grew fastest in black, electricity in blue, gas in brown, propane in orange and wood in green. 

2010 Census Shows Wood is Fastest Growing Heating Fuel in U.S.
Recently released U.S. Census figures show the number of households heating with wood grew 34% between 2000 and 2010, faster than any other heating fuel. In two states, households using wood as a primary heat source more than doubled - Michigan (135%) and Connecticut (122%). And in six other states, wood heating grew by more than 90% - NH (99%), MA (99%), ME (96%), RI (96%), OH (95%) and NV (91%). Numerous outlets, including the AP, USA Today and many other papers, covered the analysis done by the Alliance for Green Heat.

How to Get the Best Firewood for Clean and Affordable Energy
A clean burning, EPA certified stove is only half the equation. John Gulland, member of the Alliance's Board of Advisers, spells out why firewood is equally important to heating your home. 

Nov/Dec. 2011 - How to Choose the Right Woodstove
Deciding which woodstove to buy can be tough, even if you've been heating with wood for years and are simply looking for a replacement stove. John Gulland, writing for Mother Earth News, brings a fresh, important and independent perspective to the subject. 

Senators Propose New Tax Credit up to $5,000
Senators Snowe, Bingaman and Feinstein introduced the "Cut Energy Bills at Home Act" which would give up to a $5,000 tax credit for performance-based home improvements. The bill, as written, makes biomass heaters eligible if savings can be calculated with approved energy efficiency software packages, such as RESNET, BPI or alternative software. The Alliance for Green Heat is working with Congressional offices and efficiency standards organizations to ensure that there will not be unforeseen barriers for biomass heaters. Currently, most energy efficiency software does not have sufficient ability to analyze performance and savings of biomass heaters.

February 2012 - Next Generation Wood Stove Design Challenge
The Next Generation Wood Stove Design Challenge will be launched later this month and run through the fall of 2013. We have been building an impressive list of partners to support it, lawyers to make sure we have dotted our "i"s and crossed our "t"s, and, maybe most importantly, reaching out to dozens of university engineering departments and stove manufactures.  

Why Wood Stove Change-Out Programs Underperform
Change-out programs are now commonplace in the wood stove community, but often provide fewer benefits than expected and are very expensive. In assessing the effectiveness of change-out programs, the Alliance for Green Heat found a lack of rigorous analysis or debate about how to best achieve air quality improvements. In response, we offer four strategies that might improve change-out programs.

ÖkoFEN Developing Residential CHP Boiler
ÖkoFEN is working on the development of an heat and electricity-generating pellet boiler for private homes. The small CHP plant works with a stirling engine integrated in the pellet heating system. It is expected to deliver 1 kW of electrical energy and to cover the majority of the daily electricity consumption in a household. The stirling engine has low noise and emission levels and is extremely low carbon when operated with sustainably produced biomass.

March 2012 - Year After Year "Miracle" Amish Fireplaces Find Unwitting Buyers
Don't be fooled by advertisements claiming to sell Amish "Miracle Heaters". The company, Heat Surge, runs expensive, full-page advertisements for these heaters in prominent magazines and had a booth at the Atlanta Expo to sell their wares to hearth dealers. Despite claims, the company's heaters that sell for $200 or $300 put out the same amount of heat as a regular $40 electric heater.

The 2012 Atlanta Hearth Expo
If you like wood and pellet stoves, Atlanta was the place to see clean ones last week, like the ones that are burning in the picture to the left. But if you were looking for innovative new stoves, you would have been disappointed. Many manufacturers are still waiting to make sure they know what the new EPA emission numbers will be before bringing out new products.