I simply cannot agree that VOCs are reduced by a heat exchange device that condenses some of the vent steam to water.  Most VOCs will stay in the gas phase.  A tiny amount will go into the water, but not enough to change a permit. 

If you need evidence of this just look at how emissions testing is done (it is an NCASI method and I don't remember the number, maybe 98 or 99).  Kiln gas is bubbled through impingers with the water  to close to 32F, then the VOCS are collected as a gas in summa cans after the impingers.  If the VOCS  were water soluble, they would go into the 32F water.  Very little does.  I have run the method.  The water in a heat exchanger is far warmer and even less of the VOCS enter the liquid phase.  Keep in mind - the pinenes, fatty acids, etc (the high molecular weight stuff) are hydrophobic to begin with and don't mix with water.
Now consider the low molecular weight stuff.  In NCASI method 105, we again use impingers to get the aldehydes (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde etc) into the water at 32F and react them with benzyl hydroxyl amine to form a high molecular weight, hydrophilic compound to keep them in the water at 32F.  Everything is keep on ice or refrigerated until lab analysis.  We can capture methanol pretty well in 32F water without a reaction, but all these low MW compounds are too volatile to ever stay in water at the temperature in a heat exchanger. 

I hope that makes it clear where I coming from on this.  Besides all that I have measured VOC before and after a heat exchanger.  The heat exchanger did not remove VOCS or methanol or formaldehyde even though water was condensed ("less steam coming out the vents").

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so the emissions stay dissolved in the water, and since the water does not leave the vents, then there are fewer emissions?

is that what you are staying?

haha...ok..does that apply to the kiln operators too???   

many of our kilns are relics from the past . . . .