1. The Online Stove Change-out Resource Center
John Ackerly & Melissa Bollman
Alliance for Green Heat
Albany NY
November 2016
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2. 501c3 nonprofit funded by foundations & grants
A national voice for wood heat consumers
Work for more incentives for the cleanest & most efficient biomass heaters
Host technology design competitions to explore automated, “next generation” stoves
Push for more transparency from manufacturers and EPA about testing and efficiencies.
Integrate stoves into work of energy auditors and home energy professionals.

3. Current reach of organization
Blog gets 30,000 readers each month
Website gets about 30,000 hits per month
Monthly newsletter goes to 10,000 people and read by about 2,000 per month
Goal is 20% increase per year for all platforms
Annual budget is now approximately $200,000

4. Online Stove Change-out Resource Center
  Consumer Tips -
  10 Best Practices
  Analysis of Change-outs
  List Of Programs
  Vouchers vs Rebates
  Recommendations for States
  Program Monitoring
  Sample Documents
  Recommended Videos

5. 35 change-out programs in 2016 Yellow stars: change-out program; Red circles: incentive programs
Most comprehensive list and we will be keeping it updated. So please link to us and let us know if there are any errors or things you want us to add.
Apologize if we missed any. Please let us know so that we can add them!

6. Averages and trends of 2016: data from these 35 programs gives valuable context
Alaska
   Colorado
     Washington County
     Fairbanks
     Fort Collins
Vermont  
   Arizona
     Northern Colorado
Washington
     Phoenix
   Idaho
     Columbia Valley
   California
     Statewide
     Kittitas
     Alpine
     Portneuf
     Pierce
     Bay Area
Maine
     Spokane
     El Dorado
Massachusetts
     Thurston County
     Marin
     Vancouver
     Northern Sonoma
   Montana
     Wenatchee
     Placer
     Butte-Silver Bow
   Manufacturer
     Plumas
   Nevada
     Jøtul
     Sacramento
     Western Nevada
     San Lorenzo
 New Hampsire
     San Joaquin
New York
     San Luis Obispo
     South Coast
   Oregon
     Truckee
     Pendleton

7. Selected data from the 35 programs
Avg. Wood stove incentive $910
Median wood stove incentive $600
Avg. Pellet stove incentive $1,290
Median pellet stove incentive $1,000
Avg. Bounty amount $400
Avg. Cost per change out $1,860
Avg. Lowest cost per stove $400
Avg. Highest cost per stove $3,000
% programs not requiring pro install %
% programs not allowing wood stoves 25%

8. 10 Best Practices
Prioritize who gets funds, if funding is limited. Higher priority could go to homes that use wood as a primary heating source or homes in more densely populated areas.
Give higher rebates and/or limit options to cleaner stoves. 
More $ for pellet and/or gas or heat pumps
Treat automated wood stoves like pellet stoves. Quadrafire’s Adventure stoves and MF Fire’s Catalyst represent a new era for wood stoves.
Right size rebate. Closing program after a week is usually not a sign of success, but may mean smaller rebates should apply.
These 10 best practices help focus on the real purpose of the program. The Puget Sound program and the VT or NY program are great examples. VT and NY are statewide – they don’t focus on the towns and valleys with the highest wintertime PM levels. A little more complexity is needed.

9. 10 Best Practices – cont’d
4. Education. Education is very inconsistent and few “best practices” within this arena exist. 5. Bounty programs. They are generally under-utilized and could also apply to stove retailers, year-round. 6. Bounty programs. They are generally under-utilized and could also apply to stove retailers, year-round. 7. Efficiency. This is a hugely underappreciated arena. We believe its past time to stop putting public money into pellet stoves that are under 65 or 70% efficiency.
These 10 best practices help focus on the real purpose of the program. The Puget Sound program and the VT or NY program are great examples. VT and NY are statewide – they don’t focus on the towns and valleys with the highest wintertime PM levels. A little more complexity is needed.

10. 10 Best Practices – cont’d
7. Give consumers options not just on heating technologies, but also on whether to purchase from a specialty retailers or a big box store. 8. Advance policy steps. Prior to a change-out, jurisdictions should try to ensure that the future resale and installation of uncertified stoves is forbidden. Otherwise, program benefits will be undermined. 9. Energy audits, weatherization and low-income programs. Huge potential here. Change-out programs need to better integrate subsidized energy audits, weatherization and LIHEAP programs. Those programs have funds to replace old stoves! 10. Evaluation and monitoring. Should be integrated into the program from the start – not an afterthought – and made public.
These 10 best practices help focus on the real purpose of the program. The Puget Sound program and the VT or NY program are great examples. VT and NY are statewide – they don’t focus on the towns and valleys with the highest wintertime PM levels. A little more complexity is needed.

11. Efficiencies
125 stove models, or 25% of all stoves, now have actual, listed efficiencies.
Pellet stoves have widest range.
Hybrids are cleanest on average.
No change-out or incentive program prevents public funding going to the least efficient stoves, even for low-income households!
Consumers often respond better to an efficiency message vs. an emission message

12. DOE WAP update
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is finally better integrating wood and pellet stoves to the Health & Safety program requirments.
Most states get WAP funds for subsidized weatherization and energy upgrade work, enabling contractors to inspect stoves, and potentially repair or replace it, just like they do with fossil fuel heaters.
Check for EPA certification
Check clearances, cracked glass, smoke leakage, etc.
Should lead to more work for stove retailers & installers & chimney sweeps

13. Thank you! John Ackerly – jackerly@forgreenheat.org
Melissa Bollman –
Alliance for Green Heat
Takoma Park, MD