The Green Heat Initiative

Biomass Heating in Residential Homes

Terry January 2, 2020 Comments Off

For most of humanity’s existence, biomass heating in homes in the form of wood burning stoves and furnaces was the only way to provide warmth. Today, fossil fuels, which leave a heavier carbon footprint, are the primary way home heating occurs. Regardless of fossil fuel prices, many people today are concerned about the acquisition of fuel for warmth as well as other energy needs. Whether it is oil from the Gulf of Mexico or Saudi Arabia, or oil from shale mined in Colorado and North Dakota, there are a growing number of people who are increasingly nervous about being plugged into a system they have no control over.

Image courtesy of AbacusOrangeEenergy.com

In the middle of the decision-making process to switch from conventional energy sources to a biomass system for the home comes the reality of measuring cost versus value.
For example, you may look at a pellet-fired system and determine that though its more expensive to operate, you can do so knowing it’s a little friendlier to the environment plus the added advantage of functioning off the grid. There are two main types of heating using biomass equipment.

Stoves

Typically, these units burn wood logs or the newer condensed product known as pellets. Stoves can be modified to include a back boiler for hot water use in kitchens and bathrooms. I general, stoves produce approximately 7Kw of energy with an efficiency rating somewhere between 60% and 80%.

Boilers

This heating unit is bigger and has a design that is more industrial in nature. The wood boilers produce anywhere from 20Kw to 50Kw in energy and you have to keep stoking them regularly. If you pursue the pellet boiler option, its energy output has a maximum of 30Kw. It often includes a hopper for the pellets which is handy when you can’t manually supply the biomass material every few hours yourself. As described above, the three main types of wood fuel are logs and pellets but there are wood chips that are available as well.

Logs are often easier to acquire and require very little preparation before use. However, they do require up to three years to dry out so that the moisture content at or below 20%. This is necessary for a hotter burning log with less smoke. Logs also require larger amounts of storage and must be manually fed into the boiler.
Wood chips can be a good source of energy, however, you need a steady supplier of these forestry clippings. For home use, the chips have to be a standard size and with little moisture.
Wood pellets come from saw dust. Their moisture content is generally between 8% and 10%. Because of this, they are more energy dense than the previous two types mentioned above. Additional ideal factors include less storage space and their uniform size and shape, which works well with automated systems.

Cost Versus Savings

So how much does all this conversion from fossil fuels to biomass energy cost? It will depend on several factors.

How much energy is needed?
Is the home well insulated?
Can a lower cost manual system work for you or do you need something a little more automated?
Are you more concerned about potential environmental damage than operating costs?

A log burning stove might cost approximately $2,000. A pellet stove without an automatic feeder is likely to be $4K to $5K, while the auto-feed boiler type could cost $8K to $10K.

The savings you generate from your biomass system will largely depend on the source you are using now such as, natural gas, oil, coal, electric or propane. Across the spectrum of these sources you may save $100 to $750 per year. The carbon savings will be ranked accordingly as well.

Before engaging in any energy conversion projects keep the following in mind:

Consult local planning boards and follow all ordinances.
Keep your supply of biomass material as close as possible so that transportation of such material doesn’t eat up all your carbon savings.

Check with current tax laws to see if you might get favorable tax treatment for such a changeover. Finally, only you can decide the real value of biomass conversion.

11 Tips for Green Living

Terry September 2, 2019 Comments Off

While heating alternatives are the basis of this site, there are many things the average environmentally conscious person can do to help do their part to help conserve the planet’s resources. Here are some of my favorites.

GREAT USE FOR NEWSPAPER

I know you probably have some old newspapers laying around and hopefully you recycle them,
but another idea that I love is to use it as gift wrap.

You can choose an appropriate section for the receiver(like if someone loves to read the comics, use that section for their gift) and use some nice twine or felt for an added decorative idea.
You will save money on commercial gift wrap that can’t be recycled and the receiver can recycle the newspaper instead of having to throw it away! Win for your wallet and the environment.

