1. Developing a Renewable Biofuel Option for the Home Heating Sector
National Oilheat Research Alliance
Developing a Renewable Biofuel Option for the Home Heating Sector
A Report to Congress
May 2015
September 12, 2016

2. Congressionally Mandated Report
Designed to Give a State of Our Relationship With Biofuels
Provided to the Congress
Provided to Governors in the Oilheat States
Support from Rich Sweetser, Tom Butcher, Steve Howell, and NBB

3. Biofuels as the Future of the Industry
Greenhouse Gas Controls, Real and Growing
State and Federal Requirements
International Agreements
Competition
Electricity – Wind and Solar
Gas – Methane from Waste
We have to have a Liquid Response

4. How Do We Respond High Efficiency Appliances – Ranging to 90 Percent
Electricity – High Efficiency Heat Pumps Over 2.0 COP, Source Power Lower, but what if Source is Renewable
NORA Working on Source Power Heat Pump to
This Would nearly Double our Efficiency, but Goals are 80 Percent Reductions, Not 50 Percent, and then What
Combine Appliances with Wind and Solar

5. Biofuels and Biodiesel
Biofuels Describes a Range of Biofuels, Most of Which not Proven to Work in Heating Oil Appliances
Biodiesel is a Fuel Made from Vegetable Oil and Qualified at Low Percentages – Need to Move Up
There are Still Carbon Inputs in Biodiesel and Biofuels, But Much Lower
Theory of Biodiesel and Carbon Reductions

6. How Do We Judge Emissions
Carbon Dioxide is the Frame of Reference
Lasts 100’s of Years and Was Established as a Numeric 1
Carbon versus BTUs in Coal, Oil and Natural Gas
Coal 215, Oil 161 and Natural Gas 117 pounds per million Btus,
However, Other Gases

7. There are Other Gases and Factors
Methane is a Big One
It is 34 Times as Potent Over 100 Years
It is 86 Times as Potent Over 20 Years

8. Biodiesel and Biofuels Also Have Issues
Theory of Biofuels and Greenhouse Gases
What Happens if You Burn Down Rainforest to Have Farmland
What Happens if You Use Restaurant Grease that Would Need Disposal

9. Need to Look at All These Factors
There is No Right Answer
But Everything is Important
Key is to Not Let Carbon Dioxide Be the Only Definition

10. Understanding Full Impacts and Implications is Complicated
Cradle to Grave Analysis
What Are Primary and Secondary Implications
Lot’s of Modeling and Inexact Science

14. We Finally Have a Great Fuel
Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel
Eliminates Cleaning Boiler
Will Allow us to User Cheaper and Smaller Heat Exchangers
Biofuels
No Sulfur
Renewable
Need to Have Industry and Consumers Understand, the Revolution Has Been Won

15. Impact on Economy Farm Use of Waste Product
Goal is to use Cellulosic Materials

17. Technical Aspects of Biodiesel Use

18. Technical Aspects of Biodiesel Use

19. Technical results – pump shaft seal compatibility

20. Technical results – long term pump testing

21. Technical results – Impact on emissions
Particulate emissions are very low with heating oil and mostly linked to fuel sulfur.
Biodiesel is nearly sulfur-free, compatible with a ULS future.

22. On-going R&D to Support the Transition
Fuel quality field study;
Field use experience survey;
Evaluation of pumps from field service;
Cad cell response studies;
Impact of small levels of vegetable oil contamination (R.W. Beckett);
Fuel storage stability (NREL);
Development of standards for product certification;
Development of advanced burners with are biodiesel-compatible;
Trials at higher blend levels.

23. Other Candidate Biofuels in the Future
GTL / CTL
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO)
Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO – No!)
Cellulosic derived biodiesel alternatives (ethyl levulinate, ethyl valerate)
Upgraded Pyrolysis Oil (“Bio-oil”)

24. Raw vs. Upgraded Pyrolysis Oil

25. Upgraded Pyrolysis Oil
Subject of a large, recent DOE sponsored study focused on home heating;
Derived from wood waste – very large, lost cost resource;
Raw pyrolysis oil produced from high temperature reaction of wood particles in limited oxygen;
Raw pyrolysis oil must be upgraded with hydrogen addition to create acceptable fuel.
No. 2 oil
Upgraded bio-oil