Awake at the Wheel

Breaking News: ASTM Approves B5 and B20

June 24, 2008 · 1 Comment

ASTM, the global leader in fuel specifications, has approved biodiesel standards for B5 and B20. B5 was approved under the current ULSD diesel fuel specification.The specifications were approved with support from vehicle OEMs and petroleum suppliers.

“It is quite remarkable that the big oil companies and engine makers on the committee have now joined forces with the biodiesel industry to help approve these standards,” said Steve Howell, chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force. Howell was presented with an award of appreciation from ASTM for his dedication in leading the effort.
More than five years of research and consultation with the ASTM fuel experts went into the new standards. “We addressed the issues and concerns with solid, scientific research,” said Joe Jobe, chief executive officer of the NBB. “Without the tremendous amount of scientific data provided by independent organizations like Southwest Research Institute, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Coordinating Research Council and others, and the cooperation of the petroleum and engine communities, this would not have been possible.”

→ 1 CommentCategories: Big Oil · Biodiesel · Politics · Vehicles
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Propel South Lake Union - Local and Sustainable

June 19, 2008 · 7 Comments

Offering clean fuels to Washington state’s busiest economic center, Propel is launching downtown Seattle’s first renewable fuel station, scheduled to open June 28th. The 9,000-square-foot location conveniently resides on the I5 Mercer Exit corridor, one block north of Mercer Ave, on Westlake and Valley, in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood.  The site is easy access with turn lanes from all directions.

Uniquely Seattle, the site was conceived, developed and built with homegrown talent. Unlike similar sites in other states, Propel received no direct or indirect financial incentives from Seattle, King County or Washington State. For more information about Propel’s commitment to local economic growth, from farm to fuel tank, please visit our website: http://www.propelbiofuels.com.


Propel’s South Lake Union station is environmentally sensitive in design, construction and operation.

1. Canopy and Cistern

The station’s canopy is designed to conserve water and reduce storm runoff into Lake Union. Rainwater is collected in a cistern neatly integrated into the canopy’s western column. This cistern provides a water source for foliage, while irrigating the feedstock planters with excess water via an underground pipe. In addition, the station’s canopy was constructed utilizing aluminum composite derived from 95% recycled materials. The canopy is also equipped with energy conserving LED lights with photocells that provide illumination only as needed.

2. Landscape Green Roof Technology

The station’s garden landscape uses resource-conserving green roof technology to collect excess water from the canopy and cistern. Constructed with 100% recycled materials, the system actively stores water irrigating the landscape as needed and reducing dependence on the city’s water supply. Collecting and filtering water with green roof technology helps prevent the spread of pollution into Seattle’s groundwater and into Lake Union. The resulting runoff is clean filtered water.

3. Feedstock Planters

These unique feedstock planters grow plants used in the domestic production of biodiesel. The clean fuel is derived from renewable resources like camelina, sunflower, soy and canola, examples of which can be found in the planters. Biodiesel is also produced from waste products including recycled restaurant grease and animal fats. Biodiesel is refined to be used any diesel vehicle with no conversion necessary.

4. Clean Fuel

Two 5,000 gallon above ground tanks are constructed with industry leading safety and environmental standards. To guarantee a safe fueling environment the tanks are impact and ballistics proof, with advanced break away shut-off & emergency shut-off.

→ 7 CommentsCategories: Biodiesel

Ethanol smear campaign has farmers fighting back

June 11, 2008 · 1 Comment

The Smear
While the facts continue to debunk the food vs. fuel confusion, ethanol is feeling the heat from an effective smear campaign orchestrated by The Glover Park Group and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (a wealthy lobby of 300 food and beverage makers like Kraft Foods, McDonald’s, Miller Brewing, Dean Foods and ConAgra).

The Farmers
Despite studies showing that fuel prices, and commodities speculation are driving forces behind higher food prices, the smear campaign continues. Now America’s farmers are uniting to get their voices heard. http://www.rrstar.com/communities/x902822601/Farm-Bureau-upset-over-ethanol-smear-campaign

The Facts
USDA has completed a thorough analysis on Ethanol’s impact on food prices. Their studies show:

·      According to the USDA the US is readily able to produce enough corn to meet food, feed, export and ethanol demands.
·      Many factors are driving higher food commodity prices: rising costs for oil and fertilizer, the impacts of drought and other adverse weather conditions, export restrictions and taxes imposed on rice and wheat, all have affected the supply side of the ledger.
·      Across the board commodities have increased 47%. Food based commodities have not increased any faster than other commodities at 46% Oil has increased most at 68%.
·      Raw agricultural product costs account for less than 20 percent of the price of food. Prices consumers pay at the store are impacted most by marketing, labor and energy costs. The increase commodity prices has caused retail food prices to increase by about 5% in 2008.
·      Council of Economic Advisors estimates that 3 percent of the increase we have seen in world food commodity prices this year is due to the increased demand on corn for ethanol.