INVEST IN A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE

Did you know that it takes thousands of years for a plastic water bottle to decompose in our landfills? Not to mention, the sea life that are killed each year because they swallow harmful plastic that has been disposed of in our waters.

At the very least, I hope that you recycle your plastic water bottles, but purchasing one that you can reuse over and over again (I LOVE my Klean Kanteen) is simply a better choice for the environment and for your wallet. Think of the money you could save if you make a one time purchase and don’t have to buy those awful plastic water bottles again.

SHOP LOCAL

Whenever possible it is so beneficial to you and to the environment to buy local and organic, especially produce and meat. Not only are you supporting your local farmer, but just think for a minute how far your food travels before it gets to your table. Next time you are at the store, read labels to see where things come from, especially produce.

When you buy items that are in season, they are more likely to be local and will taste so much better because of this. Visit and purchase items at a local farmer’s market if you can. It is really cool to meet the person who grew the food you are about to eat.

UNPLUG, UNPLUG, UNPLUG

You might be surprised what a difference it could make on your electricity bill and your carbon footprint if you unplug appliances and other electrical items in your home when they aren’t in use. If you have several on the same power strip, a simple way is to turn off the switch and everything won’t have power. Unplugging items with an internal clock(such as a microwave) is important because it continues to need power for the clock to run. Always unplug cell phone chargers when not in use, too.

As far as that goes all chargers should be unplugged when not in use or you are just adding to your electric bill for no reason. On the same note, keep your thermostat as low as you can tolerate in the colder months. Every degree below 70 will save you money and so will turning down your hot water temperature!

BUY IN BULK

Buying in bulk is one of the best and easiest ways to save money and be eco friendly at the same time. I have saved so much money since I started buying in bulk and have way less waste because of it. Just start with a few things that you buy often and compare the bulk prices with what you would pay for a new package of the same item. The shelf tag under the item should say what the price per pound is for the full sized item. A great example of this is herbs and spices. They can be very expensive and when you have a recipe calling for a tiny amount, who wants to buy an expensive full size container.

Recycle an old spice bottle and take it to store to refill in the bulk section. You will literally spend pennies on the dollar and get just the amount you need. Some other favorite bulk items that I love to buy in bulk are quinoa (an amazingly healthy grain), flour, oatmeal, yeast, maple syrup, black beans, rice, and oats-to name a few.

When storing large amounts of grain, make sure they are placed in a sealed container in a cool, dark location. You don’t simply want to leave things in bags or various household critters will begin to move in. And let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than trying to get rid of a dead mouse smell from your home.

A great container to recycle for bulk items is an old peanut butter jar. I wash them out and put them in the cupboard for my next trip to the bulk aisle! Don’t forget to take your reusable tote!

ELIMINATE PAPER TOWELS

This might sound crazy and completely out there for you to even consider, but consider this: we Americans use paper towels so much that it adds 3000 tons of waste to landfills EVERY day! That is waste just piling up that can’t be recycled and remember they are created from trees. Imagine where we will be if we keep using paper towels at the same pace. At the very least a change to recycled paper products is an absolute priority for the sake of our environment and the environment our kids will grow up in.

The only paper products I buy are toilet paper and tissues and they are ALWAYS recycled. I have completely stopped buying paper towels and it feels GREAT!!!!! My family has adapted really well and the environment and my wallet are very thankful! What I did to accomplish this was to take old t-shirts and cut them up into rags, then placed them strategically throughout our home so when someone needs one they can just grab it, use it, and throw it in the laundry! Oh, and my favorite items to have are cloth napkins. I have a drawer filled with many of all different colors! I look for deals and buy a couple at a time. They even go in the kids’ lunchboxes!

REUSABLE TOTE BAGS

There are way too many plastic bags decomposing in our landfills (it can take up to 1000 years!). You may already have some canvas totes in your home that you could use right now. I always keep a few totes in my car and even one in my purse so I always have at least one for trips to the grocery store or any store for that matter! It is such a great feeling to know that I am not not adding to the landfill or cluttering my home with those awful plastic bags.

