EPA-approved wood burner may assist budgets, air

TIMES STAFF

August 15, 2008 at 1:16PM AKST

Outdoor wood boilers’ production is off the charts this summer and the pace just keeps picking up, much to the chagrin of air quality officials who are concerned about impacts of wood smoke.  But, there is an innovative solution that offers efficiency and independence without the air quality challenges: EPA-qualified wood boilers. 

The doubling of home heating costs and the anticipated increase again this fall are once again forcing homeowners and business owners to find alternative heating solutions beyond just oil and gas.

This is especially true in the northeastern part of the country where oil has long been a dependable and available heat source. Now, while looking for a safe harbor to soften the impact on their checkbooks, consumers are finding favor in outdoor wood boilers for central heat. These appliances are helping consumers reduce costs by two-thirds in many cases. 

So, what is the problem? Despite the availability of EPA-qualified wood boilers that produce almost no smoke, traditional wood boilers are still available on the market and in many people’s homes across the U.S. These traditional wood boilers produce an excessive amount of wood smoke, which can cause neighborhood nuisance issues. 

Today, only a few outdoor wood boiler manufacturers sell new technology wood boilers that use gasification technology to reduce wood smoke to a fraction of their older cousins. 

Recently, the EPA began a program that qualifies the cleanest burning of outdoor wood boilers, but not many people know they exist. Companies like Greenwood Technologies are changing the dynamic with public education, and producing a green form of heat that will benefit the U.S. energy race.

Calculating the need
Fossil fuels – oil and gas – are expected to increase again in costs:  by as much as 33 percent this winter according to the Energy Information Administration.

Lines are forming at wood stove and outdoor wood boiler retailers, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.

Due to high demand, outdoor wood boiler orders are backlogged by six weeks to three months, according to Greenwood Technologies.

Outdoor wood boilers or outdoor wood-fired hydronic heaters have many benefits:  back-up to gas or oil heat (use same system); low cost to operate; independent fuel source; low emissions; heat water as well as provide heat; no major infrastructure costs.

EPA is now approving outdoor wood boilers that reduce emissions significantly, and are focused on educating the public about their benefits.

Learn more
Energy Information Administration, at Web site www.eia.org

Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association at Website www.hpba.org

Deirdre Darsa at 703-522-0086 or darsa@hpba.org

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov/woodheaters)

Alison Davis 919-541-7587 or email davis.alison@epa.gov

Greenwood Technologies at www.greenwoodusa.com

Michael Kuehner 425-289-4722 or mkuehner@greenwoodusa.com

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