Green fireplaces and stoves

Wading through a green sea of eco-friendly home heating appliances can be overwhelming. But, as builders tell us that fireplaces are the second most-requested feature in new homes, it makes sense to dig into the detail, explore the many options available and add a new or replace an outdated hearth product with a clean-burning energy-efficient fireplace or stove when remodeling an existing home. And, many homeowners find that by using a hearth appliance as a zone heater – heating occupied rooms instead of the entire house and turning down the central furnace – reduces their monthly heating bill.

But, to “bring the green” in heating, it is first important to understand what constitutes green heating. There are several organizations – both government and industry specific – that are developing rating systems to help remodelers and homeowners understand which products will meet their personal green standard. But, no matter the design or the fuel, the bottom line is to heat with a fireplace or stove that burns clean and warms the home.

The green players

While each of these organizations comes to the green table with different perspectives, their universal goal is to improve the way homes and their building sites use energy, water and materials both during the construction phase and after in a way that reduces the impact on human life and the environment. Here, we will focus on home heating with modern, efficient and clean burning hearth products and how they fit into the LEED, REGREEN, U.S. EPA and Energy Star programs.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program was created by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which is committed to expanding sustainable building practices. LEED certification remains the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Hearth products must not adversely affect indoor air quality to be approved for a LEED green building.

The REGREEN Residential Remodeling Guidelines were created by a partnership with the American Society of Interior Designers’ Foundation and the USGBC to develop best practice guidelines. In addition, USGBC developed targeted educational resources for sustainable residential improvement projects. REGREEN’s heat distribution option calls for space heaters, including hearth products, to heat additions, as opposed to running additional duct from a central heating system, which if run, could affect indoor air quality.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Cleaner Burning Wood Stoves and Fireplaces is the joint effort of the U.S. EPA and the hearth industry to educate consumers on clean burning gas, wood and pellet hearth appliances to heat their homes. The modern EPA-certified wood stoves, fireplaces and pellet stoves greatly reduce indoor and outdoor emissions.

The Energy Star program

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that verifies and designates which products meet their strict energy efficient guidelines. Many hearth products meet these guidelines. 

What heats a green home

Simply put, a hearth appliance that burns without impacting indoor air quality and is vented to the outside will keep the “green” label on a green-built home. In addition to meeting LEED and REGREEN Indoor Environmental Quality standards, today’s hearth appliances also burn more efficiently, reducing the toll on natural fuel sources, heating budgets and the outdoor environments.

Breaking it down

The USGBC LEED requires that all fireplaces and wood stoves have doors and that all wood burning fireplaces and stoves be EPA-certified or equivalent. Pellet stoves are also included in these standards as they meet EPA requirements.

The LEED program point system allows for either one point for Better Practice or two points for Best Practice for the installation of masonry wood-burning fireplaces, EPA-certified factory-built wood-burning fireplaces, wood stove and fireplace inserts, natural gas, propane, and EPA-certified or ASTM approved pellet stoves. To receive two points, a Back-Draft Potential Test must be done. This test is done using the results from a blower-door test and measuring the difference created by the presence of a chimney-vented appliance. (For specific information, visit LEED for Homes Rating System January 2008 EQ 2: Combustion Venting.)

REGREEN recommends using a space heating system in additions and remodeled homes, thereby eliminating additional duct work. Vented through-the-wall hearth products such as gas fireplaces or, alternatively, wood and pellet stoves are recommended for remodeling projects.

The U.S. EPA Wood Stove Changeout program recommends replacing uncertified wood stoves with new EPA-certified clean burning stoves, stove inserts and fireplaces. This program also allows pellet stoves and inserts.

The Energy Star program approves products for energy efficiency. Hearth products must meet the Energy Star Indoor Air Package Specification 5. Combustion Systems & Garage Isolation which can be found at the Energy Star Web site. Generally, masonry heaters, EPA-certified factory-built and wood burning fireplaces and inserts, vented natural gas and propane fireplaces with a permanently fixed glass front or gasketed door and pellet stoves are permitted.

Staying green with zone heating

Zone heating – heating occupied rooms instead of the entire house and turning down the central furnace – is an efficient and cost-effective way to heat a home. Zone heating puts the heat where it’s needed, not only adding to a home’s comfort and ambiance, but also reducing household fuel consumption, conserving energy and saving money. The ACEEE 1990 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Proceedings. Volume 9, indicates that zone heating solutions can provide energy savings of 20-40 percent. And, using less energy is an essential element in going green.

Recent innovations

EPA-certified wood burning technology (stoves, fireplaces and stove inserts) burns cleaner and more efficiently and emits 70 percent less than older inefficient stoves. It also uses 30 percent less wood and delivers equal or better home heating.


To learn more about the versatility and value added by including a hearth product in your construction projects, we encourage you to visit www.hpba.org and read through the builder/designer section of this site or contact an HPBA retail member in your area.