ALTERNATIVE FUEL ACCORDING TO THE NUMBERS

We’ve already looked at what it takes to produce gasoline and why the price of gasoline is what it is. Besides paying the price for a barrel of crude oil, you have to factor in refinery operating costs along with federal, state, and local taxes. Is it any cheaper to produce alternative fuels?  The answer is simply - sometimes.

Ethanol

Ethanol, as we’ve already addressed is basically 85 percent grain alcohol and 15 percent gasoline. It is a cleaner burning fuel and provides more horsepower than gasoline alone. While ethanol burns cooler than gasoline, it doesn’t provide enough power to get an engine started on cold days which is why gasoline is added to the mixture.

With the rising popularity of E85 gasoline, more vehicles are being produced that can accommodate this new fuel. E85 fueling stations are currently available in 36 states (as of 2006), and over 6 million vehicles that can use E85 have been sold.

The performance of E85 vehicles is potentially higher than that of gasoline vehicles because E85's high octane rating allows a much higher compression ratio, which translates into higher thermodynamic efficiency. However, the flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) that retain the capacity to run on gasoline alone can't really take advantage of this octane boost since they also need to be able to run on pump-grade gasoline.

Cynics claim that it takes more energy to grow corn and distill it into alcohol than you can get out of the alcohol. However, according to the Department of Energy (DOE), the growing, fermenting and distillation chain actually results in a surplus of energy that ranges from 34 to 66 percent.

Adding to that, the carbon dioxide (CO2) that an engine produces started out as atmospheric CO2 that the cornstalk captured during growth, making ethanol greenhouse gas neutral. Recent DOE studies note that using ethanol in blends lowers carbon monoxide (CO) and CO2 emissions substantially. In 2005, burning such blends had the same effect on greenhouse gas emissions as removing 1 million cars from American roads.

Opponents also point out that alcohol is a corrosive solvent. Anything exposed to ethanol must be made of corrosion-resistant (and expensive) stainless steel or plastic--from fuel-injection components to the tanks, pumps and hoses that dispense E85, as well as the tankers that deliver it.

Growing corn is an intensive process that requires pesticides, fertilizer, heavy equipment and transport. When considering the viability of ethanol, the total impact of all that activity needs to be taken into account.

However, the outlook is actually somewhat hopeful when it comes to replacing E85 as our primary source of fuel. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, 95 ethanol refineries produced more than 4.3 billion gallons of ethanol in 2005.

An additional 40 new or expanded refineries slated to come on line in the next 18 months will increase that to 6.3 billion gal. That sounds like a lot--and it is--but it represents just over 3 percent of our annual consumption of more than 200 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel.

One acre of corn can produce 300 gallons of ethanol per growing season. So, in order to replace that 200 billion gallons of petroleum products, American farmers would need to dedicate 675 million acres, or 71 percent of the nation's 938 million acres of farmland, to growing feedstock.

Clearly, ethanol alone won't kick our fossil fuel dependence--unless we want to replace our oil imports with food imports.

Methanol

Methanol is wood alcohol and, like ethanol, is blended in an 85/15 blend with gasoline. Methanol is produced through a steam and catalyst process that reconstitutes methane gas as methanol.

We know that methane gas is one of the primary causes of global warming and environmental degradation, but the way methane is processed into methanol safely turns it into safer methane. That safer methane can power vehicles with considerably less damage to the environment than methane by itself.

Currently, virtually all methanol produced in the United States uses methane derived from natural gas. However, methane also can be obtained from coal and from biogas, which is generated by fermenting organic matter--including byproducts of sewage and manure.

On a positive note, methanol is a potent fuel with an octane rating of 100 that allows for higher compression and greater efficiency than gasoline. Pure methanol isn't volatile enough to start a cold engine easily and when it does burn, it does so with a dangerously invisible flame. Blending gasoline with methanol to create M85 solves both problems.

However, critics will make a very different argument against methanol. Methanol is extremely corrosive, requiring special materials for delivery and storage.

Methanol, in addition, has only 51 percent of the BTU content of gasoline by volume, which means its fuel economy is worse than ethanol's. As with ethanol, any potential increase in efficiency from methanol's high octane is negated by the need for FFVs to remain drivable on gasoline only.