Ethanol has significant economic benefits
·      Biofuels have been shown to help control the cost of petroleum. Merrill Lynch commodity strategist recently said gasoline prices would be 15 percent higher if biofuel production didn’t exist
·      According to the International Energy Agency, the biofuels production that has been available to the United States and European markets over the last three years has cut the consumption of crude oil by one million barrels a day.

USDA Study
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/05/0130.xml

→ 1 CommentCategories: Biodiesel

B20 performance shines in Challenge X Competition

May 22, 2008 · 1 Comment

With the Challenge X Competition, GM posed university students across the US with a challenge: How do you re-engineer a Chevrolet Equinox Crossover SUV to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize pollution? Their answer: direct-injection diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel. In fact, all three of the top placing teams in GMs Challenge X Competition employed B20 biodiesel. Read more at the daily green.

The team’s turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel was 38% more fuel-efficient than the original, produced 44% less pollution but managed to improve quarter-mile acceleration by 1.6 seconds.

→ 1 CommentCategories: Biodiesel · Climate Change · Emissions · Green Business · Green House Gases (GHG) · Propel Biofuels · Vehicles · blog

Diesel’s Encore in the US

May 20, 2008 · 2 Comments

New York Times outlines pros and cons of new diesels coming to the US market in 2008 - 2010. Article notes new arrivals from VW, Audi, Mercedes, Acura, Nissan, Jeep and others.

A snapshot below. Read more

 

Pros
  • Mileage is 25 percent to 40 percent higher than gasoline.
  • Carbon dioxide emissions are lower.
  • Highway mileage and performance are better than hybrids’.
  • High torque is well suited to large pickups and S.U.V.’s.
  • Extended driving range means less frequent fill-ups.
  • Engines are robust, often lasting 300,000 miles or more.
Cons
  • Engines and emissions systems can be costly.
  • Diesel fuel currently costs far more than gasoline.
  • Like gasoline, diesel is a petroleum product from foreign suppliers.
  • Though outdated, image as a dirty technology lingers.
  • Only 42 percent of American filling stations have diesel pumps.
  • Some companies’ latest emissions controls require refills of urea.

→ 2 CommentsCategories: Biodiesel · Emissions · Green House Gases (GHG) · Vehicles

NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Meeting on Tuesday May 27, 2008

May 20, 2008 · No Comments

NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Meeting:  

Northwest Feedstocks.  What crops are being grown in the Northwest for biodiesel?  Jeff Canaan, BioEnergy Coordinator for Washington State Department of Agriculture will be on hand to give us an overview.  What about used cooking oil and trap grease?  Hear from Yale Wong, CEO of General Biodiesel, an up and coming biodiesel producer in Seattle.  Get your questions answered!  7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Seattle Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle WA 98103. Cost is Free.  Information at www.nwbiodiesel.org/.

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A closer look at biofuels and food prices

April 29, 2008 · 3 Comments

A number of recent news stories have portrayed biofuels, primarily corn ethanol, as a leading cause of global food price increases. As builders and supporters of our renewable energy industry, this is a matter we take very seriously. It’s important to have good information so we can understand the impacts of our energy choices.

According to leading commodity experts and economists, biofuels are receiving undue blame. In fact, the food price increases are the result of many complex factors, mainly increased demand for agricultural products in emerging markets (especially China and India), a weak U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, and the rising costs of fuel for producing and transporting crops. In addition, weather-related production decreases worldwide have resulted in less overall supply.
Unfortunately the media is not effective at communicating complex economic drivers, and have erroneously pointed the finger at the renewable energy industry. However economists & global leaders are shedding light on this issue. Here’s what some of them have to say.

  • Jim Duffield with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and John Urbanchuk with the global economic analysis firm LECG LLC discuss the true causes of rising food prices http://domesticfuel.com/2008/04/16/economists-discuss-food-and-fuel-prices/
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  • Business Week article discusses the expanding role of speculators in agricultural markets and their effect on price increases.  Greg Warner, analyst with AgResource, says what is happening now in the wheat market is unprecedented. “What we normally have is a predictable group of sellers and buyers—mainly farmers and silo operators,” he says. But the landscape has changed since the influx of large index funds. Fund managers seek to maximize their profits using futures contracts, and prices, says Warner, “keep climbing up and up.”
    http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2008/gb20080423_366709.htm
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  •  Merrill Lynch commodity strategist, Francisco Blanch, outlines that oil and gasoline prices would be about 15 percent higher if biofuel producers were not increasing their output. Increased output of biofuels reduces the cost of food production & transportation, and lowers prices.
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  • Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, UN Environment Programme comments that current news coverage blaming biofuels for shortages of food crops are; “simplistic and perhaps short-sighted scapegoats.” He went on to say that the headlines were; “convenient distractions for what is so often in reality poor management at national and international levels. They do, however, point to the inescapable fact that food security is intimately linked to national and international security.”
    http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1549/1/

→ 3 CommentsCategories: Biodiesel

Jetta TDI gets better…

April 24, 2008 · No Comments

If you’re not yet a fan of the Jetta TDI, maybe this will convert you. VW just released news of its latest version of the famous diesel, named the BlueTDI. Its specially designed for the finicky US market (including CA) and is even cleaner than the pretty-darn-clean ones some of us drive.  Beyond being neat and tidy, VW is claiming the BlueTDI gets 60 miles per gallon. With biodiesel prices in the $5 range, we’re all ready for that.

