Category Archives: NORA

25Jul/17

Learning just got easier @NORAweb

Education, NORA
[ezcol_1half]Oilheat technician training is a priority of the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA). The requirement for training is actually written in the Federal law authorizing NORA. Now it is easier than ever to participate in the NORA Certified Technician program, keep track of your certifications and training, and access online courses.

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20Jul/17

2017 NORA Technical Workshop Call for Presentations

NORA, Research, technology
The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) will hold a Technical Workshop in coordination with the Southern New England Energy Conference (SNEEC) at Gurney’s Newport, Newport, RI, September, 18-19, 2017.
 
NORA is inviting proposals for presentations at this workshop which will be an open exchange among technical leaders of the oilheat industry.
 
General topic areas to be included are:
  • The direction of renewable heating and cooling in New England
  • Update on NORA-sponsored R&D projects
  • Technical aspects of biodiesel use and new biofuels
  • Advancing oilheat energy efficiency
  • Future directions in controls and diagnostics
  • An open forum on NORA research directions
Those interested should contact or send an abstract to Dr.Tom Butcher, Technical Director, NORA at tbutcher@noraweb.org or 571.234.7756.
20Jul/17

NORA Releases 2018-2019 Budget for Comment

NORA, Uncategorized

The proposed 2018 and 2019 biennial Budget for the National Oilheat Research Alliance has been under development for several months.

The NORA Finance Committee, the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors have reviewed the budget and it is now being released for public comment. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the budget will be forwarded to the Department of Energy.

Anyone interested in commenting on this should forward comments, by September 1, 2017, to JHuber@NORAweb.org.
 

The 2018 and 2010 budget continues the 2014 changes in the NORA statute and emphasizes research and development, and adds and energy efficiency component. Additionally, the budget continues to emphasize the close working relationships with the state associations.Download the Proposed 21018-2019 NORA budget here.

04Jun/17

NORA Releases Biodiesel Use Survey

NORA, Research, technology

The National Oilheat Research Alliance has recently released the results of a survey on the usage and potentials benefits and issues associated with the blending of traditional heating oil with renewable biodiesel for home heat use.

Currently, 5% biodiesel blends (B-5) are being used seamlessly across the oilheat market. Some heating oil fuel marketers are delivering B-20 to all of their customers and a few are delivering much higher blends. This blending into the fuel mix in this market leads to concerns about the impact on reliability and service.
 
21Mar/17

Q & A with Dr. Butcher about NORA Research & Education Center

NORA, Research, technology, Uncategorized

In 2016, the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), in collaboration with the New York Oil Heating Association (NYOHA) and Oil Heat Comfort Corp., opened a research and training facility the—NORA Research & Education Center, in Plainview, NY, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Butcher.

Indoor Comfort Marketing’s publisher, Don Farrell, spoke to Dr. Butcher about the lab, its funding, its staffing, its projects and its goals.

Don Farrell: What is the official name of the research center and what is its mission?

Tom Butcher: The official name is NORA Research & Education Center. The mission of the research part is to support the development of advanced technologies that lead to improved efficiency, increased integration of renewable fuels and enhanced reliability of liquid fuels heating systems. Liquid fuels are traditional petroleum-based fuels and also biofuels such as biodiesel and other wood-derived liquid fuels.

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20Jan/17

NORA adds two new online Video Courses

Education, NORA

NORA has added two new online video courses at its education website, Learning.NORAweb.org.

The courses come to NORA through two of the leading manufacturers of heating System components; Taco, Cranston, RI and Honeywell, Golden Valley, MN.

  • The Taco course is titled: How and Why to Use Outdoor Reset
  • The Honeywell course is titled: Universal Oil Burner Primary Control R7284U

The courses each carry 2 continuing education credits (CEUs) that can be used for NORA Oilheat Technician Certification Program re-certification.

28Oct/16

Oilheat Technicians Manual now available at no cost.

Education, NORA
Oilheat technicians and students can now access NORA’s entire Oilheat Technicians Manual without payment as part of NORA’s education and training mandate. 
     The manual, originally released in 2008, is the textbook for the NORA Silver Certification program and contains more than 360 pages of detailed descriptions, procedures and trouble shooting on all topics relating to oilheating. The seventeen chapters are clearly illustrated with hundreds of color illustrations, photos, diagrams and charts. 
     The Oilheat Technicians Manual can be downloaded, chapter-by-chapter in .pdf format or opened and browsed in a visually appealing, searchable “page flip” format here. 
     NORA has decided to make the manual available at no cost to students and technicians as part of its mission to, as NORA’s president John Huber says, “get as much good information into as many hands as possible; as easily as possible.” 
     The manual has already sold more than 12,000 copies in its printed form and is the required textbook for many technical schools’ oilheating curriculum. 
     The manual can also be purchased in its printed and bound version at NORAstore.org.
27Sep/16

Fuel Savings Analysis 2.0 Now Available

NORA, Research, technology

The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) has released the new version of its Fuel Savings Analysis Calculator, which uses test data on oil-fired boilers to demonstrate the value of equipment upgrades with consumer-friendly metrics.

The FSA calculator can help Oilheat salespeople overcome the limitations of the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) metric. AFUE is a measure of how efficient an appliance is in converting the energy in its fuel to heat over the course of a typical year, and the Federal Trade Commission requires all new furnaces or boilers to display their AFUE for the benefit of consumers.

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15Sep/16

NORA Technical Workshshop

NORA, Research, technology

A varied assembly of 50 industry professionals met in Newport, RI to hear about the latest in oilheat technology advances. The workshop, hosted by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) and crafted by NORA’s Director of Research, Dr. Thomas Butcher, featured 21 presenters covering topics under four major categories: Advanced Burner Concepts, Ultra Low Sulfur Heating Oil and Premium Fuels, Biofuels and Advanced Equipment. Continue reading →