Category Archives: technology

27Sep/23

NORA Releases 2024-2025 Budget for Comment

The proposed 2024 and 2024 biennial budget for the National Oilheat Research Alliance has been under development for several months. The NORA Finance Committee and the Executive Committee have reviewed the 2024 & 2025 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, 2021, to mdevine@noraweb.org.

. For more information about NORA and its programs or services, call 703-340-1660 or visit the web site, NORAwe

Download proposed budget.

19Sep/23

Dr. Jenny Frank talks with ICM

Indoor Comfort Marketing continues its interview series chatting with Dr. Jenny Frank, NORA Research Associate and Assistant Professor at SUNY, Morrisville, NY.

Dr.
Frank’s academic and research activities have been investigating the effectiveness and cost viability of various pathways to carbon reduction.

Wanting to make a difference.

Dr. Frank: I received my Ph.D. from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry. I studied different types of renewable energy technologies and pathways.  I focused on different biomass-based pathways, such as bio-heat, biodiesel, solar photovoltaics, and wind-based pathways, to really understanding the technical and financial viability of deploying different types of resources. 

ICM: What drew you to this field in the first place, and then to pursue a Ph.D.?

Dr. Frank: I always really wanted to help the environment. As just one person, I thought, “How can I have the biggest impact?”  I am someone who, when I start something, I’m going to finish it. I really wanted to help others, as well. Therefore, my interest in the environment, in different types of energy, paired with a desire to help students, is what got me interested in becoming a professor of renewable energy. 

ICM: Can you tell me more about your particular area of study—the economic and technical viability of these new technologies? 

Dr. Frank: Much of my research focuses on a methodology called techno-economic analysis. Simply put, my research focuses on the technical and financial impacts of diverse renewable energy technologies and fuels. This is done to analyze their long-term impacts from an environmental and financial perspective. 

ICM: Is this real-world viability or just the academic exercise of studying? 

Dr. Frank: The studies that I do aren’t just theoretical. We’re looking at real-world data and projections, as well as historical data from past energy consumption. 

ICM: How did you narrow your focus down to heating from the broad-based studies of environmental science and forestry?

Dr. Frank: Among the different types of studies I worked on, one was a heating analysis.  We looked at several different pathways to understand the greenhouse gas emissions from each and whether they are affordable to deploy. We looked at air source heat pumps, natural gas, bioheat (a biomass blend), and then a baseline pathway looking at ULSD, your typical heating oil. That sparked my interest because I didn’t realize until I performed that study how beneficial using a bioheat blend could be, not only from a financial perspective but also from a greenhouse gas emissions perspective when we’re discussing emissions reductions.

ICM: Who commissioned that study? 

Dr. Frank: It was part of my Ph.D. dissertation, in collaboration with my advising professor and industry experts, who also authored this study. I had been thinking, “Okay, what would be the advantages of using a fuel such as biodiesel?”

ICM: What did you find in that study? 

Dr. Frank: We found that, when compared to alternative pathways, such as ULSD, as well as natural gas, the biomass-based fuel (biodiesel) has the advantage in terms of greenhouse gas emissions reductions and also from a financial viability standpoint. This was a New York-based study; of course, depending on where you do the study, the results may differ depending on the data you utilize, such as fuel type and other inputs.

From a greenhouse gas standpoint, in terms of greatest reductions from the ULSD baseline, we found that the air source heat pump had the greatest reductions, and that was followed by the biodiesel blend. However, when it comes to financial viability, we found that the biodiesel blend was favorable. 

This study is currently published in a peer-reviewed journal. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me at jfrank@noraweb.org

ICM: You did some work with the National Biodiesel Board, now Clean Fuels Alliance America. I understand that they have a program to support young scientists in the low carbon fuels field.

Dr. Frank: That is a wonderful program called Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel that really helps educate young scientists/students, whether undergrad or graduate, who are interested in learning about biomass-based fuels. The program introduced me to an entire network of different professionals in the field, helped me get to conferences, supported me through participation in different research seminars and research talks in areas that I would never have thought of as a graduate. 

ICM: Is this an interactive program with continuing education?

Dr. Frank: Yes. I was the co-chair for some time, and I helped other students in the program, as well. It was a wonderful experience.  I hope that, in the future, we can establish a similar program, because it really helped spark my interest in the field. It also helped me in terms of my career prospects. 

