The scale of the Libby changeout – 1,130 wood stoves in a little over two years – makes it the premiere example of a successful changeout program. The Libby experience demonstrates that a wood stove changeout can significantly and cost-effectively reduce harmful emissions. While Libby is in many ways the poster child for a successful changeout, many other areas can benefit from a similar program.

HPBA hopes this report and information on its website – www.woodstovechangeout.org – can help state and local leaders learn how a changeout can make their communities cleaner, safer and healthier.

What is a Wood Stove Changeout?

The wood stove changeout campaign is a voluntary program initiated at the local or regional level that provides eligible communities with a mechanism to reduce air pollution caused by wood smoke.  Residents of participating communities often receive incentives such as rebates, low/no interest loans and discounts to replace their old, conventional wood stoves and fireplace inserts with cleaner-burning, more efficient EPA-certified gas, pellet, electric or wood stoves and fireplaces.  Households that participate in changeouts must surrender their old wood stoves to be recycled.

HPBA Wins Award For Video Production

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) and Strat@comm, a Washington, D.C.-based communications firm, have won a Silver Telly Award for their video production “Clearing the Smoke – The Libby Report.”

The award-winning video details an HPBA-coordinated project in the town of Libby, Mont., where local residents replaced their outdated and polluting wood stoves with new technology woodstoves that burn more cleanly and more efficiently.

“We’re very excited that this video, highlighting the Libby, Montana, story, has been awarded the Silver Telly,” says Jack Goldman, president of the HPBA. “This was a story that needed to be told, and the video that Strat@comm produced is a remarkable retelling of the story.”

The Telly Awards pay tribute to local and regional television commercials and productions, as well as non-broadcast video productions.

SOURCE: HPBA

Posted: July 24th, 2008 under Home Heating, Pellet Stoves, Questions & Answers.
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It almost seems as if each day the price of just about everything in the world increases. One those price increases includes the cost of home heating. There are many families who continue to live with the cost of high heating; however, others refuse to. Refusing to pay a large amount of money to heat your home does not mean that you have to go without heat, but it does mean that you will have to find alternative heating methods.

The use of an outdoor coal furnace is a popular heating alternative that is used by a large number of homeowners. An outdoor coal furnace is a low-cost and safe way to provide heat to a home. What many individuals do not realize is that a home is not the only thing that can be heated by an outdoor coal furnace.

Owning and operating a business can be costly even for the most profitable businesses. This is why many business owners try to cut costs wherever and whenever they can. The latest increases in heating costs have left many business owners looking for alternative heating methods for their business. An outdoor coal furnace can heat a business in the same way that it will heat a home. Since the unit is placed outside, a retail store or an office with an outdoor coal furnace will not experience any smells or fumes.

Garages are either attached or not attached to a home. Many times when a home is heated so is the attached garage. Home owners with a separate garage may be looking for a cheap way to heat it. A garage or a shed are one of the many buildings that can use an outdoor coal furnace for heating.

It is also possible for an outdoor coal furnace to heat a farm. Due to the steady decrease in revenues and the increase in heating prices there are many farmers who are loosing valuable money. Purchasing an outdoor coal furnace is a great way to help relieve the costs of heating a barn, no matter what the size of it.

In addition to just heating a building, an outdoor coal furnace will provide hot water. This means that a business owner, garage owner, or a farmer can still complete their daily activities with hot water. It is also important to note that an outdoor coal furnace can provide heat for swimming pools and hot tubs. There are many coal furnace models that are designed to provide heat and hot water to multiple buildings and sources.

Once an outdoor coal furnace has been purchased and installed, the outdoor coal furnace will soon begin to pay for itself. Thanks to this low-cost heating method many families are able to afford more necessities and many business owners and farmers will still be able to operate their business without having to pay outrageous operating costs. Whether you are a homeowner, a business owner, or a farmer you should least consider further examining the benefits of an outdoor coal furnace.

by Harriet Goodrich

Posted: July 21st, 2008 under Home Heating, Outdoor Furnaces, Questions & Answers.
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After several months of waiting, the Ecoteck.us website is finally online and ready to provide you with information about the Ecoteck pellet stoves.

If you want to drastically cut your home heating costs for this coming heating season then an Ecoteck wood pellet stove may just be for you. Unlike an outdoor wood furnace these units sit inside your home, they are extremely stylish to fit in with your home decor and require less maintenance than an outdoor wood furnace. With an average efficiency rating of 84% these units surpass most units currently manufactured and sold in America.

So if saving money and doing less work to heat your home is at the top of your list, then check out the brand new Ecoteck.us website, it has all the information you need on these wonderful indoor wood pellet stoves.