Even paper bags are not the best choice as their production has a major impact on the environment. I would rather walk out of the store with my arms filled with stuff than a paper or plastic bag…….I have actually done this!

RECYCLE

I know you have probably heard this one a lot by now, but it is so important! There is so much that you CAN recycle and it is so good for the environment and, ultimately your wallet! Basically, most towns offer recycling for FREE, so the more you recycle, the LESS that goes in your trash can and fewer bags to PAY for at the transfer station! A win for you and the Earth.

From newspapers to junk mail, and plastic containers to aluminum cans. We can all do it, one item at a time. We have actually switched to a garbage can that is half the size of our old one since we started recycling more. We have way less waste and it feels oh, so good!!

WALK, RIDE A BIKE, OR CARPOOL

For so many reasons this one is beneficial to you and the environment. You get exercise and the environment is less polluted! Oh, and let’s not forget the extremely HIGH gas prices. The more you walk or use alternate ways of getting around, the less money out of your pocket for gas.

CFL OR LED LIGHT BULBS

Ideally you should try to replace all of your existing light bulbs with LEDs or CFLs (the curly ones). The major reasons are that they last longer, use less energy (better for your wallet), and create less pollution. Now, they are more expensive, so I would suggest maybe committing to buying a new one each week to replace your old bulbs and before you know you entire home will be earth and energy bill friendly!

FYI: CFL’s are considered hazardous waste and need to be disposed of responsibly. Here is the simplest way to find the nearest place to your home. Go to www.earth911.com and at the top of the page above where it says the word “what” type in the item you need to dispose of and in the space above the word “where” simply type in your zip code or city and state and it will tell you the station nearest to your home. One more thing, once you’ve installed all of your new CFL’s and while you still have the old light bulbs, too…..always remember to turn off the light when you leave a room.

HANG YOUR LAUNDRY

This time of year, we have almost no excuse not to hang our laundry. Whether you have an outdoor clothesline or a wooden drying rack, you truly should hang your laundry to be earth-friendly and wallet-friendly! Next time the dryer is running, go check your power meter……you may RUN even faster to turn off the dryer and hang those clothes. It is even great to hang on wooden racks inside in the winter because it will help put moisture in the air when it tends to be more dry from having to use heat in colder climates.

Hydronic Heating for the Home

Terry March 11, 2019 Comments Off

Are you looking for a home heating system that is king of energy efficiency? You may want to look into hydronic heating. Hydronic heating is when hot liquid is run through plastic tubing along base boards, beneath the floors, or through radiators to heat your home.

Understanding Hydronic Heating

Hydronic heating in residential homes is a closed loop, plastic tubing system that is installed within your homes floor joists or concrete slab, often referred to as radiant flooring that uses hot water for heating. The system allows heat to evenly radiate across the entire surface of your floors. The use of radiators and baseboard heating units are also sources of hydronic heating.

Most homes are still using forced air furnaces, which delivers warm air through duct work that runs through ceilings, walls, and floors to vents in rooms throughout your home. The problem with forced air systems is the hot and cold spots found due to poor circulation when the furnace turns on and off. Another problem with forced air furnaces is the dust and dirt that is transferred in the air flow and collects in the air ducts and the air you and your family breaths.

hydronic-heating-home Under floor hydronic systems prevent this from happening as it produces a steady flow of heat, which radiates from the floor throughout your entire room. With the heat warming the floors you and your pets will never have to worry about walking on cold floors ever again. Some homebuilders are beginning to use hydronic heating in bedrooms. It is one of the best ways to create constant uniform heating in a room which makes it perfect for baby nurseries. One of the biggest dangers for babies is overheating. If they sleep under a furnace vent or in a warm sleep sack, the situation can become dangerous pretty quickly. Hydronic heating is the gentlest way to heat a room with no hot spots.

The Basic Equipment Neede

There are six different components to every hydronic heating systems for residential homes.