VW press release and article at Autobloggreen.com

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New Mercedes diesel engine reduces CO2

April 10, 2008 · No Comments

In addition to cleaner fuels, it’s nice to see advancements in engine technology that will help make driving green easier. Mercedes new-gen four cylinder diesel provides a level of fuel efficiency that reduces carbon footprint, compared to earlier models. Now, just add biodiesel.

“When fitted in the C-Class, the new 150 kW unit consumes 5.4 liters per 100 kilometers (NEDC) (43.6 mpg US), 0.5 liters less than previously. When powered by a new 125 kW (170 hp) variant, the C-Class consumes 5.1 L/100 km (46.1 mpg US).

As a consequence, CO2 emissions are reduced by 8% and 13% respectively to 143 g/km and 136 g/km.” Read More at Green Car Congress

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NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Meeting on Tuesday April 22, 2008

April 10, 2008 · No Comments

Biodiesel and Marine Use: Boats, Shipping, & Ferries.  Learn what boaters need to know about using biodiesel.  What’s happening with the ferries using biodiesel again?  What’s the scoop on biodiesel use in cruise ships and commercial shipping? Why is biodiesel use especially important on our waters?  Speakers include Barbara Cole with the Port of Seattle and Paul Brodeur with Washington State Ferries.  Get your questions answered!  7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Seattle Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle WA 98103. Cost is Free.  Information at www.nwbiodiesel.org/.

→ No CommentsCategories: Biodiesel · Biodiesel Research · Climate Change · Cold Weather Biodiesel · Emissions · Green Business · Introduction

NYT Reports on the new MB ML320

April 1, 2008 · No Comments

NYT Article

 Is it real? The M-Class is one of three diesel-driven Mercedes utility vehicles – along with the GL- and R-Class Bluetecs – that go on sale in October, the first diesels in the United States to meet emissions rules in all 50 states.

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CleanDrive members on the cutting edge

March 28, 2008 · No Comments

CleanDrive Report Screenshot

Are you a CleanDrive member? If so, you are at the forefront of a movement towards tracking and monitoring you carbon footprint. A recent New York Times article discusses how visibility into our carbon output will become a part of our lives, and influence behavior for the better. From thermostat price monitors, to eco-mood jewelry – the article outlines several ways carbon savings, or lack thereof, will be worn on our sleeve. Have a read: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/science/25tier.html?ex=1207108800&en=30d6236cc4c256da&ei=5070&emc=eta1

So if you haven’t already, register for CleanDrive and be at the head of the carbon tracking revolution. Review you report with your family, or show your customers. It’s a powerful thing to see how your choice to use biodiesel is making a change for the better. Combined the Propel community has saved nearly 1 million pounds of CO2. Now that’s powerful.

Register for CleanDrive: http://propelbiofuels.com/content/cleandrive/

Check your CleanDrive account: https://www.propelbiofuels.com/site/clean/login.htm

→ No CommentsCategories: Biodiesel · Biodiesel Production · Climate Change · Emissions · Energy Balance · Green Business · Green House Gases (GHG) · Media · Personal Carbon Credits · Propel Biofuels

NW Biodiesel Network Monthly Meeting: Tuesday March 25, 2008

March 18, 2008 · No Comments

Diesel Vehicles – Availability & Compatibility.  Learn the latest about biodiesel compatible vehicles – what’s coming and when.  Find out the latest about car manufacturers’ acceptance of biodiesel.  After years of waiting, new diesel cars and trucks are beginning to enter the market.  Learn what it means to you and your business.  There will be plenty of time for Q&A.  7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Seattle Phinney Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle WA 98103. Cost is Free

Information at http://nwbiodiesel.org/.

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BMW 520d vs PRIUS

March 18, 2008 · 7 Comments

p0023836.jpg 

BMW 520d with a 2.0L, 177 hp four cylinder diesel

> zero to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds
>  41.9 mpg real world driving conditions

Toyota Prius

> zero to 60 mph in 11 seconds
> 40 mpg in real world driving conditions

Read more…
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/17/toyota-prius-is-a-gas-guzzler-compared-to-the-bmw-520d/

→ 7 CommentsCategories: Biodiesel