ICM: You’re now a research associate with NORA, as well as an assistant professor at SUNY, Morrisville. How did you get on NORA’s radar or how did NORA get on yours?

Dr. Frank: NORA had read some of my research.

ICM: You have been working with NORA since the Spring of this year. Were you surprised at anything you saw there?

Dr. Frank: I didn’t realize, at first, that NORA had the Net Zero Carbon Home initiative. When I learned more, I thought what it was doing was amazing.  Now, it is one of the projects I am working on, and we have written a study that we hope to get published this year. It proves that that when we utilize solar photovoltaics in combination with B100 (ASTM 6751 biodiesel) fuels, we can achieve a net zero carbon home. It’s great that we can practice what we preach. 

ICM: Sounds like that was a pleasant surprise. From your perspective, what challenges are you seeing that the industry is going to have to address? 

Dr. Frank: I think that there is this mentality that we can’t move towards both electrification and biomass-based fuels. It must be one or the other.  It’s a fact that both electrification and biomass-based fuels both can help us decarbonize, whether it’s at the Federal level, the State level or more of a local level. I think the challenge is this mentality, this mindset, that it’s either/or, not both as it really should be. We should all be working towards a common solution, which is reducing our greenhouse gas emissions through decarbonization. 

ICM: Do you see the movement to low-carbon biomass-based fuels happening? 

Dr. Frank: I’m seeing the education happen. I think a lot more needs to happen in terms of actually getting people to adopt low-carbon fuels, but I think it is happening. 

ICM: Look down the road, five or 10 years, do you personally have a vision for renewable liquid fuels in homes? I know you are “twentysomething” and I don’t like classifying people by generation, but there can be differences in attitudes, perceptions and vision. What’s your vision? 

Dr. Frank: If we can educate more homeowners on the benefits of utilizing Bioheat®—that it reduces carbon emissions and  our carbon footprint—and have them understand that  this is an affordable solution that is available now and clearly works from a technical perspective, I think that we can really expand and get homeowners, especially in my generation, to adopt this fuel. However, education is really important.  

ICM: The liquid heating fuels industry’s position is that by using low carbon fuels, greenhouse gas reductions can begin immediately. Has your research looked at that?

Dr. Frank: The time value of carbon was very important throughout my dissertation in terms of reducing our emissions now versus waiting for different technologies to be more affordable and commercial. Biofuels are commercially available now, we can access them, they’re affordable—why wouldn’t we currently want to reduce our emissions? Actually, a few of my studies looked at that—understanding what the monetary value of reducing our emissions is now, as well as considering what the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are when we reduce now versus waiting five years. 

ICM: Do five or ten years really make a difference in greenhouse gas emissions? 

Dr. Frank: Yes, at least in the literature that I’ve reviewed and in the studies that I’ve conducted. Yes, it does make a huge difference. I think we need to realize that and act on the notion that we can reduce our emissions today. Why wouldn’t we if we are capable? 

ICM:  Back to your twentysomething status, your friends are probably of similar age and similar sensibilities, and they might be very conscious about environmental issues. What do you tell them about your working in the heating oil industry? What’s that story for your generation? 

Dr. Frank: Most of my peers and colleagues make decisions based on their values; many in my generation act in a way that’s environmentally conscious and sustainable. We really do think about future generations. I tell them that a lot of the work that I’ve done—my Ph.D., dissertation and master’s degree—all focuses on reducing emissions and fostering sustainability. If you don’t believe the industries themselves, at least believe the science. Believe the facts in the peer-reviewed literature as well as my studies, and other studies that I’ve read, that support the fact that biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are alternatives, and this is one alternative that we can implement today. That’s what I tell a lot of my friends when they ask me about what I’ve done and what I’m doing.

I also talk to them about what I teach in my college classes. I teach the facts about different energy technologies and different fuels, and I have a whole unit of biomass-based fuels and technologies. I show them graphs and charts about emissions. It’s not just me working for a company that wants to promote its product; that’s not what I’m doing. I’m teaching students about the facts of energy technologies and energy policies; that’s what I’m trying to do at NORA as well, educate people about different types of fuels and different alternatives that are more sustainable than conventional fuels. 

The more I inform students of this, the more they understand, “Oh, this can be part of the solution to our energy crisis.”  Maybe when they’re buying a home or when their parents, grandparents or friends are looking at different alternatives, they will think about the information, the facts that I have seen through my research. If people understand the facts, and what is happening, whether it’s in the industry or in the literature, they can then make decisions based on the information and the data, and not just on what they’ve heard or on the opinions of others. ICM

 
10May/23

NORA at Eastern Energy Expo

NORA will have a strong educational and technical presence at the upcoming Eastern Energy Expo in Atlantic City, NJ.

