Transcript Extent of the Woodsmoke Problem

Great American Woodstove
Changeout Campaign
National Weatherization Training Conference
December 10, 2007
“Real energy efficiency improvements and air
emission reductions for real people”
Larry Brockman, U.S. EPA
919-541-5398, [email protected]
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Presentation Purpose
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Raise awareness about EPA’s Woodstove Changeout
Campaign
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Share why EPA cares about wood smoke
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Increase awareness about new solid fuel technologies
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Outline funding opportunities (e.g., environmental
enforcement settlement agreements)
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Begin dialogue for possible partnership
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What is a Woodstove Changeout
Campaign?
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A voluntary, incentive-based (cash rebates) effort
to encourage owners of old, inefficient woodstoves
to replace or “changeout” their stove with a
cleaner burning hearth appliance,
like:
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Gas stoves
Wood pellet or corn stoves
EPA-Certified wood stoves
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Draft logo
What’s in Wood Smoke?
“Ah, the sweet smell of wood smoke” - but
what makes it so sweet?
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CO
Benzene
Toluene
Aldehyde gases
Polycyclic organic matter
Dioxin
Particle matter (PM2.5)
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Wood Smoke – Why We Care
- Emitted where we live
- Poor dispersion
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Residential Wood Smoke Why Do We Care?
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Fine particle pollution (PM2.5) - ~6 %
(430,000 tons) of total PM2.5
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~80% from woodstoves
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More than all of the:
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US petroleum refineries
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Cement manufactures
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Pulp and paper plants combined.
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Particulate Matter: What is It?
A complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets
Particulate Matter
Smaller, inhalable particles
(≤ PM10) penetrate deep into the
lungs
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Model of interior human lung
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Who’s affected?
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Everyone, especially children and the elderly
People with existing diseases such as:
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Coronary artery disease
Heart failure
Asthma
Chronic bronchitis and
emphysema
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Fine Particle (PM2.5)
Nonattainment Areas
(Areas not meeting the national standard)
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Areas/Sites Violating 24-Hour PM2.5
National Standard: 2003-2005
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Residential Wood Smoke
Why else does EPA care?
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Energy Efficiency/Renewable
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Fire Safety
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Newer stoves are ~50% more efficient, use 1/3 less wood
Creosote build-up in chimney from old stoves is faster
Indoor Air Quality
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Old wood stoves are often improperly installed and poorly
sealed
Improper ventilation of woodstoves and fireplaces
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2006/2007 Residential PM2.5
Indoor Air Quality Sampling
Findings from University of Montana
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Sampling focused on 21 woodstove homes that were changed out during the
winter of 2006/2007. (5 were eliminated from study for various reasons)
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24-hour fine particle matter (PM2.5) sampling
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Pre-changeout average PM2.5 concentrations within 21 homes: 53.4 μg/m3.
(35ug/m3 is health based standard)
Post-changeout average PM2.5 concentrations within 16 homes: 15.0 μg/m3.
Average reduction in indoor PM2.5 as a result of woodstove changeout within
16 homes:
72%
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Old “Conventional” Woodstoves
(built before 1990)
Slide from Wood Heat Organization Inc
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Advanced Woodstoves
(EPA Certified – built after 1990)
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Slide from Wood Heat Organization Inc
Example of EPA Certified Stove Label
Woodstove Fireplace Inserts
Can transform a conventional fireplace into an
efficient heating system.
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Two types of advanced
combustion:
1.
2.
Catalytic
 uses catalyst to clean up exhaust
Non-catalytic advanced
 most common
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Inside a catalytic wood stove
Smoke passes through a catalytic honeycomb that
lowers smoke ignition temperature
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Inside a ‘non-cat’ wood stove
1. Firebox insulation 2. A large baffle
3. Preheated combustion air
Wood Pellet Stoves
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A cleaner burning option
Pellets are made from
sawdust that is ground,
dried and compressed
Can operate up to 24
hours unattended
Many pellet stoves burn corn too.
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Conventional Fireplaces
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Not efficient and are not suitable for home heating
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They are also a source of air pollution
High efficiency fireplaces
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Advanced technology fireplaces have
the same combustion features as
advanced wood stoves
Central Heating
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Most wood furnaces are not clean
burning and efficient
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A cleaner wood burning furnace
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Meets EPA emissions
standards for woodstoves
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Woodstove Changeouts:
The Opportunity…
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10 million stoves in use, 7.5 million old stoves
Cleaner burning, more efficient technologies
available
Old
New
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Woodstove Changeout
The Challenge…
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Replacement with new “cleaner” alternatives
is relatively expensive
~$1500 – $3000 per stove (including installation)
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Low income households can’t afford new
stoves
Old woodstoves last 30-40 years, (7.5
million)
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Ideas for Sources of Funding
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Supplemental Environmental Projects
Foundations
Big Businesses
Demonstration Grants
Rebates/Discounts
Federal/State/Local/Tribal
HUD, BIA, DOE
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Supplemental Environmental
Project (SEP) Agreement
What is a SEP Agreement?
An agreement with an alleged violator to undertake
an environmentally beneficial project related to the
violation in exchange for mitigation of the penalty
to be paid.
e.g., instead paying the U.S. Treasury
$200,000, the $ goes to a local project
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Supplemental Environmental
Project ( SEP)
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Environmentally beneficial projects
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Must have connection to violation
Generally in the same geographic area
Is up to defendant to choose do SEP
and the type of project
Defendant must be able to prove the
project was implemented
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Progress to date – Supplemental
Environmental Projects
Enforcement agreements negotiated to pay for
clean stoves: Total ~ $725K
Red = Worked with CAP
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3 in Wash. State: Bellingham ~$200K, Spokane $25K
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2 in Ohio: Dayton ~$75K, Marietta ~245K
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1 in VA: Christiansburg ~$45K
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1 in NM: Questa ~$100K
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Partnership progress to date
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Over 25 communities implementing wood stove
changeouts
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Partners have invested $6M
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8 Supplemental Environmental Projects
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Over 3000 stoves and fireplaces changed out
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More than 130 tons of PM2.5 reduced/yr
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Woodstove Changeouts Are
Happening!
Recently completed or implementing
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CA - Sacramento
CA - Yolo-Solano
CA - Butte County
CO - Delta County
ID - Pinehurst
ID – Cache Valley
ID – Nez Perce Tribe
MT - Libby
NM - Questa
NV - Washoe Co.
OH - Dayton area
OH - Marietta
OR - Oakridge
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PA – Southwest counties
VA – Christiansburg
WA – Darrington
WA – Ferry County
WA - Yakima
WA - Bellingham
WA – Marysville
WA - Tacoma
WA – Spokane
WA – Stevens County
WA – Swinomish Tribe
WI – Oneida Nation
WV - Parkersburg
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Woodstove Changeout
Campaign - Summary
EPA believes this effort:
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Is potentially a very effective tool for addressing air pollution at
the community/tribal level;
Provides other important benefits (e.g., energy efficiency);
Is doable, but financial incentives are by far the biggest
challenge;
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Has willing partners;
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Questions/comments?
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Outdoor wood boilers
Their large, simple fireboxes
make clean burning difficult.
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