The city of Idar-Oberstein is taking part in the 'Heating properly with wood' campaign. Its aim is to quickly and significantly reduce local air pollution by optimizing the operation of as many privately used wood-burning stoves as possible. In addition, wood consumption and thus fuel costs can be reduced.
To achieve these goals, the city council is offering homeowners and tenants who use a fireplace or wood-burning stove a limited number of free vouchers to visit the online training platform Ofenakademie.de. There, participants can complete both the 'Stove Driving License' course and the new 'Basic Stove Driving License' course. The latter was recently developed by the Ofenakademie and is being offered for the first time in Idar-Oberstein.
Julia Besand, climate protection manager at the city council, explains what can be achieved with the stove driving license: "According to the latest findings, it is possible to reduce fine dust pollution by 50 percent, CO2 emissions by up to 35 percent and the amount of organic pollutants by up to 50 percent. The prerequisite is that the wood-burning stoves are operated correctly." At the same time, fuel consumption can be reduced by around a third. Other advantages include a reduction in unpleasant odors in the neighborhood, cleaner windows for longer and less wear and tear on the stove, as well as a reduced risk of pollutants in your own living space.
In order to be able to train as many wood-burning stove users as possible at the same time, the city council has decided to cooperate with Ofenakademie.de. This offers online courses lasting around 90 minutes in which stove owners can learn how to heat with wood correctly. "By teaching proven techniques and practical knowledge, we teach participants how to operate their stoves more efficiently, thereby making a positive contribution to environmental protection and significantly reducing their cleaning costs at the same time," explains Max Kummrow, founder and managing director of Ofenakademie. "In addition, graduates can save money in the long term because they need less wood for the same heat yield."
The city administration of Idar-Oberstein is offering 150 free vouchers for the courses as a first step. The courses can be started, interrupted and continued at any time. There is a short test at the end. Those who pass the test receive a personalized environmental certificate.
- If you would like to take the stove driving test free of charge, you can request an access code at www.ofenakademiede.de/idar-oberstein. But it pays to be quick, as places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If you want to do something for climate protection on your own initiative, you can also acquire the stove driving license directly at www.ofenakademie.de.