Three important NORA Business Track sessions begin with In the Loop–New Business & Education Opportunities on Tuesday, May 23 at 8:15am in Room 419 at the Atlantic City Convention Center. This session features NORA’s President, Michael Devine and Director of Education, Bob O’Brien along with the introduction of NORA’s most recent team addition, Dr. Jenny Frank.

Immediately following will be Technical Innovations to Make the Transition to Low-Carbon Fuels Seamless and Effective presented by NORA’s Technical Director, Dr. Thomas Butcher.

On Wednesday, May 24 at 8am (breakfast provided by NORA and Clean Fuels America) in Room 412, NORA is hosting the Featured Session, The Industry’s Response to Carbon Reduction where you will hear a panel offering the most current information on the research, field work, personal experiences and future technologies to show how becoming a low carbon fuel marketer is well within the grasp of a liquid fuel heating retailer. The panel features Michael Devine and Dr. Thomas Butcher, NORA; Kevin Beckett, R.W. Beckett Corp.; Rich Lyons, Carlin Combustion Technologies; Jackie Hart, Hart Home Comfort; Jason Lawrence, Chevron/REG and moderator Don Farrell, Indoor Comfort Marketing.

As one of the 220 exhibitors at the Eastern Energy Expo Trade Show, NORA will be showing live-fire demonstrations of biodiesel and renewable diesel in its outdoor exhibit OD2.

NORA’s recently released podcast series, In the Loop with NORA will be on-hand at the expo to talk with a variety of industry experts about how the liquid fuels heating industry is removing carbon emissions from home heating.

The Eastern Energy Expo is the largest energy and indoor comfort event in the Northeast. You can find more about the NORA sessions, the entire Eastern Energy Expo program, the trade show and registration at the Eastern Energy Expo website.

27Apr/23

NORA Adds Research Associate

Dr. Jenny Frank has joined NORA as a Research Associate to further advance its work in the field of carbon reduction from home heating. Her time will be divided among NORA research strategies and projects while maintaining her position in academia.

Dr. Frank is an Assistant Professor of Renewable Energy at the State University of New York at Morrisville (SUNY Morrisville) where she teaches courses pertaining to energy systems, economics, and policy. She received her Ph.D. from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) where she studied renewable energy pathways. Dr. Frank’s research focuses on techno-economic analysis to qualify the long-term environmental, financial, and technical viability of diverse energy technologies and feedstocks. Dr. Frank has published several studies in various peer-reviewed journals. 

According to NORA’s Director of Research, Dr. Thomas Butcher. “Dr. Frank provides NORA with specific expertise on renewable energies and their long-term viability. As we continue to push further and further towards Zero-Carbon home heating, Dr. Frank will be a valuable asset to NORA and the liquid heating fuel industry.”

Michael Devine, NORA’ President added, “We are very pleased that Dr. Frank has joined the NORA team as a Research Associate. Dr. Frank and Dr. Butcher are going collaborate and continue to expand our activities at NORA, as well as identify additional research & development opportunities as we continue on the path to eliminating carbon from home heating.” 

13Dec/22

UL Liquid Fuel Burner Safety Standard Amended to Include Biodiesel Blends Up To B100

On November 14, 2022 an update to the standard UL296 was published by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) which expands its scope to include liquid-fuel-fired burners intended for use with biodiesel blends of 20% to 100% (B20-B100) with heating oil. UL296 is the standard developed by Underwriters Laboratories for safety testing of liquid-fuel-fired burners.

Prior to this update, the UL standard included procedures for evaluation of burners for use with biodiesel blends up to B20. The updated standard includes the procedure and requirements for burners up to B20, including endurance of elastomers and seals in extended exposure to the fuels. Additionally, the updated standard has added a unique new test in which a burner is set-up for use with B100 as per manufacturer specifications. The fuel is then switched to heating oil without biodiesel included (B0), and no burner settings are modified. The burner still needs to operate cleanly and safely after this fuel change.

This new standard has been eagerly awaited by the liquid fuel heating industry as it allows for the development and market introduction of heating appliances rated to run on 100% low-carbon biodiesel, drastically reducing the carbon emissions of home heating systems.

