On October 14, the Association for Ecological Wood Heating (AEVD) was announced at an introductory press conference, which aims to educate new and existing users of wood-burning heaters on how to achieve maximum heating efficiency with minimal environmental impact. The association's current task is to combat misinformation.
A lot of unintentional and targeted misinformation about heating in fireplaces and stoves is spread through the media. According to this year's survey, 20 % Czechs think that a ban on wood heating is on the way. "Our goal is to set the record straight, to make it easier for the general public to understand the upcoming regulations and to provide truthful information about this traditional heating method," said Michal Bartoška, chairman of the newly formed association. The association works closely with heater manufacturers, eco-design experts and government institutions to ensure that only environmentally friendly and efficient heaters reach customers.
Misinterpretation of the boiler ban
Stoves, fireplace inserts and cookers are not the same as boilers and therefore cannot be judged by the same rules. The ban, which was passed in 2012 and whose penalties can be applied from September 2024, applies to old Class 1 and Class 2 boilers, not modern stoves, fireplace inserts and cookers. Modern appliances that meet the strict EcoDesign 2022 criteria are safe and environmentally friendly when used correctly.
Brussels continues to count on wood
The Association for Ecological Wood Heating will therefore focus on education and providing truthful information. "European Union policy is not going to restrict the burning of biomass, hence wood and fuels produced from it. The Energy Performance of Buildings and Energy Efficiency Directive does not contain any ban on biomass-fired district heating, but on the contrary, the EU envisages biomass as a renewable fuel also after 2050," Michal Bartoska emphasizes.
Log allowed
At the press conference, the AEVD launched an educational campaign called Poleno Permitted, which includes a video spot, an informational website, and communication within traditional and social media. People will also encounter the campaign visuals in stores.
Wood has been and will continue to be used for heating
"The tree "emerged" from the air by the miracle of photosynthesis. When this mass is burned in a stove, for example, radiant heat is released, which is the energy of the sun that was needed for the tree to grow. The log is actually a kind of flashlight of solar energy that is stored in the complex bonds of biomass molecules. In simple terms, we can say that when we burn wood in a firebox, we are "lighting the sun" and harnessing its energy locally. The little ash that remains is the part of the tree that comes not from the air but from the ground. The log contains carbon, among other things, and the aim of a good stove is to oxidise all of it to CO2that has been deposited in it as it grows, and that is the maximum that can come out of the chimney into the air. As long as we burn the logs well in a good quality stove, I think it's a sensible renewable way of heating our homes," said Ing. Jiří Horák, Ph.D., who works at the Energy Research Centre at CEET at the Mining University in Ostrava and has been involved in education under the pseudonym SMOKEMAN for a long time.
