LEFT TO RIGHT: Dave Thompson, Greg Walsh, Johnnie Cameron and Ross Sneddon.
New Zealand’s most efficient ultra low emission wood fire – a Nelson success story BY HELEN MURDOCH
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P H O T O G R A P H Y A N A G A L L O WAY
ew Zealand’s most efficient ultra-low emission (ULEB) wood fire is the new benchmark in New Zealand home heating, designed and engineered by a talented team at progressive Nelson company Retail Links. CEO Johnnie Cameron says Nelson’s stringent environmental standards for clean air (the toughest in the country) were a major driving force behind Retail Links prioritising the research and development of its new fire, the Jayline UL200. “The Jayline UL200 is the most efficient ultra low emission (ULEB) wood fire on the New Zealand market – that means its emissions are extremely low and it has excellent fuel economy,” explains Johnnie. “This was incredibly challenging to achieve, but we felt passionate that New Zealanders deserved an environmentally friendly, beautiful, affordable fireplace.” It took a shared vision and two years of work for Johnnie and the rest 62
of the Jayline team – engineer Ross Sneddon, designer Dave Thompson and national sales manager Greg Walsh – before they felt the UL200 was right to take to the market. “We are really proud to have created a wood fire Nelsonians are actually able to put in their home,” Johnnie says. Greg says the UL200 will help people to stay ahead of regulation while continuing to enjoy the long-held affinity Kiwis have with wood heating.
“We no longer think about a wood fire as a means to an end to warm a home, we think about it as an appliance that, whether in use or not, must add to the character of the home..” G R E G WALSH
Downdraft Technology – the secret to efficiency
The most striking feature of the UL200 is its two fireboxes. They look impressive, but the dual chambers aren’t there for good looks – they are actually the secret to the UL200’s efficiency. The top firebox is loaded with wood and lit like a traditional fire and for the first twenty minutes the fire functions like any other, with the fire only burning in the main chamber. However, once the fire reaches a critical temperature, the opening which connects the top chamber to the flue automatically shuts, resulting in hot gases being drawn down into the bottom firebox where they combust in a unique ‘downwards flame’. “It’s quite mesmerizing to watch,” says Ross, adding that the technology also provides a fuel saving of about 2030 percent. One of Ross’s innovations was making the UL200 fully automated. Other ultra-low emission burners on the