The lower energy content and the higher cost to build methanol refineries compared with ethanol distilleries have relegated methanol and M85 to the back seat. Moreover, producing methanol from natural gas results in a net increase of CO2, hastening global warming. Unlike ethanol, the process liberates buried carbon that otherwise wouldn't reach the atmosphere.

In general, the prospect of methanol becoming a viable alternative fuel is in question. The EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program is tasked with reducing methane emissions from landfills, and much of this methane is used to produce energy.

As of December 2004, there were more than 325 operational landfill-gas energy projects in the States and more than 600 landfills deemed to be good candidates for projects. But the quantities involved are small. Methane also can be produced by processing biomass such as grass clippings, sawdust and other cellulose sources.

Based on these important differences between ethanol and methanol--not to mention the power of the farm lobby--methanol has receded into ethanol's shadow as a gasoline replacement. The last M85 FFV in the States was sold in 1999.

However, methanol may still have a future as a fuel. Nearly every major electronics manufacturer plans to release portable electronics powered by methanol fuel cells within the next two years.

Compressed Natural Gas

Natural gas can be used to fuel internal-combustion engines. The most practical strategy is to handle it as compressed natural gas (CNG).

Natural gas is typically found in underground deposits, often with petroleum, and is obtained by drilling. To use natural gas, the methane component--which makes up 50 to 100 percent of natural gas--must be processed to remove contaminants as well as other useful fuels such as butane and propane.

With an octane rating of up to 130, CNG has the potential to optimize an engine's thermodynamic efficiency through a high compression ratio. However, many CNG vehicles are able to run on either CNG or gasoline, which makes the octane advantage obvious.

According to the DOE, a CNG-fueled Honda Civic GX--the sole widely available CNG-only vehicle in the United States--produces 90 percent less CO and 60 percent less nitrogen oxides (NOx) than its gas-powered counterpart. And, CO2 is reduced by 30 to 40 percent. According to the company, the car's exhaust is cleaner than the air in some high-pollution areas.

For a vehicle to carry enough CNG to travel a reasonable distance, the gas has to be compressed to 3000 to 3600 psi (pounds per inch). At 3600 psi, CNG has about one-third as much energy as gasoline--about 44,000 BTU per unit volume--and the tank must be far larger, heavier and more expensive than a conventional one.

In addition, energy is consumed during the compression process. Currently available in nine states to Civic GX owners is a compressor/refueler called Phill that uses 2 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity to compress the equivalent of 1 gallon of gasoline.

With electricity averaging 10 cents per kwh nationwide, the price of CNG goes up 20 cents per gallon over the cost of the natural gas itself. Still, CNG is a bargain compared to gasoline. A gallon of gas equivalent (GGE) costs about $1.20, including the cost of compression--thanks in part to the lack of taxes added to gasoline.

Even though 85 percent of our natural gas is produced domestically, and there's already a distribution network in place, CNG faces a limited future as a gasoline or diesel replacement. For one thing, like petroleum, it is nonrenewable. More critically, perhaps, there's already a great demand for natural gas--and CNG requires major retooling of both cars and fuel-station infrastructure.

Biodiesel

Probably one of the most exciting alternative fuels that are being developed is biodiesel fuel. Fuels for diesel engines made from sources other than petroleum are known as biodiesel.

Among the common sources for biodiesel fuels are vegetable oils, rendered chicken fat and used fry oil.   Processing these oils into fuel involves removing glycerin and other contaminants through a process called transesterification.

Modern diesel engines can run on 100 percent biodiesel with little degradation in performance compared to petrodiesel because the BTU content of both fuels is similar--120,000 to 130,000 BTU per gallon.

In addition, biodiesel burns cleaner than petrodiesel, with reduced emissions. Unlike petrodiesel, biodiesel molecules are oxygen-bearing, and partially support their own combustion.

According to the DOE, pure biodiesel reduces CO emissions by more than 75 percent over petroleum diesel. A blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petrodiesel, sold as B20, reduces CO2 emissions by around 15 percent.

On the down side, pure biodiesel, B100, costs about $3.50--roughly a dollar more per gallon than petrodiesel. And, in low temperatures, higher-concentration blends--B30, B100--turn into waxy solids and do not flow. Special additives or fuel warmers are needed to prevent fuel waxing.