Posted: July 14th, 2008 under Home Heating, Pellet Stoves.
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When it comes to home heating there is nothing more important than a product that can stand the test of time and save you money. Or is there?

The new domain name from Noritz, Tankless Is Green .com, pretty much says it all. As we enter a new age of environmental awareness the way we heat our homes is starting to evolve and major changes in energy prices is forcing us to do so. This is why we are starting to sell a full range of Noritz Tankless Water Heaters from 5.3 to 13.2 gallon per minute capacity. The Commercial 1321 Series Model meets ASME, National Board and NSF accreditations, providing enough hot water for hotels, resorts and housing estates.

Currently the United States is the world’s largest energy consumer in the world, and for that reason is also the largest source of global warming pollution. The U.S. emits  more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan, combined. 25% of the carbon dioxide pollution produced by the U.S. comes from fossil-fuel burning. By switching to more energy efficient appliances and equipment, we can reduce the demand for electricity and cut carbon dioxide pollution from power plants. When it comes to water heating, you won’t find a higher performing and highly efficient unit than a Noritz tankless water heater. (Source)

Noritz is the leader in tankless water heater technology and their units can help you reduce your hot water energy consumption by 50%. Each unit is controlled by a digital thermometer, giving the owners more control over their hot water. Noritz Tankless Water Heaters are available for indoor and outdoor use, they emit low Co2 levels, save floor space, and can be wall mounted almost any where. Aside from lowering your hot water energy bill and less emissions the other popular advantage is that you will never run out of hot water.  This is because tankless water heaters heat water on demand and that means no storage or shortage of hot water.

So if your ready to evolve as energy consumption prices skyrocket, make sure you look into a Nortiz Tankless Water Heater. Your home, your wallet and the environment will appreciate it.

Posted: July 3rd, 2008 under Home Heating.
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For the past 12 years Northland Distributing & Manufacturing, Inc. has been selling hydronic supplies for outdoor wood furnace systems to it’s Crown Royal Stoves dealers all over America. In 2007 we decided to start offering our hydronic heating supplies to the general public as well as other companies in the construction industry. This entailed a massive overhaul to the Northland Distributing website to showcase all products available. This product list is steadily growing to encompass additional items not offered previously.
With long lasting relationships between Northland Distributing and the product manufactures we have been able to negotiate low pricing that others are unable to offer.

Now you don’t have to wait for normal 8:00 – 5:00 office hours to place your order. Today Northland Distributing & Manufacturing, Inc. is announcing it’s new online venture Hydronic Heating Supplies. By taking our low prices and extensive catalog one step further into the digital realm, we are able to make your shopping and ordering experience easier. Now you can compare pricing with other companies, place orders and read product reviews from other customers at any time of the day.

If you have any questions or comments about our new online store Hydronic Heating Supplies, please feel free to contacts us toll free 1-866-361-7355.

Posted: June 5th, 2008 under Advertising, Home Heating, Outdoor Furnaces.
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Wood pellet stoves were invented in the 1980’s and have gained in popularity in the last few years. These are small electric stoves that burn small pieces of recycled sawdust that are compressed into pellets. There are a number of advantages to using wood pellet stoves. They are extremely efficient, produce very little waste, and use inexpensive fuel.

Wood pellet stoves are fueled by tightly compressed pieces of sawdust. They have complicated machinery that adds new pellets to the fire when more fuel is needed. The user merely has to add the pellets to the hopper, and the mechanical auger moves pellets to the fire as needed.

Wood pellet stoves have average efficiency ratings of 80- to 85-percent. They heat more efficiently than bigger and more expensive gas heaters. These stoves have negative pressure systems that propel the hot air they produced outward, making the heat go farther than it would naturally. The pellets are burned so completely that they hardly give off any smoke, meaning that it is not necessary to build a large chimney to channel smoke out of the home. Wood pellet stoves only need a small pipe leading outside to dispose of excess smoke.

Since wood stoves are so efficient, they hardly produce any waste. An entire 40-pound bag of pellets produces less than a cup of ashes. People can use a wood pellet stove for months without having to empty the ashes.

The pellets used as fuel are made of sawdust from lumberyards and wood mills. The sawdust is compressed at high temperatures and is not held together by any type of chemicals or glue. A 40-pound bag of pellets sells for less than five dollars, with discounts available for people who buy in bulk.

Wood pellet stoves are a great alternative to gas or electric heating systems. They are economical and can produce enough heat to warm an entire house.

By Peter Emerson

Posted: May 5th, 2008 under Home Heating, Pellet Stoves.
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