THE GREEN FIREPLACE

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Electric Fireplaces generate zero emissions in communities

Emissions from gas and wood fireplaces are released directly into residential neighborhood atmospheres where air quality is most important. Because electric fireplace operate without combustion, no particulates or other by-products are released into neighborhood air.

Since houses "breathe" there is always seepage of outside air into the house; therefore, it is not possible for homeowners to isolate themselves from high exterior particulate. 

Electricity is generated from a variety of sources including fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, and a variety of smaller sources like wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. The result is an aggregate of both clean, renewable sources and non-renewable, polluting sources. , 30% of all electrical generation came from clean, non-fossil fuel generation (U.S. Department of Energy 2003). That represents a 30% reduction of fossil fuels for an electric fireplace compared to a gas fireplace that derives 100% of its energy from fossil fuels. 

Gas fireplaces accounted for 125 trillion BTU of gas consumption in the United States for the year 2000 (American Gas Foundation). 

Wood burning stoves and fireplaces consumed almost 30 million cords in 1996. One cord - a volume equal to a stack of logs 4'x4'x8' - can be used to make between 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of paper, depending on grade of paper and type of pulp. For newspapers, a cord of wood is equal to 2,700 copies of an average 36 page daily newspaper. As a rough conversion, there are about 500 board feet of lumber in a typical cord of wood and a typically 1,800 square foot house uses 10,000 board feet of lumber. The cord of wood is with the bark on it, and the bark accounts for 10 to 20 percent of the volume of the wood. A "rule of thumb" is that an acre of land may yield an average of 10-15 cords of wood when harvested at maturity. (Wisconsin Paper Council) Therefore, in 1996 wood burning stoves and fireplaces consumed 2 million acres of mature forest in the United States alone.

Burning Wood or Gas Produces Water Vapor 

In addition to potentially harmful emissions, gas logs and some gas fireplaces can cause moisture problems that can lead to mold, another indoor air problem. “All gas logs have the capability of producing 1.5 gallons of water for every 100,000 BTUs of gas burned. This water can condense on cold chimney flue walls and drip into your fireplace. In the case of vent free logs burning 38,000 BTU’s per hour, 1/2 Gallon of water vapor will be released into the home.  This can lead to excessively high humidity causing condensation on windows and any other cold surfaces. Should you install these in a newer airtight home, you may create severe moisture problems in your attic and in exterior wall cavities.

 By breaking the building envelope for chimneys or venting and supply lines, gas fireplaces also create additional opportunity for water and water vapor to penetrate the building. This represents a potential contributor to mold growth and is avoided with electric fireplaces that require no venting or supply lines. 

Enjoy the electric fireplace year round

 In many cases, homeowners want to enjoy the beauty and romance of a fireplace without the heat. Modern, well-insulated homes quite often require no supplemental heat, and in most cases, small rooms simply cannot absorb the high BTU output of a gas fireplace. Households in warmer climates also require little or no supplemental heat for a majority of the year. In addition, multi-unit housing often benefits from greater thermal mass, reducing overall heating requirements and minimizing the need for supplemental heating (Green Building Design & Construction Guidelines, April 1999). This is an important consideration for developers/builders who want to offer fireplaces without the wasted energy and cost often associated with non-electric fireplaces. 

Electric fireplaces provide users the option to enjoy the flame without the heat. Not only is this practical but it dramatically reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Even at minimum output, each average direct vent gas fireplace produces 819 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Based on unit with standing pilot (500 BTU/hour – 24 hours/day) consuming 14,000 BTU/hour when in use (low heat), 5 hours per day, 100 days per year). By comparison, an  electric fireplace using flame only, produces 164 pounds of carbon dioxide (as a result of electricity generation) based on 2,890 BTU/hour, 5 hours per day, 100 days per year). In addition, it contributes zero carbon dioxide or pollutants to the neighborhood air, meaning cleaner air where it matters most.