However, biodiesel has a viable future as a major fuel for transportation. According to the National Biodiesel Board, production of biodiesel in 2004 was about 25 million gallons, tripling to more than 75 million gallons in 2005. The trend is solidly upward, thanks to government incentives, the growing number of new diesel vehicles for sale and a grass-roots groundswell of support.

Like E85, biodiesel began with farm co-ops and local entrepreneurs. High fuel prices affect farmers, too, and here was an opportunity to make money from otherwise fallow farmland.

Country singer Willie Nelson, in partnership with several Dallas businessmen, has lent his name to Bio-Willie, a brand of B20 marketed mainly to long-haul truck drivers in California, Texas, the South and the Midwest.

Drivers praise the fuel for its low emissions, but obstacles to mainstream acceptance include a higher price than petro-diesel (seasonally and regionally, 10 to 25 cents a gallon) and the need to heat storage tanks in colder climates to prevent the fuel from gelling.

Electricity

The same flow of electrons that powers your television and iPod can provide the energy needed to move a vehicle. Electricity from a power source, typically a rechargeable battery pack, energizes a large electric motor that propels the car.

When slowing or stopping, the braking energy reverses the power flow, turning the electric motor into a generator to help recharge the battery pack. Under normal circumstances, however, the batteries must be recharged for several hours at a stationary charging station.

Vehicles that operate only on electricity require no warm up, run almost silently and have excellent performance up to the limit of their range. Also, electric cars are cheap to "refuel." At the average price of 10 cents per kwh, it costs around 2 cents per mile.

Electric cars can be recharged at night, when generating plants are under-utilized. Vehicles that run on electricity only part of the time and on internal-combustion power at other times--hybrids--have even greater promise. As hybrids gain in popularity, there is a growing interest in plug-in hybrids that allow owners to fully recharge the vehicle's batteries overnight.

A strong appeal of the electric car--and of a hybrid when it's running on electricity--is that it produces no tailpipe emissions. Even when emissions created by power plants are factored in, electric vehicles emit less than 10 percent of the pollution of an internal-combustion car.

But, pure electric cars still have limited range, typically no more than 100 to 120 miles. In addition, electrics suffer from slow charging, which, in effect, reduces their usability. When connected to a dedicated, high-capacity re-charger, some can be recharged in as little as an hour, but otherwise such cars are essentially not drivable while they sit overnight for charging.

While interest in plug-in hybrids grows, the long-term future of pure electrics depends on breakthroughs in longer-lasting, cheaper batteries and drastically lower production costs for the vehicles themselves. And then there's the environmental cost. Only 2.3 percent of the nation's electricity comes from renewable resources; about half is generated in coal-burning plants.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the most abundant element on Earth, forming part of many chemical compounds. Pure hydrogen can be made by electrolysis--passing electricity through water. This liberates the oxygen, which can be used for many industrial purposes. Most hydrogen currently is made from petroleum.

Though hydrogen can fuel a modified internal-combustion engine, most see hydrogen as a way to power fuel cells to move cars electrically. The only byproduct of a hydrogen fuel cell is water. This makes it a very clean burning fuel and one that is most definitely good for the environment.

There are, however, some drawbacks toward the outlook for using hydrogen as a viable fuel source. Most energy and industry experts agree that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles won't be widely available until 2020.

The industry still needs to develop a manufacturing and distribution system. And, despite the chemical simplicity of electrolysis, producing hydrogen is expensive and energy consuming. It takes about 17 kwh of electricity, which costs about $1.70, to make just 100 cu. ft. of hydrogen. That amount would power a fuel cell vehicle for about 20 miles.

Although hydrogen has the highest energy-to-weight ratio of possible energy sources, it's necessary to expend a tremendous amount of energy to compress sufficient hydrogen into an expensive, 5000-plus-psi storage tank in a vehicle.

Another option is freezing: Cryogenic hydrogen boils at minus 423 F. This requires energy to refrigerate and compress the hydrogen to liquefy it, and more energy to maintain that temperature in a super-insulated tank.

