Massachusetts renews innovative stove change-out program

Changing face of wood stoves in America includes a comeback of catalytic stoves 

Massachusetts announced an 8th round of annual funding for its innovative wood stove change out program. The program was the first in the country to develop a change out program that gave higher incentives to fully automated stoves and stoves that provide a verified efficiency on the list of EPA certified stoves.  The program has since been discontinued but may come back again.

The program, updated in April 2019, changes some of the rebate levels and provides consistently higher levels of rebates than most change out programs. It now offers Massachusetts residents between $500 and $3,250 for upgrades, depending on the stove and income level of the family.  To be eligible, households must have an operating, uncertified wood stove to trade in for a new wood or pellet stove.  Rebates can cover 30 - 80% of costs of the new stove and installation.

Governor Charlie Baker said in a statement the change-out program "improves air quality across the commonwealth and helps residents save money by adopting more efficient, cost cutting heating technologies."

The program favors appliances that burn more cleanly in the hands of consumers by offering the highest rebates ($1,750) to pellet and fully automated stoves that have listed efficiencies over 65%. The highest wood stove rebates ($1,250) can be claimed for catalytic (or hybrid) or non-catalytic stoves that emit 2 grams an hour or less and have a listed efficiency of 65% or more on the EPA list. The lowest rebate of $500 covers non-cat stoves that emit between 2 and 3 grams and do not have a listed efficiency. Income-based rebates for low income residents range from $2,000 to $2,750, plus the efficiency adder if the stove has a listed efficiency.

This table is reproduced from the Change-out Program Manual (pdf).

Massachusetts provides a helpful list of rebate amounts for all stoves that emit under 3 grams an hour. There are 596 stoves on the list. As a sign of the changing face of wood stoves in America, 216 or 36% of these stoves have verified efficiencies on the EPA list. Just two years ago, in the spring of 2017, only 87 stoves had listed efficiencies of 65% or higher. 

This shows that in a short span of time, consumers have far more access to efficiency data than in the past. Change out programs like this one help drive consumers to purchase higher efficiency stoves. According to people familiar with the Massachusetts program, most consumers buy stoves with listed efficiencies rather than forgo the $500 - $750 efficiency adder.  New York and Maryland also now include efficiency criteria in statewide stove incentive programs.

In a further sign of changing times, we are seeing a major resurgence of catalytic stoves. Fifty of the 216 stoves with verified efficiencies are cat stoves, compared to 61 that are non-cat. Many manufacturers are now using the term "hybrid" for stoves that have a catalyst and robust non-cat secondary combustion. Given the spotty reputation of catalytic stoves in the 80s and 90s, some manufacturers appear to be using catalysts to pass the 2020 standards but not advertising that the stove has one. In the Massachusetts change out program, hybrids are treated like catalytic stoves and receive the higher rebate.

Pellet stoves comprise the biggest share of stoves with listed efficiencies with 95 models. This high number of pellet stoves is a reflection of the ease of getting pellet stoves re-certified to the 2020 standards, which require efficiency testing and disclosure.

Steve Pike, CEO of the
Massachusetts Clean Energy
Center announced the program at
the Fire Place in Whately MA.

Possibly the most surprising part of the Massachusetts list is that the  6 stove models under 65% efficiency are all pellet stoves. It is vital for consumers to rely on the efficiency figures on the EPA list because most stove manufacturers continue to provide exaggerated or misleading efficiencies on their websites and promotional materials. For example, the Regency Greenfire GC60 made by Sherwood Industries was tested at 60% efficiency, which had to be disclosed on the EPA list.  But the manufacturer's website says "76.6% optimum efficiency."

Massachusetts' program gives its highest stove rebate of $1,250 to "fully automated woodstoves (FAW)" that consumers can "load and leave." A FAW is defined in the program as a "stove that (a) automatically adjust the stove’s airflow and therefore includes no manual airflow controls and (b) has sensors that provide temperature-control capabilities." There are currently four such stoves on the list. Determining which stoves can be designated as fully automated is tricky. Other states and change out programs are interested in this issue as well.   The development of automated wood stoves could eventually reshape how we think about wood stoves, as they transform an age-old technology into a modern, high-tech appliance.

