Another Wood Stove Conversion Program
Hundreds of residents in Michigan will have new wood stoves this winter according to Diane Ivey of Michigan State University’s Capital News Service. They will have the new wood stoves as part of an initiative of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs and Department of Environmental Quality.
Also involved in the program are E.P.A. and the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, which chipped in rebates of up to $600 toward the replacement of traditional wood-burning stoves with EPA-certified stoves or fireplaces.
Apparantly five hundred stoves were replaced during the summer. MUCC Exec. Director Dennis Muchmore said that consumers will benefit both economically and ecologically from the replacement program.
“Efficient stoves burn much less fuel, meaning they burn a smaller hole in a homeowner’s pocket,” he said. “By upgrading to a modern-efficiency stove, residents are also contributing to the green economy by heating their homes with cleaner energy sources.”
Newer EPA certified stoves give users more heat per dollar. Old wood stoves usually operate at around 50% efficiency or worse, while new ones can be up to 78 percent efficient. Instead of the heat going up the chimney, more of it stays in the home.
Older stoves operate with a catalytic combustion system, like a car, which can put out harmful amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, while the new stoves operate on a non-catalytic system or have catalytic converters to reduce emissions.
Economic factors are the driving force prompting people to look at wood stoves as an alternative for home heating. Some are using wood stoves to supplement their existing systems while others are using them as the primary source of heating in the home.
In exchange for the discounts and rebates, participants in the program agreed to replace their old stoves with EPA-approved wood, pellet, corn, gas or electric stoves. The old stoves were then recycled.