Despite the doubts of some experts, the outlook for hydrogen as an alternative fuel source on the open market is actually quite good, although not in the near future. The world's carmakers are deeply engaged in hydrogen fuel cell research. Some carmakers continue to work on hydrogen-fueled, internal-combustion engines. But, the stumbling block is finding a cost- and energy-effective way to produce hydrogen.

Now that we’ve covered the bases on alternative fuels for cars – let’s think about alternative fuels for our homes. There are many options you can look at to heat and cool your house or business.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS FOR BUILDINGS

The phrase "alternative fuels" is usually used to mean fuels for motor vehicles that are not gasoline. Alternative fuels can also refer to any fuel that is not a fossil fuel. Sometimes the phrase is used inaccurately to refer to alternative sources of energy or power, for example, hydroelectric dams and geothermal power plants.

The search for alternative fuels has a long history in the United States. For instance, the Stanley Steamer automobile, unlike cars with internal combustion engines, could be powered with several different fuels: gasoline, raw petroleum, coal, charcoal, oil, and wood. By the mid-1920s, however, the Stanley Steamer was no longer manufactured, and gasoline was the fuel of choice for motor vehicles.

Smog created by the burning of coal, gasoline, and other petroleum derivatives created serious health hazards in American cities by the 1940s, and thereafter caused environmental damage even in remote wilderness areas by poisoning trees and other wildlife. By the 1970s, acid rain was a significant presence and poison in the nation's waters. Individual states and the federal government began enacting laws intended to limit and eventually end AIR POLLUTION.

The list of alternative fuels that can used to power a home – more specifically heat it include:

• Natural Gas
  
  
• Propane
  
  
• Electricity
  
  
• Fuel Oil
  
  
• Solar Power

Geothermal heating systems are also growing in popularity. A geothermal system takes advantage of the Earth’s ability to store vast amounts of heat in the soil ("geo" means earth and "thermal" refers to heat). This heat energy is maintained at a constant temperature (50°F to 70°F depending on latitude) in the soil and near-surface rocks. In Wisconsin, the soil maintains a 50°F temperature beginning approximately four feet down, well past the winter frost line.

Geothermal heating systems, also called ground-source heat pumps, "capture" this steady supply of heat energy and "move" it from the Earth and through a home or building. Basically, once installed, a home or building owner will use much less energy, save money each month, and reduce the amount of pollution produced by fossil fuel systems.

In Wisconsin, for example, two school districts recently began installing geothermal systems at area high schools. In both Fond du Lac and Evansville, district administrators were "sold" on this technology’s energy efficiency and its ability to yield long-term cost savings. Schools across Wisconsin and the country have faced skyrocketing energy bills and they are searching for cost-effective alternatives. Geothermal systems represent a proven option. In addition, they utilize a renewable energy source—the Earth’s naturally-occurring heat energy.

A heat pump is a mechanical device that transfers heat from one source to another. Ground-source units pull heat from the earth and transfer it to homes or buildings. Heat pumps (despite their name) can provide both heating and cooling. The cooling process is simply the reverse of the heating process: heat is taken out of a building and returned to the Earth.

Typical ground-source heat pumps transfer heat using a network of tubes, called "closed loops." Basically, the loops are filled with water, refrigerant or an anti-freeze solution. They run through the ground in the vicinity of a building and the liquid absorbs the Earth’s heat energy. Then, this warmed liquid is pumped back through the system into the building. This process provides heat to the building space. Once the fluid passes through the building and transfers its energy, it flows through the loop system back to the Earth and the process repeats itself.

In the summertime, these systems "reverse" into cooling mode. Technically, the system does not "run backwards." Instead, a series of valves enables the system to switch the "hot" side and the "cold" side. The heat from the building is transferred to the liquid in the loop and this liquid is pumped back into the ground. When the ground source heat pump is in cooling mode, it usually has an excess of warmed liquid in the system. This liquid can heat water for the building and basically eliminate the use of the hot water heater during the summer months.

Ground-source heat pumps can use 25%-70% less electricity than conventional electric heating and cooling systems. First, in winter heating mode, a ground-source heat pump uses energy from the Earth to provide heat, whereas air-source heat pumps try to extract the last bits of heat energy out of cold winter air. Because of the long, cold Wisconsin winters, air-source heat pumps are not effective or efficient.

