July 12, 2010 1

Review of European Small Boiler 

Regulation and Technology

Louis Fontaine

Department of Environmental Protection

Augusta ME 04333

(207) 287-7010

louis.fontaine@maine.gov
July 12, 2010 2

Overview

 European Test Method

 Emissions & Efficiency Standards

 Impact on European Boiler Emissions

 Maine View Of European Emission Test
July 12, 2010 3

EU Standard EN 303-5

 Adopted 1999

 Solid Fuel Boilers Up to 300 kW ( 1 

MMBtu)

 Applies to fossil and biogenic fuels

 Coal, logs, pellet, chips, etc

 Automatic and hand stoked

 Construction Standards, Test Method and 

Emission & Efficiency Standard
July 12, 2010 4

EN 303-5 Test Method

 Two Firing Rates

 Nominal and 30% load 

 50% load allowed for hand stoked models

 Logwood Fuel

 Can be Soft Wood or Hard Wood

 “Net (lower) calorific value (water-free)”

 Hardwood – 18,000 kJ/kg
July 12, 2010 5

EN 303-5 Test Method

 Parameters Measured

 CO2 or O2

 CO

 Organic Carbon (“OGC”)

 “Dust” (Particulates) 

 NOx

 Efficiency

 Ratio of delivered useful heat output to heat input
July 12, 2010 6

EN 303-5 Test Method

 Measurement Type

 All parameters are monitored continuously

 ECXEPT

 “Dust”

 Minimum of 4 individual 30-minute samples
July 12, 2010 7

EN 303-5 Test Report Example

“Dust”

“NOx”

“OGC”

Method requires the 

test at nominal load 

to include 2 loadings. 

Note peak in emission 

at second loading.
July 12, 2010 8

EN 303-5 Test Method

 Passing Grade Varies by:

 Boiler “Class”: 1, 2 or 3

 1 = dirtiest; 3 = cleanest

 Boiler Size

 Fuel: Biogenic v. Fossil

 Stoking: Manual v. Automatic
July 12, 2010 9

Swedish Boiler Study

Particulate Emissions d

Old-type water-cooled boiler with 

up-draught combustion

87 – 2200 mg/MJ

Modern ceramic wood boiler with 

down-draught combustion

18 - 89 mg/MJ

d. “Emission characteristics of modern and old-type residential

boilers fired with wood logs and wood pellets”, L.S. Johansson et al. / 

Atmospheric Environment 38 (2004) 4183–4195
July 12, 2010 10

Result of Strict Regulations and 

Incentives in Austria

AFB-net Newsletter, September, 1998, 

www.etsu.com/Europ/AFB/contents.htm
July 12, 2010 11

Result of Strict Regulations and 

Incentives in Austria

AFB-net Newsletter, September, 1998, 

www.etsu.com/Europ/AFB/contents.htm
July 12, 2010 12

EU Boiler Standards are Getting Stricter

European Wood Heating Survey, NYSERDA, April 2010
July 12, 2010 13

Accepting European Emission 

Test Data for Maine Outdoor 

Wood Boiler Regulation
July 12, 2010 14

Goal of Regulating and Testing

 Prevent installation of new high polluting 

OWB

 Provide “Truth in Advertising”

 Keep Manufacturers Honest

 Consumer Information

 Help consumer select most efficient boiler.
July 12, 2010 15

EPA vs EU Tests

 EPA

 Fuel is oak crib

 4 boiler burn rates

 PM includes condensable 

PM

 No CO

 No VOCs

 English Units

 Higher Heat Value of Fuel

 Final results proportioned

 EU

 Fuel is various cord wood 

species

 2 boiler burn rates

 Condensable PM not 

included

 Emphasizes CO

 VOCs measured

 Metric Units

 Lower Heat Value of Fuel

 Results not proportioned
July 12, 2010 16

Adjusting EU Test Results

 Convert Fuel Lower Heat Value to Higher 

Heat Value

 Results is lower efficiency reported

 Convert units to English and heat output

 Proportion low and high load PM emissions 

for overall emission rate

 90% low load / 10% high load
July 12, 2010 17

Results: Maine Energy Systems

Pellematic PE 32

Parameter EU US

Size 32kW 0.11 MMBtu

Efficiency 91% 79%

High Load PM 8 mg/MJ 0.020 lb/MMBtu

Low Load PM 23 mg/MJ 0.059 lb/MMBtu

VOC 1 mg/MJ NA

Weighted Average 

PM + VOC NA 0.057 lb/MMBtu
July 12, 2010 18

CAUTION

 European Test for Log Boiler analyzes PM only at 

High Heat Load

 Solution: Require EU log boilers to have heat 

storage

 Nothing is Simple

 Conditions attached to approval

 US boiler safety requirements must be maintained

 Require test acceptable to EPA within 2 years