Category Archives: technology

04Jun/17

NORA Releases Biodiesel Use Survey

June 4, 2017NORA, Research, technologyJohn Huber

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.

Get the report here.

04Apr/17

NORA releases 2015 Annual Report

April 4, 2017Education, NORA, Research, technologyJohn Huber

The National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) has released its Annual Report for 2015.

The report covers topics such as: NORA’s mission, NORA activities for the year 2015, NORA alliance states’ activities for the year 2015 and the final financial report.

You can download the NORA 2015 Annual Report here.

21Mar/17

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

March 21, 2017NORA, Research, technology, UncategorizedJohn Huber

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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27Sep/16

Fuel Savings Analysis 2.0 Now Available

September 27, 2016NORA, Research, technologyJohn Huber

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

September 15, 2016NORA, Research, technologyJohn Huber

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 →