City of Keene, New Hampshire: Some mornings the weather is so cold that equipment operators in Keene, NH are chilled to the bone. Temperatures can drop as low as 40-50 degrees below zero, but according to Steve Russell, Fleet Services Superintendent, that doesn’t affect the city’s snow plows, fire and rescue vehicles and other diesel equipment that runs on cleaner-burning biodiesel.
“We know we can rely on our biodiesel-powered vehicles even on the coldest New Hampshire days,” Russell said. “It’s been five years since we made the switch to B20 (a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel) in our 70 vehicle fleet and we’ve had no problems whatsoever.”
SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, Syracuse, New York: The College of Environmental Science & Forestry has been using B20 in about ten vehicles/equipment -- including trucks, loaders, a bobcat, a tractor, buses, and an air compressor -- for about five years.
Dale Plunkett, Motor Equipment Supervisor, says they have had “no problems at all and have been very pleased with biodiesel.” He says that sometimes their vehicles sit for a month or two in sub zero temperatures without being started once, “and they always start right up.” In addition, their loaders, and sometimes their dozer, are used for snow removal and have to be started up in the middle of the night during snowstorms. They have never had a problem.
City of Denver, Colorado: The City of Denver’s Department of Public Works began using B20 in 60 vehicles in 2004 during a pilot program (about 52,000 gallons). Since then, they have gradually increased their biodiesel use and now fuel the City’s entire diesel fleet of approximately 800 vehicles/equipment with B20. That does not include Denver International Airport which also uses B20. The City expects to use one million gallons of biodiesel in 2007 and the fuel is now available at all fueling locations.
According to Nancy Kuhn, Operations Administrator, “Denver made the switch to biodiesel to benefit human health and the environment, to reduce harmful emissions and the City's dependency on foreign oil. We knew it would be easy to implement with no modifications required to the the vehicles, maintenance facilities, or fueling infrastructure. The fuel was also readily available.”
City of Ann Arbor, Michigan: For the past five years, Ann Arbor’s 120-vehicle diesel fleet has been running on B20 in the winter and moved up to B50 in the summer for the past two years.
According to Energy Coordinator Dave Konkle “we followed the University of Michigan’s lead in going to B20 which has become quite a success story here in Ann Arbor. We made the switch because we are an environmental community concerned about global warming and air quality issues. Plus biodiesel smells better and runs quieter.”
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising, Michigan: An early adopter of biodiesel and other biobased products, this National Park has been a leader in the use of B20. The park uses biodiesel in its dump trucks, loaders, tractors, a dozer, a grader, two SUVs and three pickup trucks.
"We have been splash blending to B20 in our above ground storage tanks since 1999. We pay a bit more attention to our blending process during the cold weather months and consequently have yet to experience any cold flow problems either in the tank or with any of our equipment,” said Chris V. Case, Facility Manager at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. “If you pay attention to what you are doing, there is no reason not to be using biodiesel blends year-round."
Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, Vermont: In December 2005, Otter Creek became the first U.S. brewery to use B20 in its boilers used to produce steam needed to brew the beer and heat its buildings. Their tractor also runs on B20. Otter Creek’s 3,000 gallon fuel tank is located outside. The brewery uses about 40,000 gallons of B20 (8,000 gallons of biodiesel) a year.
“We switched to biodiesel because we were looking at how to reduce air pollution and move toward carbon neutrality,” said Otter Creek President Morgan Wolaver. “We burn a lot of electricity and fuel and we felt using biodiesel was the best and most economical way to reduce emissions.”
Eureka Recycling, St. Paul, Minnesota, a non-profit recycler that provides services to homes and apartments in St. Paul, and the surrounding area.
“We use B20 year round and we’ve never had any issues related to fuel, even on the coldest mornings when the temperature is well below zero,” said Carolyn Loper, Director of Operations for Eureka Recycling, which as used B20 in its entire fleet of 21 trucks since April 2003. “I’ve worked with diesel trucks for a long time, and when you stand next to our trucks, you definitely notice fewer emissions.”
Eureka Recycling is committed to doing what they can to protect the health of their employees and the communities they serve. According to Loper, “B20 is a good first step.”
City of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota: The City has used biodiesel blends since 1999 in its fleet of over 100 vehicles, including fire trucks, utility and police vehicles. According to Steve Lawrence, Superintendent Operations & Maintenance for the City, they have had no weather issues at all with B20. The reason they made the switch is simple, according to Lawrence, “to eliminate the cloud of black soot that used to fill the garage when we started up our vehicles each morning. With biodiesl, the sooty cloud is gone and the air the drivers breathe is cleaner. It was in everyone’s best interest to get rid of the black cloud.”
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming: Biodiesel powers about 300 vehicles, boilers and other diesel equipment at the world’s first and most famous National Park – Yellowstone. The park manages to gracefully handle 2.5 million annual visitors. One thing that helps protect the park from pollution is the use of B20.
Jim Evanoff, the Environmental Manager for Yellowstone, has been a leader in biodiesel use and education for more than a decade. It was in 1996 that he began using biodiesel in one of the park's vehicles (which he still drives), and now Yellowstone's entire diesel fleet operates on biodiesel.
“Our diesel vehicles run great on B20 all year,” Evanoff said. “Even during our coldest days, the vehicles have started fine.”
In 2006, the biodiesel industry recognized his commitment. At the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in San Diego, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and actress Daryl Hannah presented Evanoff with the “Inspiration Award.”
“As stewards of the country’s first national park, it is our duty and responsibility to preserve and protect this national treasure,” Evanoff said. “By using this biodegradable, renewable fuel in the park’s sensitive environment, we are practicing a high level of sustainability that other national parks around the country have followed.”
The park is also home to biodiesel and ethanol pumps that make biofuels available to the public.
Boise, Idaho Fire Department: The Department has used B20 for almost three years in 14 fire engines and 2 trucks. While all their fire engines are kept inside heated bays, due to winter temperatures that often drop to well below freezing at night and even days, they "start cold, run hard, and are put away hot," according to Battalion Chief Bruce Rankin. "It made sense to use biodiesel for a number of social and practical reasons such as increased lubricity, reduced emissions and support of domestic farming. When we were at an emergency scene, the exhaust used to be heavy in the area. We were looking for any way to reduce harmful emissions and biodiesel is a great way to do that. Added benefits are that it's domestically produced and reduces our dependence on foreign oil."
Sanitary Services Company (SSC), Meridian, Idaho: In 2002, this company -- which provides sanitation services in Meridian (west of Boise) and the surrounding area -- became the first entity in Idaho to use B20 in all fleet vehicles. Their 40+ vehicle fleet – which includes front and rear-load trash trucks, recycling trucks, semi-tractors and pick-ups – uses about 10,000 gallons a month of B20. Their fuel is stored in a 12,000 gallon underground, onsite storage tank and according to Business Manager Steve Sedlacek they’ve had “no problems at all.” Diesel treatment is added to help prevent the fuel from gelling in temperatures below freezing.