Second, ground-source heat pumps are more energy efficient than conventional electric heaters because they maximize the thermodynamic advantage of a heat transfer fluid. This benefit enables the ground source heat pump to produce more heat energy output than electric energy input.

Conventional electric heaters on the other hand don’t quite produce as much heat output as electric input. Under some conditions, a ground source heat pump cannot meet the required heating needs. In these cases, supplemental heat must be provided from another source which is a usually conventional electric unit.

Finally, during the summer, the ground source heat pump "reverses" into cooling mode. This fact makes the ground-source heat pump more energy efficient for cooling than a traditional air conditioner.

When a de-superheater is installed, energy from the ground source heat pump can be transferred to the hot water tank. As a result, building occupants receive "free" hot water in the summer and very low-cost hot water in the winter.

Most of a ground-source heat pump’s electrical energy requirement (70% to 80%) is consumed by the compressor and pump that combine to move heat energy to or from the ground, through the loop system, and into or out of a building. The remaining 20% to 30% of the electricity is used for fan(s) and controls to distribute the conditioned air throughout the building.

A ground source heat pump system including the underground loops, costs about $2,500 per ton of capacity, or roughly $7,500 for a 3-ton unit which is a typical residential size. Approximately half of this cost is related to the geothermal loop configuration. It can be expected to last from 20 to 30 years with minimal maintenance. A conventional heating and cooling system can cost up to $4,000.

At first glance, this price difference of $3,500 may seem impractical and too costly. However, buyers must carefully consider monthly energy costs over the life of the equipment when making a decision. As the school administrators in Fond du Lac and Evansville learned this past year, rising energy prices can destroy annual budgets and geothermal systems are a good way to minimize future price shocks.

Since these systems use from 25% to 50% less energy than conventional systems, users will spend less on their monthly energy bills. In fact, many homeowners could spend from $35 to $70 less per month, meaning that most ground source systems will "pay for themselves" in 2 to 10 years. The additional cost of $3,500 will be recovered from the monthly energy savings. After the "payback" period, the owner will simply pay much-reduced utility bills.

Ground-source heat pumps can be retrofitted in existing homes that have traditional forced-air systems. In most cases, the heat pump can be connected to the existing ductwork while the loop system is installed outside in the ground adjacent to the home.

Geothermal systems and ground source heat pumps could provide a viable alternative to fossil fuel based systems and lessen the amount of air pollution caused by those fossil fuels.

Another wonderful, and probably the most promising, alternative for fueling our homes is with solar power. The amount of energy that we can harness from this amazing star is probably heads and tails more advantageous than any other power source.

Solar power is probably the cleanest, most viable form of renewable energy available and it can be used in several forms to help power your house. Many gardens now use solar lights or solar garden water features. The availability and wide use of solar power in gardens shows exactly how versatile it is as a source of energy.

The technology and the systems are becoming smaller, more compact and better looking than when they were first created and used. Early examples of solar power systems can be seen in California where, in the 1980s, enough solar power panels were installed to power over 10 million homes.

Simply put photovoltaic tiles and other forms of solar energy work by converting some of the energy in sunlight into a clean form of electricity that can be used in houses and other buildings. The PV cells consist of a positive and a negative slice of silicon placed under a thin slice of glass.

As the protons of the sunlight beat down onto the PV cell they knock the neutrons off the silicon. The negatively charged free neutrons are attracted to the silicon but are trapped by the magnetic field that is formed from the opposing fields. Small wires on the silicon catch these neutrons and when connected in a circuit an electric current is formed.

This reaction gives direct current electricity though, and it must be passed through an inverter to be converted into an Alternating Current used in our homes to power any electrical items. Some of the power is lost in this part of the process as the inverter is only around 95% efficient but this is a much greater efficiency than was once available.

The nature of the PV cell means there is little or no maintenance required and there are no moving parts; this means that a typical PV cell can last up to 40 years with no work besides an annual clean.

There are several ways to use solar power around the house and not just for powering. You can use it to heat your hot water, heat your pool or even your central heating or if you have plenty of roof space and a reasonable amount of sun you can get a grid tie system; a grid tie system means that not only can you power your entire house but during those times when you create an excess of electricity you can sell it back to the grid.