One important characteristic of wood stoves that does not appear on any list of stoves is whether the stove was designed for, and tested with, cordwood. Change out programs may see value in giving an extra rebate to encourage more consumers to use stoves designed to burn with cordwood instead of crib wood.

The 2019 Commonwealth Woodstove Change-Out Program has a budget of $450,000, which adds to the more than $2 million in funding for change-outs since the program began in 2012. The program has helped more than 2,300 residents swap out their non-EPA certified, inefficient stoves for newer, cleaner models. More than 500 of these rebates went to residents earning less than 80 percent of the state median income.

The program is run the by Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). Residents must have the new stove installed by a Participating Stove Professional who ensures that the old, uncertified wood stove is destroyed. There are currently 65 stove professionals participating, double the number from 2 years ago. Installers are encouraged, but not required, to be NFI or CSIA accredited.

The Changing Face of Wood Stove Change-out Programs

Online Resource Center launched to assist program managers & consumers

States and counties are increasingly looking to wood stove change out programs to encourage people to give up old, polluting wood stoves for cleaner alternatives.  In 2016, there were 34 stove change-out programs. The average incentive was about $900 to replace and old wood stove with a new one, $1,300 for a pellet stove, $1,500 for natural gas stove and $1,900 for a heat pump.

Trends in 2016 change-outs include more programs only allowing old wood stoves to be replaced by pellet, gas or electric appliances; more bounty programs that pay for decommissioning both old and newer wood stoves; more programs requiring or considering lower particulate matter standards for eligible stoves; and increased documentation for stove retailers and program managers.

Stove change-out programs are often compared to “cash-for-clunkers,” the $3 billion program in 2009 to get older, more polluting cars off the road.  That program became more controversial as program performance data was evaluated. Stove change-outs are also often criticized for not providing enough benefit per dollar invested.  This Online Stove Change-out Resource Center strives to help maximize benefits for local air quality, participating households and the manufacturers of cleaner, more efficient heating appliances.

This Resource Center was also designed to be a resource for a national change-out fund, like the federal diesel program to replace older diesel engines. Several members of Congress had been working on federal funding for a stove change-out fund and it is now unclear if that goal may be more difficult under a Trump Administration.

“Stove change-out programs are a great tool for communities to reduce excessive wood smoke pollution but many programs underperform,” said John Ackerly, President of the Alliance for Green Heat.  “Best practices developed by innovative change-out managers need to be integrated into more programs,” he added.

Key parts of the Online Resource Center for Wood Stove Change-outs include:

•          An in-depth analysis of all 2016 change-out programs
•      A zip code search feature for consumers to find change-out and incentive programs in their area (coming soon),
•      10 Best Practices for change-out programs,
•       Tips for Homeowners, to navigate the process of buying a wood stove and keep costs down.
•          Recommended educational videos

This Online Resource Center is the most comprehensive summary of change-out programs in the US with details about their budgets, eligibility requirements and innovative features.  It is based on extensive research of each change-out program and interviews with scores of change-out managers, stove retailers and experts. The Resource Center is an ongoing project that welcomes input and corrections from all stakeholders.  Please send comments to info@forgreenheat.org.

This Online Resource Center was supported in part by the Osprey Foundation.  Content for the Resource Center was written by Melissa Bollman and John Ackerly, staff at the Alliance for Green Heat.  The Alliance for Green Heat is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes cleaner and more efficient wood and pellet heating.

Dec. 4 Webinar: Best Practices in Wood and Pellet Stove Programs

The University of Maryland Extension Woodland Stewardship Education program will host a one-hour webinar on Thursday, December 4th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. to provide an overview of the “best practices” in wood and pellet stove incentive programs across the United States. 

Sign up here.

As renewable energy programs grow around the country, more and more states are including incentives for wood or pellet boilers and stoves. Unlike other household appliances, such as refrigerators, furnaces or washing machines, wood heating equipment have no “Energy Star” labels for consumers to consult to make energy efficiency comparisons. Consequently, several states have devised a range of methods to determine the eligibility of cleaner and more efficient stoves and boilers.

