Solid fuel heaters

Solid fuel heaters, such as wood heaters, are a popular means of home heating. Wood is an effective, renewable fuel when burnt efficiently. In South Australia it is estimated that approximately 14% of households use wood as their main source of energy for heating. However solid fuel heaters can be a major source of air pollution when they are poorly designed or not operated correctly.

The Environment Protection (Air Quality) Policy 2016 (Air Quality Policy) regulates the sale, installation and operation of solid fuel heaters, as well as industrial emissions and burning in the open, as they are all key contributors to air pollution, and at times can have a significant impact on air quality.

In Adelaide, poorly operated or inefficient solid fuel heaters are one of the several sources of fine particles (PM2.5) which contribute to ambient particle levels within the metropolitan area and contribute to the haze sometimes seen on still winter mornings. In some other areas such as Mount Gambier and the Adelaide Hills, wood smoke may be the dominant cause of poor winter air quality.

EPA has previously done air quality monitoring in both Mount Gambier and the Adelaide Hills as part of the SmokeWatch Program. During the program in Mount Gambier, EPA published weekly air quality summary graphs for  2009, 2010 and  2011 which give a good indication of how air quality in winter can be influenced by domestic burning.