printing company in Pittsfield, Mass., has agreed to pay a penalty of $80,000 and to spend $305,000 to replace old, polluting wood stoves in western Massachusetts with new, cleaner models to settle claims by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it violated the federal Clean Air Act. More

When you are looking for an alternative to providing heat to your home that can also be used for other purposes, you should consider a wood burning stove. This type of stove has been around for ages and offers the ability to heat water and cook on while providing heat to your kitchen or other room in the home. You can find traditional looking cast iron stoves when you shop for Napoleon wood stoves.

Napoleon Wood Stoves Require Chimneys

Adding a wood stove to your home will require that you have a chimney in order for the smoke to be safely vented out of the home. You can find affordable prefabricated metal chimneys which you can use with Napoleon wood stoves. These types of chimneys are easy to install and will have your wood stove up and running in a short period of time. You can purchase Napoleon brand products as well as all your home hearth needs when you shop Copperfield Chimney Supply.

The one area of the home where people often gather is the family room. When you have holiday get-togethers with friends and family, most people will migrate slowly to the family room. You can also add rustic charm to your kitchen when you install a wood burning stove in your kitchen. Your guests will enjoy the warmth the stove generates as well as the beauty it will bring to your kitchen or family room.

Shop Wood Stoves Here

By KATE GALBRAITHMAY 1, 2012

AUSTIN, TEXAS — A century ago, rural homes in the United States and Europe commonly relied on wood for heating. Now wood is making a comeback, thanks largely to pellet technology.

The energy-dense pellets, which resemble dry dog kibble and are mostly made from mill residue like sawdust and wood shavings, can be used to generate heat or electricity — or both at the same time. Demand is strong in Europe, where high prices for heating oil and clean-energy requirements have fostered interest in alternatives, but analysts say that over the long term, markets in Asia and North America could grow rapidly, too.

Modern pellet furnaces for homes are a “very convenient way of heating,” said Christian Rakos, president of the European Pellet Council, an industry group. “The only thing you have to do is empty an ash box once a year.”

Europe accounted for close to 85 percent of the global pellet demand in 2010, according to a report issued in December by an international group called IEA Bioenergy Task 40.

Although many pellets used in Europe are manufactured on the Continent, the rising demand has caused an increase in new export-oriented pellet plants in Canada, Russia and especially the United States, whose mills already make more pellets than any other country. In the heavily wooded American South, nine huge industrial pellet plants are under development, according to Forisk Consulting, a timber research group in Georgia.

Pellet production worldwide more than doubled between 2006 and 2010, according to the IEA Bioenergy report. Because pellets are small and compact, they are easier to transport in bulk than other forms of biomass, like wood chips.

The price of pellets has been rising. Hakan Ekstrom, the president of Wood Resources International, a consulting firm in Seattle, said a delivery of industrial pellets from North America to Rotterdam, a major port, costs about €135, or $180, per ton, nearly 10 percent more than it cost a year ago.

“Some are buying pellets even if in some cases it would be cheaper to use coal or natural gas or oil, because they are going to switch over to renewables,” Mr. Ekstrom said.

European Union countries aim to get 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, and analysts say a crucial source of demand is coal-fired power plants switching to “co-firing” with pellets — using them jointly with coal.

Britain is being particularly aggressive in its efforts to replace some coal power production with pellets; Mr. Rakos predicted that in a few years it would be the largest pellet market in Europe, overtaking Sweden.

Utilities are moving in this direction. E.ON, the German energy company, has sought to add pellet-burning capabilities to a coal-fired power plant in Shropshire, England. It received local approval last month to move ahead in its planning process.

Still, the markets remain tiny, relative to other energy sources like coal and natural gas. In the Netherlands, for example, less than 3 percent of electricity was generated using pellets in 2010, according to calculations by Martin Junginger, an assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. However, that figure “could easily double” by 2020, he said.

Mr. Rakos said that in Austria, pellets accounted for about 4 percent of the energy used for heating. Heating with pellets has also become “hugely popular” in Italy, he said. Companies in both countries have found an economic niche manufacturing pellet boilers and stoves.

But the growing use of pellets has alarmed environmentalists. They worry that pellet producers are no longer limiting themselves to making pellets from logging leftovers, like sawdust and wood shavings.

