22-1012 Revision to Ornamental Fireplace in Transects L1, L2, and L3 3.x
STAFF POST:
The Ornamental Fireplace in Transects L1, L2, and L3 exception (I06-E5 8/2011or EC-004) has been edited to clarify that the exception applies only to wood-burning devices, whether stove or fireplace. The edited exception reads:
In the limited instances where development is allowed in Transects L1 and L2, it is acceptable to install a single indoor wood-burning stove or fireplace because of a strong cultural legacy of the “hearth in the wilderness.” The allowance for a single wood-burning stove or fireplace in Transects L1 and L2 assumes that it is merely ornamental and ceremonial and are not used for primary, day-to-day heating purposes. Therefore, it should not be included in the project’s energy calculations. This Exception also allows one outdoor wood-burning fireplace in addition to the indoor wood-burning stove or fireplace. The use of a propane igniter is not allowed.
Fireplaces are also allowed in projects in Transect L3 under the following conditions:
The fireplace:
- Cannot be a primary heat source.
- Must be closed and meet current Nordic Swan emission and efficiency standards (or prove equivalency) as developed by the Nordic Council of Ministers (see below).
In addition, the project must be in a region that is in compliance with the EPA 2013 PM2.5 primary annual fine particle standard of 12 μg/m3.
Nordic Swan Standards
Emissions criteria:
- Organic gaseous carbon (OGC): 100 mg/m3
- Carbon monoxide (CO): 1250 mg/m3
- Particles: 2.0 g/kg (for up to 4 loads); 5 g/kg (for each load)
- Efficiency criteria: 76% for manually operated stoves or inset fireplaces for intermittent use.
The project team must provide a narrative describing the functionality of the fireplace with regard to these requirements.
If fireplaces with Nordic Swan labels cannot be sourced from within a project's country, the project team may prove equivalency by showing that the fireplace:
- falls below the US EPA's particulate matter emissions level of 2.5g/hr for cord wood or 2.0g/hr for all other wood, AND
- meets the Nordic Swan's efficiency requirement of at least 76%.
The project team must also advocate to the regional air quality regulatory body to require fireplace manufacturers to perform CO and OGC testing.
Regardless of whether or not a project team is pursuing any Health + Happiness Imperatives, the project must provide documentation showing the installation of carbon monoxide detector(s) within the building.