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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>From a true-sustainable emboddied energy perspective, I would submit that a wood burning stove is likely superior to a gas insert. If you are burning local woods—especially from urban surplus (storm damaged trees, deconstruction, etc.)--then it is effectively carbon neutral and doesn’t have the ghosts of the fossil gas. There have to be some good sources of local surplus woods in the Berkeley area, Sausalito, Napa, etc, etc.<BR>
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There are a couple of European brands, such as RAIS from Norway, that are very efficient and thus burn clean—they minimize the PM emissions. However, they create a TON of BTUs (heat). Maybe they would be overkill if she really doesn’t want heat as much as prettiness. Or, maybe she’d see how effective and efficient it is at keeping them cozy without their “other” heating source and would switch to use it as their primary or more-often heat source.<BR>
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On 10/2/12 2:49 PM, "Kirsten Flynn" <<a href="kf@declan.com">kf@declan.com</a>> wrote:<BR>
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Hi everyone,<BR>
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I have mostly been lurking on the list, I am a green interior designer, so don't always come across issues of building science. Now I do have a question I think the combined wisdom of this list could help me with.<BR>
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In my region, most municipalities ban wood fireplaces in new construction. I usually recommend that folks that have an existing convert to a good quality gas insert, they burn cleaner and give the hearth feeling in the winter. In our climate (SF bay area) we are very temperate, and don't need heating. I live on the San Francisco Peninsula, which is very population dense, and does have air pollution issues on occasion. <BR>
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I have a client that has a 1950's house, and wants to keep her fireplace. She is very green, but is very opposed to fossil fuel use. She would like a solution for occasional heating that is not dependent on natural gas, but she IS concerned about particulate pollution. What should I tell her, I am not as up on EPA rated wood burning inserts as I should be. <BR>
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If I need to convince her not to be so attached to the wood burning option, she is intelligent and interested, I am happy to do so, but I want to know what the best options are. <BR>
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Thank you in advance for your answers.<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Futura, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Kirsten Flynn<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Futura, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Designer<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><FONT FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold"><B>Sustainable Home<BR>
</B></FONT><FONT FACE="Futura, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">Sustainablehome.com <<a href="http://sustainablehome.com/">http://sustainablehome.com/</a>> <BR>
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