The following are the basic equipment needed:

Boiler – Which heats the liquid
A liquid medium – Usually this is water, however, some systems work with water and antifreeze mixes.
Manifold – the plumbing manifold is connected to the thermostat, which is the hub for directing the water flow and the room temperatures.
Tubing – Plastic tubing known as PEX is universal for all hydronic heating systems, there is little rigid piping or copper used.
Heat Exchanger – Transfers the heat in your home through baseboard heater, radiator or floor elements.
A Pump – Circulates the heated liquid replenishing the warmth constantly.

Hydronic Heating System Benefits

There are many benefits to using hydronic heating systems compared to traditional blown air systems.

Hydronic heat is:

Cleaner and more comfortable with no air pollutants or filters to change, while keeping your home at a regulated warmth.
Energy efficient and quieter since there is no blowers in use; you save money and enjoy quieter days and nights, without hearing your heating unit starting up and shutting down.
Design flexibility allows you to design your hydronic heating system around your needs and works well with most flooring types, such as, tiles, hardwood floors, vinyl and carpeting.

Hydronic heating systems are becoming more and more popular today and can be installed while remodeling or during a new build. If you are considering using hydronic heating it is best to consult with your building crew to cover the basics of your system, the layout and design of your system so that you can reap the many benefits of a cleaner and more comfortable, alternative heating system for your home and family.

Resources:

http://www.laars.com/hydronic-heating.aspx
http://www.sleepsackstore.com
http://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-water-heating/space-heating/renewable-hydronic-heating

Creating an Eco-Friendly Home Gym

Terry June 16, 2016 Comments Off

Whether you’re thinking about building your dream home, converting your garage into a home gym, or wanting to completely remodel your current gym, there are a variety of things you can do to make your home gym more environmentally friendly. Not only will you be lowering your monthly utility bills like other rooms of your home, by using more eco-friendly products, you’ll be helping the planet. Here are a few things you can do.

Flooring

Deciding on the type of floor to have for your gym is one of the most important steps. You want something with cushioning, easy to cleanup and low maintenance, and durable. Fortunately, there are a variety of options from recycled or reused rubber flooring to recycled, commercial grade carpeting. Newer renewable resources such as cork and bamboo are also becoming more popular these days (some ideas here). When choosing the type of flooring to use, keep in mind where the flooring is manufactured. While one product that’s manufactured in New York may be considered “green” to someone living in the Northeast, you would be better off purchasing something more locally manufactured if living in Southern California.

Gym Equipment

Obviously, gym equipment places a large burden on natural resources during production and even energy usage during use for certain types of equipment (ie: treadmills). Whether you purchase a heavy duty elliptical for cardio or an inversion table or other products to help your lower back pain, try to stick with companies who are environmentally conscious in their manufacturing process and offer energy efficient equipment that require electricity. Life Fitness is a good example of a company that does things the right way. While not for everyone, an all-in-one unit such as a Bowflex is great for both the environment and for those who don’t have a lot of space in their gym room. More equipment is not always better.

Lighting

Having good lighting in your home gym is a necessity. Nobody wants to workout in a dimly lit room. In short, LIGHT = ENERGY. Asking anyone from the Pacific NW and they’ll agree. Since natural light is the best and cheapest form of lighting for a gym, consider having lots of windows if in the home building phase or even add a window or two to your garage if doing a conversion. The next best form of lighting is fluorescent which most closely emulates sunlight. Go with bulbs that have a high color temperature in the 5000K to 5500K range if possible. Recessed lighting is generally not recommended for home gyms due to their tendency to cause a lot of glare, especially if lying down (ie: bench pressing).

Cleaning Supplies

Finally, and this applies to all cleaning supplies in your home, look for products which contain a Green Seal or EcoLogo on the bottle/container. This way you’ll know they’ll meet most common environmental standards. Steer clear of any cleaners with the word hazardous, danger, or warning on the bottle (which includes most of the popular cleaning products out there). Use of environmentally friendly supplies will help reduce toxins in your home gym and keep kids and pets at home much safer.

