[Greenbuilding] eco fireplaces

[sat jiwan ikle-khalsa]

I'm kind of with Corwyn on this one.  If the owners won't be getting 1/3 (at least) or more of their heat from the fireplace, it should probably be skipped.

Educating the clients is a big part of green building.  Now, if they're going to get an ambiance fireplace regardless, it'd be good to get a "greener" version.  Multifuel pellet stoves (wood pellet, corn, other biomass...) CAN BE more convenient than conventional wood stoves, and hooked up to thermostats/timers.

I think it's more about how easily you can get which type of fuel locally. Sustainably grown corn, local wood pellets, local wood...??
-sat jiwan

~ ~ ~ ~ please use my permanent email address: satjiwan at alumni.brandeis.edu ~ ~ ~ ~ 

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> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:05:04 -0400
> From: Corwyn <corwyn at midcoast.com>
> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] eco fireplaces
> To: David Bergman <bergman at cyberg.com>
> Cc: Greenbuilding list <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
> Message-ID: <ba4e9ea850ec44508160990448ec35b8 at midcoast.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
> 
> On Apr 15, 2008, at 10:19, David Bergman wrote:
> 
> > Is there such a thing a an eco fireplace? I'm working on a weekend
> > house where we'd like to add one for ambiance (as opposed to for
> > utility, though it should of course not waste its heat). I've so far
> > been researching efficiently ventilated wood burners (advantages:
> > using a more renewable resource than gas, burning cleaner than
> > conventional wood fp's), gas burners (cleaner but use a non-renewable
> > resource, and not as "cozy' feeling), flue-less Eco-smart alcohol
> > burners (potential CO issue? and expensive?), high thermal mass wood
> > burners e.g. Tulikivi (wood bruning, expensive?), wood pellet burners
> > (pellet supply issue?).
> 
> No, there is no such thing as an eco-ambiance-fireplace.  It doesn't 
> matter how efficiently you burn energy that you don't need.  Sorry.
> 
> Thank You Kindly,
> 
> Corwyn
> 
> -- 
> Corwyn
> Kermit didn't know the half of it...
> http://www.greenfret.com/
> corwyn at greenfret.com
> 


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