This webinar will explore the features of these programs, and will use Maryland’s stove incentive program as an example of how one state met its goals for ensuring consumers purchase the most efficient appliances available. The speakers will identify what they see as emerging best practices in stove and boiler incentive programs as these initiatives become more mainstream.

This webinar features presentations from Jonathan Kays, University of Maryland Extension Natural Resource Extension Specialist; John Ackerly, President of the Alliance for Green Heat; and Emilee Van Norden, Clean Energy Program Manager of the Maryland Energy Administration.

The webinar is free and open to the public.  Sign up now to reserve a spot.

For related content: 

Pellet Stoves a Hot Commodity in Maryland Incentive Program

Federal Stove Tax Credit Not Likely to be Extended in 2014

Analysis of Maryland Stove Rebate Program (2013)

Maryland Expands Eligibility in Stove Rebate Program

In an effort to make more low and middle-income families eligible for its clean burning wood stove rebate program, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is waiving the professional installation requirement under certain circumstances. The MEA is also allowing families who heat with wood or pellets to use the rebate to buy a new, replacement stove. Previously, the MEA only wanted to serve homes that did not have an existing wood or pellet stove. As of November 28, the MEA has received around 40 applications for the rebate and has funding for 100. MEA says that it hopes to extend the program next year.

Here are changes, as described by MEA:

MEA is now accepting qualified self-installed wood burning stoves with documentation of inspection. To accommodate those who are qualified to install stoves at their own home, MEA is now accepting self-installations. The agency wants to ensure that the stoves are safely installed and running efficiently, therefore they are requiring that those self-installed stoves are accompanied by documentation that the stove has been inspected post-install by either a county inspector or an insurance adjuster. In the case of an insurance adjuster’s inspection, a typed letter on the company’s letterhead stating that the installation has been inspected and meets all codes/safety requirements of that jurisdiction will suffice as documentation. In the case of a county building inspector, a “passed” photo or copy of the inspection sticker will suffice.

MEA is now awarding grants for the upgrade of older/less efficient woodstoves. With technology upgrades, MEA now offers the same incentives to households with less efficient stoves, as newer stoves are more efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly. All other requirements still apply to applications.

For more information see http://energy.maryland.gov/Residential/woodstoves/index.html.

Questions? Contact Kyle Haas at khaas@energy.state.md.us.

Maryland Announces Wood & Pellet Stove Rebate Program

Program to target rural homes and cleanest stoves


On September 7, 2012, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) launched a pilot rebate program for some of the cleanest wood and pellet stoves available, marking the first time that a state has integrated wood and pellet stoves into a renewable energy rebate program.

 

The pilot program offers a $400 rebate for wood stoves and $600 for pellet stoves. Wood stoves must emit less than half the particulates that are allowed by the EPA to be eligible.

"We are thrilled that Governor O'Malley and Malcolm Wolff, the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, extended the renewable energy grant program to appliances that low and middle-income families can afford," said John Ackerly, the President of the Alliance for Green Heat.

The Maryland program is designed help families who do not have access to relatively cheap natural gas. The rebates are only offered to homes that heat with the most expensive fuels - oil, propane or electricity and who are typically in less affluent, rural areas.

Delegate Heather Mizeur, who first introduced a bill in the Maryland House of Delegates to establish such a program last year, said "modern wood and pellet stoves offer rural families a way to participate in our clean energy future. For most Marylanders, especially those already coping with high heating and electricity costs, purchasing solar panels is out of the question."

Full details of the program and the application can be found here: http://energy.maryland.gov/Residential/woodstoves/index.html. Wood stoves that are EPA certified and emit no more than 3 grams of particulates an hour and pellet stoves that emit no more than 2 grams an hour are eligible to receive a grant. Program funds are limited to $50,000 and available on a first come, first serve basis.

