Sustainability and fireplaces aren’t words that we typically think of together.
If your fireplace is a primary or important source of heat, you may be tempted to go for the most heat output and silently cringe and say “sorry” to Mother Nature. You have to heat your home. That's not a choice. But keeping your home warm does not have to mean sacrificing environmental stewardship as a homeowner.
In this article, we’ll discuss popular fireplace options that are aligned with protecting our fragile natural resources while reducing your heating bills and ensuring a warm and comfortable home.
First Things First… Is There Such a Thing as an Eco-Friendly Fireplace?
Yes! Modern EPA-rated fireplaces feature incredible efficiency and low emissions.
It may surprise you that eco-friendly fireplaces aren’t necessarily relegated to a specific type of fuel (gas or wood). All of today’s fireplaces, inserts, and stoves are designed to minimize emissions while optimizing heat: a warm home, less fuel for the same or greater heat, lower utility bills, and low emissions.
In this post we’ll discuss the environmental and financial impact of wood or gas fireplaces intended for heating and also touch on electric fireplaces, which can provide modest heat but are designed to be largely ornamental.
Wood-Burning
If you’ve lived in the Denver area for more than a winter, you’re familiar with the “brown cloud” that means air quality is bad enough to warrant a ban on using your wood-burning fireplace or stove until 4PM on a Friday. In the past, wood-burning appliances were terrible for the environment and their use was actively discouraged.
Today’s EPA-certified fireplaces, inserts, and stoves are engineered to create less than 4.5 grams of smoke per hour and about 70-80% efficiency compared to the 10-30 grams of smoke per hour and 10-20% efficiency from old wood-burning units.
A sweet pup enjoying the warmth from a newly installed Ambiance Hipster 20 EPA-Certified wood stove.
If you have an EPA-certified fireplace you can enjoy the perks of burning wood like the aroma, the ever-changing flames, and the satisfying crackles and pops even on “no-burn” days, guilt-free. Here’s how:
Upgrade an old, inefficient fireplace to an EPA-certified wood or gas insert. Upgrade an old wood or pellet stove to an EPA-certified wood or gas stove.
Modern wood-burning fireplaces are engineered to create a secondary burn to incinerate gases and particulates that would otherwise go up the chimney (along most of the heat). This secondary burn turns volatile gases and particulates into harmless water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2). This also significantly increases efficiency.
Advantages of Wood Burning:
Savings on firewood by using up to a third less wood
Time savings (less hauling, cutting, splitting, and cleaning ash pans)
High heat production as well as lasting heat distribution even after the fire has gone out
A completely off-grid heat source that can slash monthly heating bills
Smaller eco-footprint, especially if sourced locally. Logging companies are required to plant more trees than they cut down, but it’s important to try to source wood locally rather than from other states to keep your carbon footprint low.
Firewood is a renewable resource that can often be sourced locally and even for free
Completely off-grid heat
Disadvantages of Wood Burning:
A lot of physical labor, time, and mess
Need for firewood storage
Regular inspections and maintenance are needed to ensure efficiency and safety
If you don’t get wood for free, there will be ongoing costs
Direct Vent Gas Fireplaces
The key to eco-friendly heating with a gas appliance is to use a direct-vent gas fireplace, insert, or stove. The direct-vent system draws in outside air and returns emissions to the outside, which protects your home’s indoor air quality. Professionally installed gas fireplaces are safe but always use a carbon monoxide detector and make sure the gas fireplace is professionally installed and inspected annually.
This gorgeous Kozy Heat Chaska 34 Glass Model Gas Insert replaced an old, inefficient open fireplace that sucked warm air out of the room. Today, the homeowners enjoy on-demand heat in a stylish and modern gas insert.
Advantages of Gas:
Ease of use/convenience and an instant shut-off for safety
Lower maintenance than wood-burning fireplaces
Off-grid capability (propane only)
Generates heat even during power outages, though the blower won’t work
Somewhat lower emissions than wood-burning appliances
Generally more attractive to potential homeowners, if you’re looking to sell
Disadvantages of Gas:
Slightly lower heat output than wood-burning appliances: best for zone heating rather than whole-house heating
Ongoing cost of natural gas or propane
Gas is a non-renewable fossil fuel - it is considered unsustainable and its extraction comes at a high environmental cost
Danger of CO poisoning if the unit is improperly vented or malfunctioning
All in all, the eco-friendliness of modern wood fireplaces and professionally installed gas fireplaces works out to about the same with each type being better in some areas and worse in others.
