Fairbanks North Star Borough ESP Pellet Test Report

The implementation of a curtailment program to restrict particulate matter (PM) emitted from solid-fuel heating appliances during air quality alerts, also known as "burn bans," requires the use of alternative heat sources which can be more expensive than heating with wood. This has generated considerable community interest in determining whether the addition of Retrofit Control Devices (RCDs) would allow wood-burning to continue when burn bans are in effect, specifically Stage 2 Alerts where only those with No Other Adequate Source of Heat (NOASH) are allowed to operate solid fuel appliances. To address this interest, the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) commissioned a testing project to measure the effect of RCDs on PM emitted from a pellet stove and develop emission factor suitable for use in the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The project evaluated the performance of two RCDs: An Okeotube Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) and a Grace Fire StoveCAT catalyst. ADEC also conducted a small testing study of the ESP on cordwood devices to complement the Borough effort. Below are the combined FNSB test report document, which consists of signed letter, executive summary, and report, and the appendices:

FNSB ESP Pellet Test Report Document

Combined Document (Signed letter, executive summary, and Report) (PDF)

Appendix Documents

Appendix G Test Data

Appendix H ESP Data