Ecodesign Ready Stoves reduce emissions by 90%

Contura provides tips on choosing the right stove, the right fuel, and using your wood burner correctly to help minimise your impact on the environment

Air quality is a big issue. This New Year, Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, has launched an investigation to examine pollutants caused by wet wood and smoky coal in order to inform the government’s Clean Air strategy which will be published this autumn.

Now, more than ever, it is vital that government, stove manufacturers, dealerships and fuel suppliers alike, work together to educate Brits that by following best practice and making the right choices when using wood burners, stove owners can ensure that they are doing their bit to protect the environment.

It is also important to highlight the significant technological advancements that are being made by stove manufacturers to ensure that their products are more eco-friendly.

Phil Wood, UK Country Manager for Europe’s leading wood burning stove brand, Contura, comments on the topic and provides facts and tips for owners of wood burners to reassure them that using a wood burning stove correctly can help to minimise their impact on the environment.

“Using a modern, clean burning, Ecodesign-ready stove can reduce emissions by up to 90% compared to a traditional open fire.

“Supported by Defra, Ecodesign is a new Europe-wide emissions regulation scheme for stoves and space heaters due to be introduced in 2022. Ecodesign Ready stoves External link, opens in new window. have been engineered to burn wood more completely. The targeted introduction of combustion air at higher levels in the fire box of the stoves reignites the combustion particles before they can leave the stove. This technology reduces particulate emissions by 90% compared to an open fire and 80% compared to a stove of 10 years ago and can also lead to significant reductions in CO, NOx and Organic Gaseous Carbon compounds (OGCs).

“UK air quality is a growing and worrying issue, however, we can significantly reduce the level of emissions from burning firewood simply by replacing open fires and old wood burners with Ecodesign Ready stoves. This is where the ‘quick win’ in emissions reduction can be made.

“Contura has been fully committed to the Ecodesign project from the outset. Today, and four years ahead of schedule, all Contura stoves already operate under the Ecodesign limits.

“It is also crucial to educate stove owners on the correct operation of the stove and on sourcing the right fuel to ensure emissions are kept to a minimum. Kiln dried wood, and species such as ash, beech or birch, burn particularly well. Good quality wood with the right moisture content (between 12 and 20%) will generate the correct heat, the correct flame and will not emit black or grey smoke.

“Legislation on the types of fuel available to purchase would be welcome, but in the meanwhile, stove owners can be sure of the wood’s quality and origin by buying from accredited British suppliers. Woodsure, the UK’s woodfuel accreditation scheme, recently launched a new ‘Ready to Burn External link, opens in new window.' initiative, which offers a certification mark to suppliers who can demonstrate that their logs have a moisture content below 20% so stove owners looking for that guarantee should keep an eye out for the Ready to Burn label.

”A replacement scheme to upgrade old stoves would be a logical step to tackle the issue of emissions from wood burners. The fact remains that burning a sustainable and renewable energy source such as wood offers a better heating economy and helps to reduce the carbon footprint of our homes in the long-term as it reduces the reliance on energy from power stations used to power central heating.”

Wood Burning Stove vs Open Fire - The stats:

An Ecodesign ready wood burning stove reduces particulate emissions by 90% compared to a traditional open fire and 80% compared to a 10 year old stove.
Two logs will burn for up to one hour in a wood burning stove, compared to only 15 minutes on an open fire.
Compared to open fires, Ecodesign Ready stoves reduce the emission of…

Organic Gaseous Carbon compounds (OGCs) by 70%
Nitrous Oxide (NOx) 34%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) by 33%

Optimum wood moisture content for efficient and clean combustion is 12-20%.
Migrating from an open fireplace to a flue connected to a stove will halve the deemed air loss from the room.
80% of the heat generated by a wood burning stove is convected and radiated into the room, compared to only 20% in the case of an open fire.

Contura’s tips on minimising emissions:

Only burn wood on an Ecodesign Ready stove – Look for the Ecodesign Ready label or consult with your dealer.
Use kiln dried wood if possible or wood with a moisture content below 20%. Purchase the best wood you can afford from a recommended supplier. Look out for the Woodsure ‘Ready to Burn’ label which guarantees a moisture content between 12 and 20%.
Hardwood species such as ash, beech or birch will burn the cleanest, longest and with a nice bright flame.
Ensure your chimney is swept and stove maintained annually.
Follow the lighting instructions in the product manual and maintain the correct combustion temperature in the stove.
Only ever use an approved, low sulphur smokeless fuel on an open fire.

For more information on Ecodesign Ready stoves, visit www.stoveindustryalliance.com/ecodesign-ready-stoves-and-air-quality External link, opens in new window.

For more information on Woodsure’s ‘Ready to Burn’ initiative, visit http://woodsure.co.uk External link, opens in new window.