When we entered the Alliance for Green Heat Woodstove Design Contest, we (naively) thought we had to design something new to enter. We didn’t realize that we could enter our (relatively new) Progress Stove which was, after all, the first hybrid stove sold in the US. So we went about designing a NEW stove
which would address all of the criteria specified by the contest, namely:
1. Efficiency
2. Emissions
3. Affordability
4. Market Appeal and Ease of Use
5. Innovation
We added a “#6 Whimsy” as you can see, though it could also be included in “#4 Market Appeal”. We’re definitely not designing another black box, and we’re not copying anyone else’s work - even our own!
Our design is now on its 3rd full iteration and is extremely efficient and clean-burning, with some interesting technological improvements (and many more design variations that you can comment on). More on that later. We are now working almost completely in steel, because steel is about half the cost of cast iron, to say nothing of soapstone. Working in steel is the only way we feel we can deliver on “#3 Affordability” though there is still soapstone and cast iron in the stove.
In keeping with our increased use of steel and our focus on affordability, we have changed the name of our entry from the Union Hybrid to the STEAL HYBRID. We intend to hit performance and price targets that make this stove a “real steal”.
More shortly....
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