Recycle, Reuse with Bioheat
Bioheat® is conventional home heating oil blended with clean and renewable Biodiesel. Today, most home heating fuel dealers sell at least two percent Bioheat blends. To understand what makes Bioheat® such a game changer, its important to first understand the basics about Biodiesel.
What is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a renewable energy resource made domestically from fatty acids found in soy and other vegetable oils, recycled restaurant oils, and other natural sources.
How Much Biodiesel is Blended With Heating Oil To Make Bioheat®?
Bioheat® blends usually range between 2% and 5%. A Bioheat® blend with 2% Biodiesel is referred to as B2, a blend with 5% Biodiesel as B5 and so on up to B100 – pure Biodiesel.
What is Biodiesel Made From?
Currently 47% of Biodiesel is commonly made from soybean oil. Another 14% is corn oil derived from a high nutrient livestock feed and co-product of ethanol production. 13% comes from animal fats and the remainder is a combination of canola oil, yellow grease, brown grease, and other materials. The majority of the materials are EPA approved. There are constantly new sources of Biodiesel being explored, such as pennycress, algae, jatropha, wood, low ricin castor, and seashore mallow.
How would using Bioheat benefit the environment?
Over a 20 year period, Bioheat blends as low as 2% have been shown to have a lower climate impact than natural gas, which is mostly methane – a potent greenhouse gas. An industry-wide B20 blend will eliminate 1.3 billion gallons of conventional petroleum fuel and 9.26 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions nationwide each year. That would be the equivalent of taking more than 2 million cars off the road.
How is Biodiesel Produced?
Through a chemical process known as transesterification – when glycerin is separated from fats or other oils of the feedstock. The glycerin is sold for use in the manufacturing of soaps and other household products. The remaining, purified methyl esters are Biodiesel.
Where is Biodiesel Produced?
Independent production facilities across the nation are capable of producing more than 2 billion gallons of Biodiesel per year, using a variety of feedstocks. It is readily available through direct shipment from over 1,459 petroleum distributors, and a few public pumps as well.
How Much Biodiesel is Being Produced?
With the EPA’s commitment to renewable energy standards, the demand for domestic fuel alternatives, and the growing endorsement of manufacturers, Biodiesel production is expected to rise considerably within the next few years. The Biodiesel industry produced 1.8 billion gallons in 2014 and is expected to grow significantly by the end of the decade.
Bioheat® and Biodiesel is quality assured. BQ-9000 is a voluntary quality assurance program that accredits producers of Biodiesel. BQ-9000 promotes the success of Biodiesel, warrants that the quality is maintained at proper specifications, and helps monitor quality throughout the distribution system
The information in this article, including images, was originally written by Bioheat – The Evolution of Oilheat.