“Now what we see is entire forests being dedicated for pellet production,” said Nicolas Mainville, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace Canada and author of a critical report last year on the biomass industry. That makes the greenhouse gas effects problematic, he said.

Mr. Rakos said pellet producers were aware of the environmentalists’ concerns, which could pose a threat to their business, and were taking steps to ensure that the material was produced sustainably. In addition, he said, “if you do not burn coal but you burn biomass, that coal has not been used. So that carbon savings is a fact.”

Meanwhile, interest in pellets is growing around the world. Mr. Junginger of the Copernicus Institute predicts a strong increase in demand from Asia over the next several years. South Korea in particular has set ambitious renewable-energy goals, along with a target for greenhouse gas reductions, he said. Japan is showing interest, too, and China is a “big wildcard,” Mr. Junginger said — poised to become, potentially, either a large producer or a large consumer of pellets, or both.

In Canada, most of its pellets, especially from British Columbia, are exported to Europe, but its domestic market could grow.

Bryan Pelkey, an alternative energy specialist with the government of the Northwest Territories, said that some businesses in Yellowknife, the capital and the region’s biggest city, have begun using pellets manufactured in the neighboring province of Alberta.

“You can heat for half the cost of oil,” Mr. Pelkey said.

A wood burning stove can be added to just about any room of the home. You can place one in your family room which will allow you to have a nice toasty family room on cold winter mornings. You can install one in your den and not worry about turning down the thermostat at night to save on energy costs while you remain warm. You can find a variety of different styles and models, including cast iron wood stoves from Copperfield Chimney Supply .

With 8.8 million households in the United States using wood stoves as a secondary source for heating , regular maintenance and cleaning of the appliance is a necessity for many people nationwide. However, many wood stove owners may not be familiar with the importance of cleaning their stoves, how to do it, or when to let a professional step in. Whether you’ve just installed a wood stove in preparation for winter or you’ve had one for some time, here are some of the basics about care and cleaning that you should know.

The importance of proper care

While cleaning your wood stove might sound redundant (until it becomes noticeable), it’s an important part of owning a wood stove that should never be overlooked. This is because an unclean stove — including both the chimney and flue — can not only prevent it from working properly, but can easily become a fire hazard due to the build-up of creosote , which also makes it a health hazard as well. With that said, the cleaning and proper care of your wood stove are necessary for proper efficiency and safety, as regular maintenance can help keep your stove in an ideal condition that doesn't harm anyone's health.

Cleaning your stove

While how often your wood stove gets cleaned depends upon how often it’s used, it should still be done at least once a year. When it does need to be cleaned, always begin with the stove completely cold in order to avoid burning yourself. Then, you can scoop out the ashes with an ash shovel and wire brush and put them in a metal bucket. Next, scour the buildup and rust off with a wire brush. The exterior of the stove can easily be cleaned with a vinegar solution and rag. As for the glass, a cold piece of charcoal can easily rub away any soot, and after you wipe it with a paper towel, you’ll find that it’s clean. However, when it comes to cleaning more complicated aspects of your stove — like the chimney and flue — calling a professional can be a good idea.

When to call a professional

Calling a professional to clean your stove is never a bad idea, especially if you don’t feel comfortable with cleaning the stove yourself or don’t have the proper equipment to do so safely. Professionals can ensure that your stove is properly and safely cleaned , inspected, and safe for use. Many may use high tech equipment as well, which can be expensive to buy and hard to obtain for personal use. Thus, calling a professional can prove to be a quality and convenient service for wood stove owners, in addition to bringing peace of mind and reducing stress surrounding the issue.

While it’s definitely possible to clean your wood stove yourself, it’s necessary to be informed of the several safety precautions to take when doing so. For example, when disposing of the ashes, it’s necessary to do so properly by keeping them in a metal bucket for 24 hours (in case they contain any live coals). It’s also very important to take care when cleaning the chimney in order to prevent falling off the roof. Due to the extent of safety precautions needed, utilizing a professional is always a great idea.

Cleaning your wood stove and keeping up with its maintenance is an absolute necessity in order to keep it working properly and safely. While many may call a professional to do so, others may choose to take care of it themselves. No matter the situation, it’s important to be aware of the safety precautions involved.