An efficiently solar powered home will be able to reasonably create between 75 and 100% of their own power. Because of the grid tie system this means you may not have to pay for electricity ever again!

The major downfall of solar power is the very part of it that makes it run – the sun. Unfortunately, the sun doesn’t always shine which makes it an inconsistent source of energy. However, usually, there is a certain amount of stored up energy for these days. If they last more than a day or two, however, you will need to have an alternate power source.

Turning your home to solar power can be an expensive proposition sometimes, but in the long run, it will save you tons of money. You won’t be held captive by the power company anymore and will see the difference in your budget. You can even install solar power yourself in your home if you are an avid do-it-yourselfer, just make sure that your new power source meets all local and federal building guidelines.

While natural gas, propane, electricity and fuel oil continue to heat most homes, many homeowners rely on wood, coal, and other more unusual fuel sources such as corn for winter comfort. Those fuels can provide abundant heat, but require some additional safety precautions

Every heating unit that uses an open flame needs air for combustion  Efforts to make homes more weather-tight with improved caulking, siding and/or insulation, and better windows and doors, may restrict the amount of combustion air available. Outside air should be provided for combustion through an air exchanger or vent that warms the air it enters the home.

The addition of a wood stove, furnace, fireplace, gas clothes dryer, gas stove or gas water heaters increases the demand for combustion air. If that demand is not met, there is a grave danger of carbon monoxide poisoning for the residents.

The chimney of an alternate fuel heating system needs attention every year before the heating season, he says. When wood or coal is used, preventing chimney fires should be a major concern. Soot and creosote can build up to dangerous levels.

Wood stove and fireplace chimneys should be cleaned and inspected every year. Masonry chimneys should be inspected for cracks, crumbling mortar, obstructions, and creosote deposits. Prefabricated metal chimneys need to be inspected for corrosion, tightness of the joints, and creosote deposits.

Chimney cleaning and inspection should be done by qualified, trained persons. It is not a job for amateurs or the average home owner, so don’t try to do it yourself. Leave it to the pros.

Annual safety inspections for wood burning stoves and fireplaces are also necessary. Cracks and other defects such as leaky door seals, broken or loose hinges, and faulty draft regulators are common problems. Examine the legs of wood stoves to make sure they provide a sturdy and secure base for the stove. If the wood stove has a cracked glass insert in the door, it should be replaced.

If an older stove has major defects such as warped panels or other defects from overheating, you will need to replace the entire stove for safety reasons. Your life depends on the safe operation of that stove, so don't trust it for another year. Replace it now.

Home owners who have not used a wood burning stove or heater lately should review management and operation procedures before starting a new season. Check to make sure minimum clearances from combustible surfaces have been maintained? Make sure the stove is still on it's fire-resistant base. Remind youngsters that the hot stove should not be touched or played with. Consider how you will handle and dispose of hot ashes. Remember to use only metal containers.

A slow burning fire creates more creosote than a faster one. When creosote buildup occurs frequently, adjust the draft of the fire to provide more air and speed up combustion. An occasional faster burning fire can help to reduce creosote buildup when there isn't too much, be sure to check it first.

You will also need to make sure that you have smoke detectors, ideally, in every room of your house. It's not uncommon to find smoke detectors with missing batteries in homes heated with wood or coal. An occasional, accidental release of smoke sets off the alarm and soon the battery is disconnected or removed. Careful location of the detector and better management of the wood stove can prevent the false alarms and still allow the detector to provide protection.

Most insurance companies provide discounts on insurance premiums to clients who have smoke alarms in their homes. Test smoke alarms frequently and replace the battery whenever it becomes weak. Replace any alarm that doesn't function properly during a test. The price of a smoke alarm is cheap when compared to the cost of a house fire.

Also, you will want to check with your tax man regarding tax incentives you can get on your income taxes when you have an alternative fuel to heat and cool your home. Especially with solar powered systems, you can get huge tax breaks as the government continues to try and make our environment thrive and combat global warming and a depleted ozone layer.

This leaves us at a great point to discuss just how the government is trying to help sway Americans towards using alternative fuels.

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