Heat Your Home with Biodiesel

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Another new company to join the biodiesel market is Vermont's Alternative Energy Corporation (VAEC) of Williston, Vermont. Launched in early 2003, the company offers biodiesel heating-oil blends to residential customers through partnerships with large oil companies with terminals in the state.

"We are looking at dealers across the state that we've targeted for distribution," says VAEC president Greg Liebert. In addition to home heating fuel, VAEC also offers biodiesel for vehicles, and biodiesel processing equipment, education and training. In the near future, the company hopes to establish commercial-scale biodiesel processing facilities.

In some parts of the country, homeowners who have been frustrated by the lack of local distributors have formed energy co-ops, through which they order biodiesel in large quantities and at lower prices. Co-op Plus, a member-owned energy cooperative in western Massachusetts, is involved in a variety of renewable energy programs, including a biodiesel initiative that now is associated with Alliance Energy Services in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Alliance currently offers a B20 blend as well as 8100.

"Biofuel is readily available, and it makes sense for a lot of people," says Stephan Chase, the company's president. Alliance, which has been actively promoting its biofuel, has about 100 biodiesel customers and a growing demand for biofuel. "It will be interesting to see what happens," Chase says. "The biofuel is a good product, and the Pioneer Valley [in western Massachusetts] has a lot of residents who are concerned about the environment, so it's a good combination; we should do very well with it here."

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Biodiesel is a simple, proven fuel that, along with other renewable fuels and conservation strategies, could help end U.S. dependence on foreign crude oil and dramatically improve air quality nationwide.

"It has the capability of giving our farmers a good, steady cash crop, helping our economy, reducing our dependency on the foreign oil market, and its the right thing to do for the environment," says the New Jersey school district spokesman Cerio, "and it's far beyond the experimentation phase at this point."

If you already heat with oil, can find a local supplier and are willing to pay a little more, using biodiesel will let you stay warn this winter in a much greener way.

A portion of this article was adapted from Greg Pahl's new book, Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options, published by Chelsea Green Publishing [available from http://www.motherearthnews.com or (866) 803-7096].

Biodiesel Resources

For more information on biodiesel, call or visit the following:

National Biodiesel Board (800)841-5849 www.biodiesel.org Current information on all aspects of biodiesel. Click on the "Heating Oil" link for information specific to space heating. The site also contains links to producers and distributors.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print