Residental Solar Heating

Terry March 11, 2016 Comments Off

Whether you want to convert your house to run on solar energy, to convert to solar space heating, or to solar water heating for your home or pool, any step towards conversion to green energy not only reduces your monthly spending but also provides you with the peace of mind of contributing to a healthy planet through living green.

The biggest misconception regarding solar water heating is that if there’s no sun, you will have no hot water at your home. While it’s true that warmer, sunnier climates such as in the Southwest will be the best candidates for solar water heaters, solar heating still makes sense other places, even in the Pacific NW. Typically, solar water heaters work in partnership with an existing water heater which acts as a backup, so you will never be without hot water, you will simply save more money year round.

Benefits

Short Term Financial Savings

There will be initial purchase and installation costs but you will make your money back. After installation you will immediately decrease your monthly spending. The average price of installing a solar heating system in a residential home ranges between $6,000-$10,000. However, with the combination of state tax credit incentives and federal tax credit incentives, the cost is virtually cut in half. So be sure to look into incentives before buying.

Long Term Financial Savings

Think of it as an investment! The EIA (energy information administration) states the average household spending per winter as follows: $679 for houses using natural gas, $1,666 for houses using propane, $909 for houses using electric heat, and $2,046 for houses using heating oils. Not only will you earn money back with through cutting down your annual spendings on heating to next to nothing, as well as through tax credit, but you will increase the value of your home. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills, the value of your house increases $20 on average.

Peace of Mind

It’s green and it’s natural. You will do your part in making environmentally smart decisions by reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases through the use and emission of fossil fuels (oil, propane, gas), and in doing so you will sleep better at night knowing you have contributed to creating a healthier planet. Some may say that having a solar water heater system will make it more likely to develop a water heater leak, but your odds don’t change much since the rest of the system operates under fairly low water pressure.

Solar Collectors

Solar heating technologies use solar collectors to capture thermal energy from sunlight and transfer it into usable energy for space heating, water heating, and pool heating. The most common solar collectors are as follows: flat plate, evacuated tube, integral collector storage, thermosiphon, and concentrating. The type of solar collector or combination of solar collectors you choose will depend on what type of heating you want.

Three Types

Solar Space Heating – Solar space heating technologies typically use liquids to transfer heat from the collectors to the air. Here are three types: radiant floors, low temperature baseboards, and FHA (forced hot air systems).

Solar Water Heating – The two types of solar water heating technologies are active systems and passive systems. Active systems are the most common, requiring electric pumps to circulate the water after transferring the heat from the solar collector. Passive systems are even more economically efficient, relying on thermodynamics to circulate the water.

Solar Pool Heating – Solar pool heating applies solar water heating technologies to transfer heat from solar collectors through the pools filtration system to the pool water.

What’s the next step?

Of course if you are up to the challenge you can Do It Yourself and save even more. First, be sure to check your state’s local permits and covenants before buying or building. Otherwise, here are a few sites you can check out in order to get the ball rolling and start living green!

Resources:

http://www.cleanenergyauthority.com
http://www.waterheaterhub.com
http://www.seia.org
http://solarlove.org

Keeping Your Garage Warm in the Winter

Terry March 11, 2016 Comments Off

Even if you don’t spend much time in your garage, having a winter-proof and heated garage is very helpful because it also helps in maintaining a warm temperature in your house during the cold season. A well-insulated garage provides you with a usable workspace all year round even when temperatures get downright nasty. The garage is often one of the most neglected areas in the construction of energy-efficient homes.

