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Re: [RC] Biodiesel, numbers - April Allisonhttp://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets/ everything you ever wanted to know about biodiesel ----- Original Message ----- From: "Truman Prevatt" <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "April Allison" <aallison1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 8:02 PM Subject: Re: [RC] Biodiesel, numbers Counting the energy that goes into the production and transportation of fertilizer required to grow the beans? Fertilizer is very energy intensive to produce. I suspect it will be a long time before we have a complete picture of the cost. Truman April Allison wrote:Lots of numbers are already in. And they are in favor of Biodiesel. Thousands of acers in the midwest are lying fallow. There would be no problem with keeping up with production. I may live in MS now, but I grew up in IL practically in the department of agriculture offices. April Byhalia The National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that B-100 has a net energy gain of 220% over inputs. Petroleum diesel (similar to #2 heating oil), has a net energy loss of 17%. Therefore, a B-20 blend has net energy ratio of 2%.* Another study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that the ratio for B-100 can be as high as 251%.** A study by the United States Departments of Energy and Agriculture found a 3.2 to 1 positive life cycle energy balance, beginning with bare ground and counting all inputs for growing, harvesting, processing and transportation. *"An overview of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Life Cycles," NREL, May 1998**"How Much Energy Does It Take to Make a Gallon of Soydiesel", by I. Ahmed, J. Decker, D. Morris. Institute of Local-Self Reliance, Washington DC, January 1994.I don't think the environment impact of commercial biodiesel has been fully analyzed. For to plant enough beans to make much a dent in would require a large amount of fuel to plant and harvest. If the energy required to plant, fertilize, spray for bugs, etc. and then harvest and process the beans into biodiesel is less than is available in the fuel then there is a net gain to the environment. Factored into that has to be the impact of weather on crop yield a bad year it will take a lot more gallons of fuel to produce a gallon of biodiesel than a good year. If it takes more energy to produce biodiesel then the environmental impact (at least for greenhouse gases) would be a negative. At some point we will see the numbers - all the numbers but as of yet I've not seen anyplace that where the full analysis has been done. Truman-- "Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true." - Bertrand Russell =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-- "Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true." - Bertrand Russell =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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