The original bill was introduced in the Maryland legislature in 2011, and drafted with assistance of the Alliance for Green Heat. The legislature did not approve the bill because of the cost involved but it had broad support and the only voices against it came from the oil and propane dealer associations. Despite the legislature's inaction, the MEA working together with Delegate Heather Mizeur and other legislators, decided to implement it with their existing budget.

As discussed in the October issue of Consumer Reports, there is no federal tax credit for wood or pellet stoves as there is for solar, geothermal and wind. And, the DOE and EPA have not developed a Energy Star program for wood and pellet stoves to help consumers identify the cleanest and most efficient units. "Wood and pellet stoves are the people's renewable energy device, and rural families have always been leaders of the renewable energy movement," explained Ackerly. "But little has been done to invest in cleaner stove R&D or to incentivize the cleanest and most efficient stoves. This rebate program is a step towards smartly deploying the cleanest stoves and makes Maryland a national leader in helping ordinary families affordably heat their homes."

The Alliance created a Q & A about the program that addresses some questions consumers may have. 

HOMES Act includes rebates for wood appliances

The HOMES Act, H.R. 4230, recently introduced by Rep. McKinley (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT), would incentivize homeowners to undertake comprehensive energy-saving improvements. By creating a rebate program, the legislation would help homeowners afford specific home energy efficiency retrofits, including a combination of better windows, insulation, heating equipment, etc. that lower energy consumption and cost. The bill would authorize $500 million for the rebates each year from 2013 to 2016. Included are wood and pellet stoves that emit 3.0 grams an hour or less and boilers that emit .07 lbs per million BTU.

The HOMES Act, which stands for Home Owner Managing Energy Savings, is a departure from tax credits or rebates for particular appliances that the IRS used and Home Star would have used. It is based on performance and requires a professional energy audit to show how much energy is saved. It starts at $2,000 for homeowners who can demonstrate 20 percent savings and goes up incrementally to $8,000 or 50 percent of the project’s cost, whichever is less.

The emissions limits alone would include a vast majority of pellet stoves (90% or 178 out of 199 pellet stoves on the Washington state list are 3.0 or under). For wood stoves, it would include less than half of existing models (40% or 231 out of 572 wood stoves on the Washington State list are 3.0 or under). For outdoor wood boilers, there are four out of 30 boilers (two wood and two pellet) on the EPA’s list of qualified outdoor boilers that would qualify for the emissions threshold.

In addition, stoves have to be third party tested to a minimum of 75% efficiency (HHV) and boilers 80% efficiency. The HOMES Act pulled some language from the Home Star legislation, which never passed but stricter emission limits were added for boilers. Below is the full text of requirements for biomass appliances:

(c) Qualified Home Energy Efficiency Expenditures- For purposes of this section, the term `qualified home energy efficiency expenditures'--

(1) means any amount paid or incurred by a homeowner for a qualified home energy efficiency retrofit, including the cost of diagnostic procedures, labor, and modeling; and

(2) does not include--

(A) improvements to swimming pools or hot tubs; or

(B) any amount paid or incurred to purchase or install a biomass, wood, or wood pellet furnace, boiler, or stove, unless the system--

(i) is designed to meet at least 70 percent of the heating demands of the home;

(ii) in the case of woodstoves, is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency;

(iii) in the case of a wood stove replacement, replaces an existing wood stove with a stove that is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, if a voucher is provided by the installer or other responsible party
certifying that the old stove has been removed and made inoperable;

(iv) in the case of a furnace or boiler, is in a home with a distribution system (such as piping, ducts, vents, blowers, or affixed fans) that allows heat from the furnace or boiler to reach all or most parts of the home; and

(v) is certified by an independent test laboratory approved by the Secretary as having--

(I) thermal efficiency (with a high heating value) of at least 75 percent for stoves and 80 percent for furnaces and boilers;

(II) particulate emissions of less than 3.0 grams per hour for wood stoves or pellet stoves; and

(III) less than 0.07 lbs per million BTU for outdoor boilers and furnaces.

Summary of the bill:
http://ase.org/resources/home-owner-managing-energy-savings-homes-act-2012

Entire text of bill:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:1:./temp/~c112gmJBK5:e15634: