1. Including Wood Stove
in Energy Audits
The challenges of assessing an age-old technology
with modern standards
John Ackerly
President, Alliance for Green Heat

2. Alliance for Green Heat
501c3 nonprofit funded by foundations & grants
A national voice for wood heat consumers
Work for more incentives for the cleanest &
most efficient biomass heaters
Call on government to provide R&D funding for
ultra-clean “next generation” stoves
Work for more regulation of wood stoves,
including
No new installs of unqualified outdoor boilers
No new installs of uncertified stoves in urban
areas

3. There are no standards to assess
the second most common heating
appliance in New England
Building Performance Institute,
Inc.
BPI-101
Home Energy Auditing Standard
August 3, 2010
3.3 Include a test of all
combustion appliances in
accordance with Section 7 of
this standard.

4. What are the challenges?
Most wood and pellet stoves do not report reliable
? efficiency numbers
Wood and pellet stoves emit carbon monoxide, yet they are
never tested for leaks and cannot be run if a blower door
test is being done
Pellet stoves and boilers are exempt from EPA regulation, so
they cannot be checked for EPA certification
2.4 million US homes use stoves as their primary heat but
many homeowners, insurance companies and even some
states do not consider stoves primary heating devices.
There is no EnergyStar program for wood or pellet stoves

5. Wood stoves in BPI standards
The Home Energy
Auditing Standard
(BPI-1100-T-2012):
 7.8: Energy auditors shall
Inspect solid fuel burning
appliances for safe
operation and efficiency.
 7.23: Energy auditors shall
recommend replacement
of solid fuel burning
appliances with UL-listed
and EPA-certified
appliances if the existing
appliance is not UL-listed
or has signs of structural
failure.

6. BPI Standard Process BPI Standards Development Process Flow
July 13, 2010
New Work Item
Solid Fuel Working Group Standards Management Board BoD Reaffirms
 Alliance for Green Heat – Chair
 EPA Standards Technical Committee
 National Fireplace Institute Working Group, Task Force
 Chimney Safety Institute of
America Consensus Draft
 Washington State Dept. Ecology
STC Approval
 Hearth, Patio BBQ Association - Ballot or Meeting Vote
- Comment Resolution
Standards Management
Board BoD Reaffirms
ANSI Public Review Process BPI Public Comment
Public Comment Comment Resolution
Comment Resolution
ANSI BSR Approval Publish BPI Standard
Publish ANSI/BPI Standard

7. Advising Homeowners on New
Equipment
Helping homeowners do a cost-benefit calculation for wood or pellet stoves or
boilers (all numbers in HHV). The pellet efficiencies tend to be unrealistically high,
as is Maine’s 85% estimate for biomass central heating systems.
 Department of Energy Home Fuel Cost Calculator:
www.eia.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls
 Default wood stove efficiency: 72%
 Default pellet stove efficiency: 78%
 State of Maine Home Heating Calculator
www.maine.gov/energy/fuel_prices/heating-calculator.php
 Default wood stove efficiency: 63%, EPA certified; 54%, noncertified
 Default pellet stove efficiency: 80%, stove; 85%, central heating system
 BuildingGreen.com Heating Fuel Cost Calculator
www.buildinggreen.com/calc/fuel_cost.cfm
 Default wood stove efficiencies: 80%, masonry; 70%, high efficiency EPA; 60%,
wood stove; 50%, older wood stove
 Default pellet stove efficiency: 80%

8. What Consumers Need to
Know: Pellet Stoves
Myth #1: Advertised efficiency numbers can be relied on.
 Advertised efficiency numbers are calculated in many different ways
and are not reliable. They are almost always in LHV, even though
EPA uses HHV. Make sure stove is over 70% HHV or 80% LHV using
the B415 method.
Myth #2: Pellet stoves tend to be more efficient than wood
stoves.
 Many pellet stoves are fuel-guzzlers with low efficiency numbers.
Expected savings may never materialize.
Myth #3: Pellet stove are automatic
 Yes, but professional annual cleaning, and monthly homeowner
cleaning, are vital to best operation and to maximize efficiency.

9. Efficiency of wood appliances
As tested at High Heating Value (HHV)
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% Best Known
Default (EPA)
40%
Average
30% Worst Known
20%
10%
0%
Pellet Catalytic Non-catalytic

10. Out of the top 24 pellet stove
companies that retail in the U.S.
The following is based on a review of
manufacturer websites.
7 listed stove efficiencies
7 make general efficiency claims, i.e. “our
stoves achieve up to 77% efficiency”
10 do not mention any efficiency numbers
8 provide emissions numbers in grams per
hour
16 do not list their emissions

11. What consumers need to
know: Wood Stoves
Efficiency: If efficiency is a real priority and the stove will be a
primary heater, consider a catalytic stove. Catalytic stoves got
a deserved bad rap in 80s and 90s but designs are far better
today. Woodstock Soapstone, Blaze King and Travis make
great catalytic stoves and report B415 efficiency numbers.
They all make stoves that are over 80% HHV efficiency (90%
LHV). Non-cats are 10 – 20% less efficient.
Emissions: Key to low emissions is using dry, split wood, not
the grams per hour as tested in the lab.
Sizing is key: Make sure stove is sized to the space it can
effectively heat.
Professional installation: Find a pro certified by the
National Fireplace Institute (NFI), http://nficertified.org.

12. What consumers need to
know: Boilers
Myth #1: EPA Qualified outdoor wood boilers are high efficiency.
 Some are as low as 40- 50% efficient.
Myth #2: EPA Qualified outdoor wood boilers are clean burning.
 Huge door opening leads to many people to use unsplit, large
logs which are far from seasoned, and create plenty of smoke.
Myth #3: Manufacturer and retailers help right-size boilers
 Unfortunately, many manufacturers and retailers have not done
enough to help consumers get the right size equipment, leading
to many installations that are oversized.

13. How to inspect a wood stove
1. Physical inspection of stove
 EPA certification
 UL listing
 Structural integrity & rust
 Glass & gaskets
2. Inspection of clearances.
3. Inspection of evidence of smoke leakage
4. Inspection of fuel and fuel storage.
5. Inspection of visible creosote on chimney
We are not recommending at this point an inspection while
stove is in operation.

14. Why is this important?
Power in Numbers
20% of New England homes use wood heat (1.1 million homes)
Half of New England rural homes use wood heat
12% of urban New England homes use wood heat
Potential for Danger
Wood stoves cause 4,000 house fires each year
Over one-quarter of residential building heating fires result
from improper maintenance of heating
equipment, specifically the failure to clean
the equipment.

15. Wood is 3rd most common heat in
U.S.
US Residential Heating Fuel Use
70
60
50
Millions of US Homes
40
Secondary
30 Primary
20
10
0
Electricity Natural Gas Wood Propane/LPG Fuel Oil Kerosene

16. EPA and UL certification
Make sure to check
Back of stove for EPA and
UL label.
If brand and model are
on EPA certified list.
Year purchased. Before
1988, not certified. After
1988, probably certified.
For glass door. If it has
one, it’s likely certified.
Note: Pellet stoves do not
require EPA certification.

17. Signs of structural failure
Cracks and rust in the body Cracks in the door and glass

18. Glass
Dirty glass is a sign the
stove owner is not
operating stove correctly
or the stove is inefficient.
Recommend the
homeowner clean the
glass every day to see
how quickly it gets dirty.
If it gets dirty in a single
day, the combustion is
poor.
Cracked glass should be
replaced.

19. Clearances from combustibles
These are very general
guidelines and do not reflect NFPA Recommended
legal requirements. Clearances
 Inspect area for combustibles Radiant Stove
within 12 inches of stove Stove Pipe
(includes dry wall)
Ceiling 36” 18”
 Old, uncertified stoves usually
require 18 – 24 inches from Front 36” 18”
combustible. 36” 18”
Side
 EPA certified stove usually
require no less than 12 Rear 36” 18”
inches. Floor 18” 18”
 Minimum clearances are
printed in the stove manual. If
manual cannot be
found, follow NFPA
guidelines.

20. Inspecting gaskets
Missing or degraded
gaskets could lead to
smoke and CO entering
the house.
If the gasket around the
stove door is
loose, missing or
degraded, recommend
owner gets a
replacement.
Gasket rope comes in
different sizes, so tell the
homeowner to consult
owner’s manual before
buying.

21. Smoke leakage
Check the interior of
the home for signs of
smoke
leakage, especially
the fireplace and
mantle in the case of
wood stove inserts.
A leaky stove is a
health and safety
hazard and should be
replaced.

22. Chimneys
Chimneys collect
creosote (tar), the
leading cause of
chimney fires, and
should be inspected
once a year. BPI, Technical
Check for creosote by Standards for the
looking up the Heating Professional
chimney with a strong says: “A deteriorated
flashlight. Creosote can chimney must be
be visible on the grate repaired or relined and
of the chimney cap as the cause corrected
well. before reusing.”

23. Smoke & carbon dioxide monitors
Check if home has an
operational smoke
detector and carbon
monoxide monitor and
test them.
Smoke alarms should be
on a ceiling or high on a
wall. Carbon monoxide
alarms should also be
placed at least 5 feet
high, but not directly
above or beside wood
stoves, since they may
emit a small amount of
CO upon start-up.

24. Firewood
Inspect fuel storage to see if
wood is split, stacked and
covered. Splitting and
stacking is essential;
covering is best.
Inspect wood to check if it
is seasoned. Ideal is to test
with moisture meter and
show homeowner. Make
sure you split wood and
know how to use your
meter.
Seasoned wood is 20% or
less moisture. Unseasoned
wood leads to
inefficient, smoky fires.

25. Installation & repair certification
National Fireplace
Institute (NFI)
Non-profit certification
agency that trains, tests
and certifies hearth
professionals, mostly
focusing on installation of
new units.
Chimney Safety Institute
of America (CSIA)
Focuses on chimneys but
includes some hearth
installation training.

26. When to designate a wood stove as a
“Health and Safety hazard”?
Made before 1988 and not certified
by the EPA?
No UL listing?
Cracked firebox?
Insufficient clearances?
All of the above?
Low income homes using an old
stove as a primary or heating unit
may be eligible for assistance to get
a new, clean, high efficiency stove

27. The Wood Stove Checklist
 Written by Alliance for Green
with support from the
University of Maryland
Extension as a tool for home
energy auditors and others to
help assess wood stove safety
and efficiency
 Available through the
Extension website:
http://www.naturalresources.
umd.edu/Publications/FactSh
eets/FS-
936_2012_Wood_Stove_Chec
klist.pdf
 Send any feedback to
contact@forgreenheat.org

28. Thank you!
John Ackerly
www.forgreenheat.org
john@forgreenheat.org
301-841-7755