The many leaks present in your garage walls, roof, doors, and windows present a great and expensive challenge for you to make sure that your garage is maintained warm all through winter. Here are some great ways, courtesy of Garage Tool Advisor, to keep your garage warm in the winter:

Seal the Gaps

Cold air does not seep in through the door only. Cracks and crevices that are present in your garage also contribute to the problem. The main areas that you should check and ensure that they are sealed include:

Windows
Vents
Areas around the pipes
Electrical sockets

You should seal these areas and all other openings you may find using expanding foam insulation or caulking foam. Sealing the gaps will help you to create a buffer between you and the outdoors keeping warmer are inside your garage. For anyone who works on cars in their garage, a cold garage is most frustrating. You just bought the best socket set you’ve ever had and while trying to untighten a rusted bolt under the car, the ratchet slips knocking your knuckles into a sharp corner. It’s bad enough happening on a warm summer day, but with half-numb fingers because of a freezing garage, the pain is ten-fold. Sealing any noticeable gaps is time well spent.

Insulate your Walls

Your garage walls can be efficiently insulated using a fiberglass batt insulation material. To ensure that it serves its intended purpose effectively, select the most appropriate thickness for your walls and install correctly. Make sure that you securely fasten the batt insulation on your wall. A perfectly fitted installation is necessary for the insulation to remain functional for long.

Upgrade your Garage Door

There are a variety of specially designed kits available for you to insulate your garage door. You can wrap your door using reflective barriers, foam boards, and fiberglass batt insulation. Regardless of your chosen option, it should be cut to fit into all the garage door panels correctly. Also, you should secure your insulation installation with adhesive to keep it in the desired position. Nonetheless, if you find that your garage door can’t be fully insulated, you should replace it with a more modern, insulated design.

Fix your Weather-stripping

Weather-stripping forms a protective seal between the garage door and its opening. After prolonged use, the material can become brittle and cracked. The deterioration of the weather-stripping material allows air to enter into your garage between the door and frame creating cold drafts inside your garage. The best ways to keep your garage warm in the winter is fixing or replace your weather-stripping material entirely.

Before installing a new sealant, make sure that the surface is scraped smoothly and clean for a better and successful installation. To align your sealant during installation, you should close the garage door and then align the weather stripping ensuring that the rubber flattens slightly against the door. The alignment will ensure that you install a functional seal that will not tamper with the operation of your garage door.

Install a Garage Heater

garage-heater Some of the best ways to keep your garage warm in the winter need not to be complicated. Sealing your garage will protect it from the severe cold weather but on their own, they will not increase the temperatures in your workspace. A garage heater is a great addition to your garage since it’s affordable and doesn’t take up much space.

Choose between a gas and electric model depending on your requirements. Keeping your garage warm in the winter will save your money and offer you a more comfortable place to work in. All the above solutions are fairly quick to do and don’t cost a lot of money.

Geothermal Heating – Be Smart From the Ground Up

Terry March 10, 2016 Comments Off

Before you even begin to think about geothermal heating, it’s important to get the first important piece of information out of the way. It is a fact that the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency have indeed validated that GSHP (ground source heat pump systems) and it is listed along with the most energy efficient and environmentally-friendly systems available on the market today.

The EPA, in fact, issued a report in 1993 concluding that this technology denotes a foremost opportunity in reducing national energy use as well as pollution, and at the same time, delivers to the home owner the reliability, comfort and savings.

Image courtesy of RMFaught.com

The convenience of this system is that you can install it in any residential building of any size and on any size lot. It can be installed in a single or multi-family dwelling and anywhere you want it installed. This system can be installed even under landscaping or driveways or even if you wanted it installed under the house itself. According to Life Jacket Advisor, other than water, the ground has one of the highest heat capacities out there. There’s a reason when you’re out on the river in your kayaking life vest and the sun feels hotter than you think it was on shore.

But what if your house is already built? Can that house be retrofitted with this system?

Well, the surprising answer is yes! And it can be retrofitted using the ductwork that is already present. Your installer can determine the requirements of the ductwork and can determine what modifications need to be made, if any.

