Are Wood burners going to be banned? Ecodesign stoves and air pollution
There has been a lot of bad press recently about wood burners and their effect on air pollution, particulary in relation to emissions of pm2.5 (particulates released from the burning of solid fuel.) We have heard things like’ “Woodburners emit hundreds of times more pollution than diesel trucks” etc. The following is an extract from an article written by The Stove Fitters Warehouse that gives some clarity to the issue and counteracts the fake news spread by the media.
“It is worth remembering that wood is a renewable resource and much better for our planet than gas or oil (or electricity when it is created by a coal-fuelled power station).”
Eco Design is a new standard of stove design that substantially reduces the particulates added to our atmosphere by the burning of wood. This is 90%+ less so than an open fire (open fires and vehicles are the biggest polluters in cities and NOT modern wood stoves.)
Indoor Air Quality
What are PM 2.5's and are they dangerous?
PM 2.5 particles are the smallest particles and are in the air inside and outside of our homes whether we have a stove or not (think the finest of dust particles). It is these particles that are dangerous to health for everybody if prevalent in high enough numbers over long periods of time.
A wood burning stove, correctly working, will not exceed small particle safe-guidelines (I will provide some figures shortly) or come anywhere close. A stove sucks air from the room, drawing particles into the fire and off up the chimney and outside.
The conclusions of a US survey in 2019 by the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology were that homes without stoves had a Median PM 2.5 of 6.65 µg/m3 whilst homes with stoves were a fraction higher at 7.98 µg/m3J. As a comparison outside air in central London averages 18-25 µg/m3.
Just think about that for a minute: a home has a natural and normal amount of 6.65 µg/m3 PM 2.5 particles all of the time, 24 hours a day (in my home it is usually around 7µg/m3 ). Using a wood stove can increase that a smidgen for the few hours the stove is on (whilst still remaining well within recommended safe guidelines).
So "very safe" becomes "still very safe".
With regard to clean air, DEFRA states that their cleanest and freshest air classed is anything under 11 µg/m3. The World Health Organisation's advice is not to exceed annual average concentrations of PM 2.5 of 10 µg/m3n.
Note that this is an average over a whole year so even if your stove was running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year the average PM 2.5 levels would still be within WHO safe guidelines. For most homes, woodburners are only used for a few hours a day, a few months of the year and PM2.5 additions, caused by a stove, are negligible.
A selection of our ecodesign stoves, all with efficiencies of 80-85%.
What is ecodesign?
Ecodesign is the European-wide programme to lower emissions due to come into force for wood burners in the UK from 1st January 2022. The initiative is in response to DEFRA’s Clean Air Strategy which aims to reduce emissions and improve air quality over the next 25 years. This strategy sits alongside three other important UK government strategies: Industrial Strategy, Clean Growth Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan.
Both DEFRA and the Mayor of London are backing the installation of SIA Ecodesign Ready stoves to reduce emissions from wood burning.
According to studies conducted, burning wood and coal to heat homes contributes 38% of UK emissions of damaging particulate matter (PM). However a new study from Kings College London has shown that across the country PM from wood burning is decreasing, even with increasing stove sales. The main reason given for a drop in emissions is the replacement of open fires and older stoves with more modern appliances. up to 71% of the emissions caused are from burning solid fuel in open fires. Burning wood on an open fire is the worst way to burn wood, both from the point of view of heat generated and the emissions produced.
An SIA Ecodesign wood burner can reduce PM emissions by 90% compared to an open fire, 80% compared to a 10 year-old stove and over 40% when compared with a DEFRA Exempt stove.
The Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) has proposed an upgrade scheme that would help consumers make the move from an open fire or an older stove to an Ecodesign Ready stove. This could help accelerate the introduction of Ecodesign Ready stoves and the reduction in emissions.
What does this mean for the consumer?
When the regulations start there will be no need to update existing installations. Anything installed before 2022 will not be required to be updated for the new regulations. However, with soaring gas prices and the increasing concerns over air pollution from burning solid fuel in our towns and cities, there has never been a better time to make the change to an ecodesign wood burner.
Cinder and Smoke are the only stove installation company in Brighton and Sussex who are exclusively ecodesign. We install throughout Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham, Lewes, Burgess Hill, Crawley, Haywards Heath and the surrounding areas of East and West Sussex.
If you would like a quote or need advice don’t hesitate to contact us.
Tel: 07722307459
Website: www.cinderandsmoke.co.uk