Are there any other options? For significant heat, no. But if you’re looking for ambience, keep reading!
Electric Fireplaces
Electric fireplaces are intended mainly for ambience. The flames in electric fireplaces aren’t real! They are either kaleidoscopic, LCD, or holographic projections with varying degrees of realism including audio of crackling sounds and special effects like “sparks” and “smoke.”
Electric fireplaces are exploding in popularity. People love the convenience, but also year-round flames (without heat), or modest heat on demand, as well as safety.
This homeowner opted to install an electric fireplace in her existing masonry fireplace because she wanted year-round ambience without the heat.
Electric fireplaces can take the chill off a room, but not much more. Electric fireplaces have no combustion and therefore no emissions, and the heater is independent of the flames. You can use the heater whenever you want with or without flames, or leave it off for year-round fireplace enjoyment.
Depending on where you live and the source of your electricity (geothermal, fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass, wind, or solar) your electric fireplace can have a varying environmental impact and varying ongoing cost.
Advantages:
Easy installation (no venting needed)
Easy to use and safe (the viewing glass does not get hot)
Big fun factor: change media colors and flame patterns at the touch of a remote. Some have realistic-looking flames complete with an authentic crackling sound while others don’t try to be anything but fun
The “flames” are independent of the heater
Disadvantages:
They cannot be used during a power outage unless you have a generator or solar
They generate very little heat
The experience isn’t as realistic as a wood fire
Ongoing electricity costs unless you have solar
Which One Is Right For You?
Choosing an eco-friendly fireplace isn’t always straightforward. It depends on the type of fuel that is most plentiful, inexpensive in your area (which usually means “local”), the environmental impact of each fuel type, how much you value authentic flames, work vs. convenience, and where your electricity is generated.
A final consideration is financial incentives, specifically the currently available tax rebates on wood-burning fireplaces. The IRS Biomass Tax Credit comes out to $2,000 which greatly offsets the cost of a wood-burning fireplace and installation. Gas and electric fireplaces are not eligible for this rebate. With the government cutbacks issued by the current administration, this benefit may go “up in smoke” so if you’re considering a wood-burning fireplace, we recommend taking advantage of this perk as soon as possible.
How To Choose the Right Earth-Friendly Fireplace
Start by assessing your current situation.
If you currently have a fireplace, do you want to continue using the fuel you have now or would it make sense for you to switch?
What are your primary reasons for staying with your current fuel or switching?
What are the installation challenges that come with switching fuel types, such as needing to run a gas line to the fireplace if you’re switching from wood to gas, or additional wiring to support an electric fireplace?
Do you use your fireplace as a primary source of heat, or supplemental (or zone) heat? Or - do you love the ambience of a fireplace in your living room or bedroom but don’t want extra heat?
What is your budget? Be sure to factor in the upfront cost of the unit plus installation, as well as ongoing costs for fuel and maintenance over one full heating season to get an idea of the financial impact of your heating choice.
What is the environmental impact of wood, gas, or electricity based on your area and the availability of these fuels? For example, someone who lives near a hydroelectric plant will probably have very inexpensive and relatively eco-friendly electricity, but no easy access to affordable cordwood. But if someone lives near a coal-burning electric plant, that environmental advantage goes out the window. Natural gas and propane are often the least eco-friendly since they are not sustainable.
There is a lot to consider when deciding on the best eco-friendly fireplace.
Fireplace, insert, and stove installations can be complex and we highly recommend taking advantage of professional expertise in planning and execution. We’ll help you decide on the best fireplace for your home, heating needs, and the environment. We’ll handle logistics like measurements, proper clearances and venting requirements, order everything needed for a safe and successful installation, and install the unit to the highest standards.
Earth Day is coming up, but it’s so much more than a date on the calendar. If you’re looking for ways to live more sustainably, start with an efficient fireplace! After all, you need heat no matter what, so you may as well choose heat that has the smallest impact on our planet and lowers your heating bills at the same time.