Chimneys Cost money – Waste Energy

Houses lose heat up the chimney due to the "stack effect". The stack effect is the movement of air due to convection currents within your house's building envelope. Heated air leaks out any exit it can find, and when heated air is drawn out of your home, cold outside air is drawn in to make up for it. The fireplace accelerates the normal stack effect. The greater the difference between the outside and indoor air temperature, the greater the air movement due to the stack effect. For example, if the outdoor air temperature is 15 degrees F (-10 degrees C) and the indoor temperature is 68 degrees F (+20 degrees C), the stack effect of the fireplace chimney would be the same as a 300 CFM bathroom fan running continuously.

House designers allow for an extra 3,400 BTU/hr (1 kW/hr) of additional heating for each fireplace added to a home. For homes heated with natural gas, with an average cost per therm of $0.92, that amounts to approximately $350 extra per year in home energy costs. built-in electric fireplaces produce up to 10,000 BTU/hour, enough to provide primary heat for up to 300 square feet, or the size of an average family rec. room. In applications where the fireplace is required only for supplemental heat, it provides adequate heat for up to 800 square feet. 

Gas fireplaces on the other hand typically produce 30,000 BTU/hour or more, while the average home requires only 90,000 BTU to heat the entire home. This high output can result in overheating of average sized rooms, uncomfortable occupants, and wasted energy. By using only the required amount of energy, electric fireplaces allow homeowners to warm the areas that experience the most occupancy (i.e. family room) and reduce the primary heating system temperature for the remainder of the home. Turning the thermostat back 10° to 15° for 8 hours can save about 5% to 15% a year on the heating bill - a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long. G

Low Temperature Surfaces - Kid Safe 

“Gas fireplaces are a popular alternative to traditional wood burning fireplaces and with their increased presence, more and more children have been treated for burns, coming into contact with the hot fronts of both vented and vent free logs. Between 1995 and early 2003 there were 150 cases reported at 15 hospitals across the country.” (Protect children from gas fireplaces and other burn hazards this winter, urges Safe Kids Canada, Hospital For Sick Kids, January 2004) Because they have the option, many consumers choose to enjoy the ambiance of the flame year-round without the heat. This option is only available with electric fireplaces.

 Gas fireplaces owners are left with the choice of an attractive flame that requires higher input (quite often resulting in excessive heat output) or lower input that provides adequate heat but a less impressive flame. By giving consumers the option to enjoy the realistic, full flame with or without the heat, Electric Fireplaces are not only energy efficient, but economical to operate. It costs less to operate the flame only on a Electric Fireplace (5 hours per day, 100 day per year) than it does to operate the standing pilot on a gas fireplace for the same number of days (assuming the standing pilot is shut off for the remaining 265 days – in many cases the standing pilot is left on, more than doubling. Over its lifetime, a typical electric fireplace typically only requires the occasional light bulb change. The bulb is a standard 60-watt chandelier (or torpedo) style, available at virtually any hardware, grocery, general merchandise, or home improvement store. Costs associated with maintaining gas and wood fireplaces will be somewhat similar over the years. A modern wood stove probably should be cleaned every 4 cords of wood burned or so. This cleaning can be a DIY job or can cost from $55 to $100 or more (if a fireplace insert has to be removed from the fireplace.)

Most gas fireplace manufacturers recommend consumers have their fireplace checked annually by a professional before the start of the heating season. In addition, mechanical parts such as thermocouples can also fail, typically requiring a maintenance call. Consumers can therefore expect to pay between $50-100 annually for their service check-up, plus the cost of periodic maintenance and required parts.

The basic installation of a built-in electric fireplace only requires the unit to be framed, using traditional construction, and connected to an electrical supply. In some instances where the supply is 240 volt, using an electrician may be preferable depending on the users comfort and experience; however, no permits or inspections are required.  Dimplex® plug-in electric fireplaces require no installation, venting or connections other than simply plugging them into a standard 120V.