The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) Wood Stove Rebate Program was developed as a collaborative project involving local businesses and utilities to help residents in Eugene, Springfield, and Cottage Grove replace old, uncertified wood stoves with energy efficient heating systems. The program, through its partners, offers funding for heating upgrades with the overall goal to provide clean, safe heat and reduce air pollution from wood stoves.
Residential wood stove smoke is a major source of particle pollution in Lane County. According to LRAPA’s emission inventory, residential home wood heating smoke accounts for 40 percent of all particle pollution emitted in the county. Replacing old, uncertified stoves with energy efficient, safer heating systems will save homeowners money and improve air quality and the health of our communities.
Measuring Success in Improved Air Quality
LRAPA would like to thank the residents of Oakridge, Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove who participated in the 2010-11 woodstove change it-program. This successful program provided rebates to homeowners who upgraded their old, uncertified wood stoves with new, cleaner energy efficient heating systems. Funding was provided through a grant from the Oregon Department of Energy and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, using monies provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
LRAPA received 383 applications from the program from homeowners in the four participating cities. A total of 79 stoves were replaced in the Oakridge/Westfir area, resulting in a savings of 1266 MBTU’s of energy. Emissions of fine particulate, a major component of wood smoke, were reduced by 4.2 tons/year. In Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove, 137 old stoves were replaced. The change-outs completed in the “valley” resulted in an energy savings of 2775 MBTU’s and reduced emissions of fine particulate by 6.1 tons/year.
The program also provided an economic benefit to the local economy, providing jobs and increasing sales for local heating system retailers. LRAPA would like to thank the nineteen locally-owned businesses that participated in the program. The $414,892 in rebates provide by LRAPA resulted in just over $840,000 in sales for participating businesses.
Bring grant money into Lane County for projects like this offers the combined benefits of helping homeowners financially, increasing energy efficiency, improving air quality, and providing a financial boost to local businesses.