Agenda - Environmental Policy Board - 08/18/2025

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Choosing a Cleaner Burning Outdoor Wood Boiler Since Maine allows the use of outdoor wood boilers year round, the EPA year round certification is referenced. Check the EPA List of Cleaner O H (http://www.epa.gov/b wise/owhhlist.html)for updates. Boiler Efficiency The efficiency reported in these tables are based on the year-round use of the boilers. Efficiency of most wood boilers is typically low when heat demand is low such as in the summer, early fall and late spring. The use of wood boilers to provide domestic hot water in the summer is not recommended. EPA Phase 2 White Tag efficiency rating is based on 8-hr burn rates for cord wood boilers and 4-hr burn rates for pellet boilers. These burn rates are closer to the maximum burn rate of the boilers and the 8/4 hr efficiency will usually be higher than the efficiency that the boiler will deliver over the span of a year. Use the Annual Delivered Efficiency to compare different types of heaters. Uncertified Outdoor Wood Boilers Outdoor wood boilers which have not been tested and approved by the EPA Outdoor_ Wood -fired Hvdronic Heater Program (http:// .epa.gov/burnwise/) be imported, sold or installed in Maine after March 31, 2009. Uncertified boilers which were in use in Maine before April 1, 2009 can be resold. Required Set Back: 270 ft from neighboring dwelling or 250 feet from property boundary. Terminology: BTU : British Thermal Unit is a heat unit used to measure the heating capacity of most boilers and furnaces. Delivered Efficiency: A measurement from the EPA Outdoor Wood -fired Hydronic Heater emission test which is the percentage of heat available in the fuel that is delivered to a simulated heat load. Delivered efficiency does not account for heat loss through the boiler jacket or through heat transfer lines. A higher value results in more heat from the fuel wood reaching the building. Heat Input : The amount of heat energy that is contained by the fuel that goes into the heating device.