A number of industry entities have been working towards this update of UL296, including NORA, Clean Fuels Alliance, Carlin Combustion Technologies and R.W. Beckett Corporation.

Michael Devine, NORA’s president said, “This standard update is most welcome as it accelerates the liquid fuel industry’s conversion to low-carbon home heating. The ever-increasing blends of biodiesel in our fuel eliminates more and more carbon, making liquid fuel heating an essential component in addressing climate change. Amending UL 296 allows liquid fuel appliance manufactures to provide equipment that aligns with the public policy requirements for carbon reduction. NORA has been able to demonstrate that a home heated with 100% biodiesel using solar panels to produce its electricity can become a Net-Zero home quickly and at an economically viable cost.”

Net Zero Carbon Home

Net Zero Carbon Home Update

08/18/2023

The need to lower carbon emissions has driven many industries to find alternative methods to minimize their contribution to a warming planet. The liquid fuel heating industry is no exception to that, and for many decades has been pursuing efficiency and, since the early 2000’s, has been working to develop a renewable and sustainable fuel. The use of renewable biodiesel to replace fossil-derived heating fuels is the most attractive and practical approach at present. Due to NORA research and efforts by manufacturers and fuel marketers alike, the use of higher blends of biodiesel with no. 2 heating oil has increased rapidly over the past few years.

A goal of demonstrating a house that is a net zero emitter of carbon has now been identified by NORA, labeled the Net Zero Carbon Home Project. This can be achieved by substituting the heating fuel with 100% biodiesel (or B100) and installing solar PV to generate renewable, carbon-free electricity for non-heating uses. Since biodiesel is not yet fully carbon neutral, the solar PV system would need to be sized to produce greater energy than what the home requires. The excess carbon-free electricity could then be transferred back to the grid and result in offsetting the small amount of carbon emissions from the biodiesel. A calculator was created by NORA that utilizes a number of parameters such as fuel usage and electricity consumption to calculate how much oversizing of the PV system was required to make the home carbon neutral.

The theoretical groundwork laid down using simple calculations has now allowed NORA to move into the next step: implementation of the theory into an actual home. Currently, NORA is working with various state organizations to find suitable homes for this project. Dr. Thomas Butcher, Director of Research of the NORA laboratory in Plainview, NY, installed solar PV panels in his home, which has been using B100. As of July 2023, this system has been operating with the PV and B100 for a full year.  The Table below, which uses the NORA calculator provides a summary of performance and carbon savings over this time.   

 

Based on the data and this analysis the Butcher home has been shown to be far better than net zero, actually reducing carbon emissions by over 2,000 lbs during the year relative to the baseline which included use of fossil heating oil.  Due in part to lower home electrical power consumption during this year than projected consumption based on usage history. Also, the annual output of the solar PV system was higher than was projected in the pre-installation analysis.

It should be noted that despite a significant air conditioning load in the summer, as shown by the blue bars, each of the summer months contributed to a lowering of the carbon intensity of the grid by producing more energy than was used in the house, as shown by the orange bars. 

Figure 1: Carbon emission comparison for Butcher home with and without proposed changes (B100 and solar PV)

Bioheated homes in combination with PV present a unique opportunity to lower their greenhouse gas emissions to zero. This is feasible with no public investment and provides a reduction to electricity costs in terms of administrative fees and taxes. This can also minimize the impact on the electrical grid particularly during winter months.

In the case presented here, the homeowner paid for the PV installation minus available state and federal rebates.  The payback time for this investment, based on electric power cost savings is estimated at 6.5 years.  

New Bioheat® fuel registered trademark agreement

Clean Fuels Alliance America (CFAA) along with the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) announced the release, for immediate review and execution, the newest version of their Bioheat® Fuel Trademark License Agreement. The new agreement references Clean Fuels new name (formerly the National Biodiesel Board) as well a subtle revision that helps improve the document for both parties.

To simplify the registration process, a website has been developed where current and new registrants may go to access the agreement for review and execution with Clean Fuels staff. After execution of a completed agreement, registrants will be sent the completed and ready for use digital logo files which include four versions:

  • Bioheat® fuel
  • Bioheat® Plus fuel
  • Bioheat® Super Plus
  • Bioheat® fuel, “The Evolution of Oilheat®”

“We are excited to roll out this agreement for new and existing licensees that will ensure the proper promotion of Bioheat® fuel,” said Brad Shimmens, director of operations and membership for Clean Fuels. “We appreciate consumers and fuel marketers for their commitment to the only liquid heating fuel that can lower carbon emissions, both improving the environment and human health.”

