Winter is here – maybe even a real New England winter this time. We’ll huddle around to watch the bowl games and maybe even turn up the heat. But before you touch your thermostat, consider how your heat is generated. In all probability, you use either a boiler or furnace fired by natural gas or heating oil. Perhaps you use propane or even (let’s hope not) electricity.
The latter options especially can turn out to be pricey. But there’s good news: alternatives are available. Efficient renewable heating is coming, and if the Mass. Department of Energy Resources' (DOER) recommendations are followed, it’s here to stay.
One
renewable path opened up with the launch of DOER and MassCEC’s $100,000 pilot
incentive
program to assist residents to trade in their inefficient wood, wood
pellet, or coal-burning stoves for safer, more efficient, and cleaner models.
Qualifying residents can get a voucher of either $1000 or $2000 (depending on income) to replace older, non-EPA certified stove models with high efficiency stoves that use less wood and release fewer particulates into the air.
Efficient renewable heating is an attractive alternative to warming your home with fossil fuels; it can save you money, does not have the same supply constraints, and is cleaner. The efficient wood stoves in the change out program use less wood and produce fewer airborne particulates. Your family will appreciate the better air quality - so will your neighbors.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell notes that “this program is a great example of how state agencies work together to support our clean air goals, as well as clean energy goals. Because new wood stoves emit approximately 70 percent less pollution than older, conventional stoves, MassDEP worked with our partner agencies to ensure that the change-out program targets the less-efficient stoves and significantly reduces local particulate emissions.”
The woodstoves pilot program is just part of a broader program to support renewable heating and cooling. The MassCEC Commonwealth Solar Hot Water program is already stimulating an important approach to renewable heating in the residential, commercial and public sectors. There is more on the way.
Watch for additional pilot initiatives from a DOER / MassCEC / MassDEP partnership:
- Outdoor hydronic heater change out
- Residential wood pellet boilers (more sophisticated systems than wood stoves)
- Industrial/commercial wood boilers
- Residential and commercial air source and ground source heat pump programs
- Community district energy financing
- Renewable thermal business investment financing programs
Hi Bram -
I appreciated reading your blog. I presently run a small farm in Whately, MA (Bear Path Farm) where my main source of income is from the 2,000 cubic yards of compost I produce annually. I also sell a little firewood when I have surplus and have been burning wood in a non catalytic Vermont Castings Defiant wood stove since 1979. Incidentally in the early 1980's I was the wood energy program manager for the Dept. of Energy Resources. The reason that I am responding to your blog is that I think that a lot of people need to know some very basic information about how to use their existing wood stoves (stoves that burn cordwood)more efficiently.
My 34 year old wood stove might not be as efficient as the modern models, but it serves my needs very well and I have utilized common sense firing methods to both increase heat output and efficiency. After my stove comes up to temperature it is quite common for me to observe virtually zero opacity in the flue gases exiting my chimney which is in stark contrast with my neighbor across the street who uses a smaller catalytic stove a number of years younger than mine. My neighbor's stove literally belches smoke at times.
Here's what I do to achieve my results:
First of all my house, which was built in 1978-79, is passive solar and has 6" of fiberglass insulation in the walls and 11" in the ceiling. A recent addition has 6"of tightly packed cellulose in the walls plus 2" of foam board over the sheathing as well as 10" to 12" of cellulose in the ceiling. The house is post and beam and it was designed to have my wood stove located in the center of the house on the first floor. A massive multiple flue chimney system located in the center of the house acts as a large thermal mass. So that's what I'm working with. You should also know that all of my firewood is harvested from my woodlot in a sustainable fashion and it is very well seasoned. I am usually 3+ years ahead with my firewood supply and am always using the most seasoned wood for my heating needs.
Using very well seasoned firewood is a major part of my wood burning technique. Seasoned wood ignites very quickly and burns quite hot. After loading the stove with crumbled newspaper, kindling or very dry softwood logs I ignite the newspaper and keep the stove's loading door slightly ajar until the wood is thoroughly ignited. Next I usually add a couple of hardwood logs, wait until they ignite and then shut the damper which forces the exhaust gases to exit over the hot flames and coals effectively burning the energy contained in the smoke. Shortly thereafter I close the loader door and check the stove as needed for replenishing the wood. Also I ALWAYS leave the air intake to the stove wide open. I NEVER choke the stove down by reducing the combustion air to achieve extremely long burns. I add wood on a regular basis and mix and match larger pieces with smaller pieces, softwood with hardwood, and even a few small limb pieces on occasion to achieve the desired heat output. So the heat output from my stove varies by the amount and type of wood that I fuel it with rather than adjusting the airflow. So I always burn my firewood (very dry is the key) very hot to get the most efficient burn that I can. Also, by operating my stove in this manner, I am intentionally using the thermal mass of the house to help store the heat that the stove is producing. When I get up in the morning the house is usually 67 to 69 degrees, the stove is dead out and you can still feel heat radiating from the bricks of the central chimney.
We have hardly used any oil in over 30 years - usually just for backup if we go away for a weekend or short vacation. If most firewood users always used well seasoned wood I'm sure that they would benefit from less wood usage, increased comfort and reduced emissions.
Bill Obear
Bear Path Farm
Whately, MA
Posted by: Bill Obear | 01/12/2013 at 06:36 PM
To be able to get best possible effectiveness of a wood stove, it must be ran heated. Start up the wood stove through crumpled paper along with kindling. So it's really necessary to clean it daily.
Posted by: Carrie Hamilton | 01/17/2013 at 09:15 AM
Nice.........
Posted by: Sumit | 01/24/2013 at 05:00 AM
Due to the pollution in the environment global warming is increasing.So such projects are very good for a cleaner environment.
Posted by: Slow combustion heaters | 03/19/2013 at 08:00 AM
Hey,My woodstove/cookstove ( an Enterprise King ) sells an ateathmcnt that can go into the cookstove as is..so it can be used to heat hot water as well as heat and cook off of. I know that having it installed voids the insurance coverage though. In the back of the stove are 2 plugs where the in/out of the water heater source and heated water go. I did not get it for 2 reasons..the insurance as mentioned as well as the fact that I don't have a hot water heater that stores water..all of my hot water is stored in the well sure its cold but the instantaneous water heater takes care of the hot water as we need it. From last dec-july it used $20 worth of propane to heat water for showers and dishes. Mind you I do shower at the gym 3 times a week already so it might be $35-40 if I were showering everyday at home.If I were thinking of wood heat for water I would consider solar hot water systems always availible secondhand online for really cheap and if you have done plumbing before it is fairly simple..plus if you rig it with a solar pump you don't need any electricity on many days of the year..perfect for off-grid plus, if you have something like a hot water radiator it can heat your house too. I have limited space so there is more to consider with purchases. hehe
Posted by: Vicky | 03/28/2013 at 03:33 PM
Dear Vicky, thank you for your comment.
As you may well know, applications like the one you describe have been used for years across the Commonwealth. While we are not experts on insurance policies, if you want certainty you’d probably be best off writing a clear description of how you’re using the woodstove and send it to the your insurance agent. I recommend you ask for a written response about how this would affect your insurance.”
Posted by: Bram Claeys | 04/01/2013 at 12:48 PM
wow, darn good post
Posted by: xcel energy | 04/19/2013 at 06:50 AM
As solar energy is not harmful for the environment you should also work in this way to make environment pollution free.However your efforts are appreciable.
Posted by: Fire places Sydney | 04/19/2013 at 07:52 AM