Master stove-maker ESSE has confirmed that its 500 Series wood-burning stoves now meet stringent new air quality emissions requirements without compromising performance.
ESSE’s announcement follows the publication of the UK Government’s new Clean Air Strategy, which will introduce more stringent checks on wood-burning stoves in the future.
Contrary to some media reports, the UK Government has no plans to ban the use of wood-burning stoves in urban areas or anywhere else, but from 2022 only the cleanest burning appliances can be legally sold in Britain.
Existing owners of wood-burning stoves will remain unaffected by the new requirements, but local authorities will get additional powers to tackle air pollution.
Manufacturers have been given until 2022 to phase in new models and re-engineer existing models to meet the new Ecodesign Ready requirements.
All three 500 series models: 500 Vista, 525 and 550 comply with the new emissions requirements thanks to their cutting edge combustion technology. With an energy efficiency rating of ‘A+’, these compact wood burning stoves operate at 83.5 per cent efficiency.
The 500 range is ideal as the focal point of a modern open-plan living space, study or as the centrepiece of a cosy lounge. The traditional 500 Vista features ESSE’s signature door arch, while the 525 incorporates stylish cylindrical pillars for a more contemporary feel. For a more stripped back urban setting, the minimalist 550 is bang on trend for an industrial chic feel.
Since 1854, ESSE has pioneered the development of clean combustion stove design. The company’s twin catalytic combustion technology – which reburns any smoke particles it produces – has been awarded a British patent.
ESSE engineers are now utilising their world-leading expertise in clean combustion technology to further reduce particulate emissions without compromising on performance or control.
ESSE technical director Craig Nutter said: “As our friends in the automotive industry learned to their cost, trying to ‘game’ emissions testing regimes may have unintended consequences.”
“We’ve been working towards meeting these new requirements for some time now, but we don’t believe ‘quick fixes’ are appropriate to meeting this particular challenge.
“All our bestselling stoves will meet the new requirements before 2022 and we are committed to taking real world operating conditions into account.
“We believe that the stove should perform well on low, medium and high settings and that’s what we are working towards. If we don’t get the combustion calibration exactly right, the precision control our customers expect will be compromised.”