Michael Devine, NORA President, added, “The retailers that constitute the liquid heating fuel industry are aggressively transitioning their companies and their customers to the low carbon fuel, Bioheat®. Significantly reducing carbon emissions from home heating oil is NORA’s goal and the partnership with CFAA and the Bioheat® fuel retailers is instrumental to getting us there.”

All questions specific to the proper use of the trademarks can be addressed by contacting Brad Shimmens at Clean Fuels or by phone 800-841-5849.

Bioheat® fuel is a blend of biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur heating fuel. A more eco-friendly alternative to both traditional heating fuel and natural gas, Bioheat® fuel can be used in existing home heating fuel systems. Bioheat® fuel is available right now and is currently offered in three tiers based on how much biodiesel is in the fuel:

  • Blends ranging from 2% to 5% biodiesel (B2–B5) are referred to as Bioheat® fuel.
  • Blends ranging from 6% to 20% biodiesel (B6–B20) are referred to as Bioheat® Plus fuel.
  • Blends 21% – 100% biodiesel are referred to as Bioheat® Super Plus fuel.
19Nov/21

NORA Releases Report on Equipment Upgrade Incentive Project

The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) has released a recently completed report on its Equipment Upgrade Incentive Project. The report examines the impact of rebates on efficiency, reductions in gallons of fuel used, savings to consumers and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These rebate incentive programs have been used in many states for several years. 

At the time the report’s release, NORA rebates had been used to support the installation of 6,412 liquid fuel fired boilers. This is approximately 1/10 of 1% of the liquid fuel powered heating equipment in the field. The dramatic gains in efficiency over the units replaced yielded big savings to the customers and to society.

On average, fuel consumption was reduced by 170 gallons per year per home. At $3.20 per gallon of fuel, this means a savings of $544 per year. If a $500 rebate encouraged early replacement by 1 year, the return on investment would be 8.8%. A boiler has a typical useful life of 25 years; they often last much longer. Total savings over the life of a boiler would be $13,600 in current dollars.

The societal savings are also dramatic. For these 6,412 boilers that were replaced, over one million gallons of fuel will not be used for the next 25 years. This represents a total of 27,251,000 gallons of fuel not burned over the life of the boiler. This translates into $87 million dollars saved; money that can be spent in the local economies.

Additionally, the replacement boilers represent nearly 396,000 tons of CO2e that will not be put into the atmosphere.

The study used in-field measurements of fuel consumption (before and after equipment changes).
The researchers used actual delivery data of fuel to determine fuel use in a particular home prior to the equipment change and then evaluated consumption after the installation. The study did not rely on equipment ratings or other manufacturer evaluations of equipment. It captured in-use and actual savings to a consumer.

According to Dr. Thomas Butcher, NORA’s Technical Director and the study’s lead author, “The report provides powerful evidence of the benefits of improved equipment installed in homes and also the types of equipment that will yield the most savings for consumers.”

NORA will be developing communication pieces for service personnel and consumers so they can maximize the efficiency of their home. This information will also be invaluable to manufacturers as they develop equipment that reduces consumption in real world applications.

27Jul/21

NORA Releases 2022-2023 Budget for Comment

The proposed 2022 and 2023 biennial budget for the National Oilheat Research Alliance has been under development for several months. The NORA Finance Committee and the Executive Committee have reviewed the 2022 & 2023 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, 2021, to JHuber@NORAweb.org.

The 2022 and 2023 budget incorporates the 2014 and 2018 changes in the NORA statute emphasizing research and development and adds an energy efficiency component. Additionally, the budget continues to emphasize the close working relationships with the state associations. For more information about NORA and its programs or services, call 703-340-1660 or visit the web site, NORAweb.org.

03Jun/21

“Future of Liquid Heating Fuels” conference completed

The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) and EUROFUEL hosted their second annual conference titled Low-Carbon Liquid Heating Fuels: Putting the Pieces Together. This follows last year’s widely attended Low-Carbon Liquid Heating Fuels in a Carbon Constrained World
The 2021 conference was hosted on two consecutive Thursdays, May 20 & 27, with sessions approximately two hours in length.
Each day focused on a general topic:
Thursday, May 20: Public Policy & Greenhouse Gas Reductions
Thursday, May 27: Technology Advancements—Are They Positioning Us for a Future?