The following is a list of additional benefits of a GSHP:

Financing:

Both builders and home owners can benefit from the special financing that is offered through the manufacturer or the utility

Safety:

There are no open flames whatsoever, nor are there dangerous storage tanks for fuel
It’s a very quiet system
Any equipment outdoors will not be exposed so there can be no damage to the system, nor can anyone, children or pets, be hurt

Savings:

The GSHP system can save you up to fifty-percent on your heating and water bill. It does this by pre-heating the tank water
It is made of components that are either located in the dwelling or buried underground
The GSHP piping carries up to a fifty year warranty
The size of the unit is approximately equivalent to your traditional heating and cooling unit
Your energy consumption may be cut up to fifty percent thereby reducing costs of maintenance
In the winter, the unit keeps the air warmer and keeps the temperature consistent. No more hot and cold spots!
The heating efficiencies are at least fifty to seventy percent higher than other systems
You will save money in maintenance and operating costs
Your investment can be recovered in just a few years

Environment

The unit conserves natural resources. It provides control of climate and lowers emissions
The ozone layer destruction is at a minimum because it uses refrigeration systems that never have to be re-charged
Because of the underground loops transferring heat, there are no external vents to promote air pollution

According to Energyhomes.org, the Economic Stimulus Recovery Act of 2009 has removed the cap limit on residential dwellings GSHP. In fact, it states that you can now receive a federal tax incentive which is equal to thirty percent of the cost of a qualified GSHP.

So, all in all, according to the above information, doesn’t it seem worthwhile to take a look at this system? It is worth reading about it to become well informed of the advantages of installing the Geothermal System Heat Pump to yourself and the environment.

The Biodiesel Heating Alternative

Terry March 10, 2016 Comments Off

Biodiesel fuel may most often get linked to efficient fuel vehicles, but it has become a strong alternative for heating fuel in residential homes.

What makes it enticing to some is that biodiesel fuel is also a source of renewable energy. It has developed into a nice clean-burning fuel alternative that reduces dependence on petroleum. This makes it popular to some people who are environmentally-conscious.

The substance is derived from a mix of vegetable oil, recycled cooking oil, and animal fats to form what is biodiesel. An advanced form of biofuel, biodiesel is referred to as the pure fuel before it gets blended in with diesel fuel, usually between five to 20 percent, to become biodiesel fuel.

According to Biodiesel.org, “biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 57 percent and up to 86 percent when compared to petroleum diesel – making it one of the most practical and cost-effective ways to immediately address climate change.”

Here are some areas where biodiesel fuel can help in your own home.

Heating

Biodiesel fuel can actually be used as home heating oil either as an additive or as an alternative fuel source in a furnace or boiler. When used as such, it is often referred to as “bioheat.”Whatever its name, the fuel source creates far less pollution in your own home. It is also biodegradable meaning it can be decomposed easier than other types of fuels.

Usually a 20 percent blend of biodiesel is appropriate. Anything higher could have a negative impact on gaskets and rubber seals. Also, the 20 percent blend can cut down on certain emissions such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Higher blends can also help in cleaning out in-house fuel pipes to improve heating efficiency. However, avoid using large amounts to provide potential clogging.

Image courtesy of EcoFriend.com

Electricity

Biodiesel can be a co-generating source for indoor power due to methane found in it from the vegetable component of its makeup. It can be used in conjunction with coal in order to generate some electric power. Some people use it as a supplement on solar power for days involving a lack of sun. It also is an option as a source to run transportation vehicles, given the environmental benefits.

Cleaning and Paint Removal

In the form of B100, biodiesel is actually makes for an effective solvent against grease. Some use a bucket to drop tools and other items into the mix. It also does a good job of cleaning metal. It is effective because it is less toxic than table salt. So it causes less air pollution within your home when used and it doesn’t cause as much potential damage to the tools due to its low toxicity.

Tax Credits

Yes, using biodiesel fuel once again can be used to help you come income tax time. After letting it expire at the end of 2014, Congress reinstated a federal $1 per gallon blenders tax credit in December 2015. The government branch also retroactively renewed it for the 2015 calendar year and it doesn’t expire until the end of 2016.

This means that those who install equipment concerning biodiesel fuel in both 2015 and 2016 can be eligible for up to $500 over all years combined. Those who already claimed the full $500 tax credit in previous years are ineligible.