Alternative fuels

treesandsurf

treesandsurf

Location
Hawaii
I'm working on a project for an enterprise management course, writing partial budgets to compare the economic profitability of different plans compared to a base plan. Basically, determining whether one strategy is more profitable than another.

I've decided to compare using traditional fuel (gasoline/diesel) with alternative fuels (ethanol, biodiesel etc..) in a tree care operation. If anyone is currently using alternative fuels or has looked into the costs associated with doing this, give me a call or pm me. It could be a great project with good info if I can get good information and put it together well. Thanks for the help.

jp
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Biodiesel seems to move with the price of diesel around here; always costs more.

Are you going to take into account health benefits, such as breathing cleaner chipper emissions?

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That's a good point, Fred. I think the prof. wants to see the economic benefits, but there should be some category or weight for increased health benefits etc.

It seems you might pay more up front, but there are savings once everything is in place. Also, I would be interested to see if companies were getting more calls and landing more jobs because of their 'bio -diesel' approach?

jp
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The point is for planetary health, isn't it?

Or are we only interested in moi?

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Yeah but most won't adopt alternatives out of the goodness of their heart. But if there was an economic gain possible, well...

jp
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I paid $3.40 for BD back when D2 was about $2.50. For me, it is about buying local and minimizing my impact on the planet. It also doesn't hurt that I can stiff ExxonMobilTexaGulvron.

Now I pay about $2.95. I've seen D2 at the pump for more, but most places are as much as ten cents less. I have no buyer's remorse, to borrow from another thread. Even at the increased price, I think I'll get my money back in the form of less engine repair expenses. BD lubricates better and burns cleaner. And when I find a place with more space to work in, I might start making my own fuel for a dollar or less.

I am not aware of anyone who hired me because of the BD, but I have heard a lot of positive reactions, along with a few queries from people who may have made the switch to compression engines later. I have a big sticker on my truck & chipper that says they run on BD, but it's less marketing my company and more marketing BD in my mind.

k
 
[ QUOTE ]
I paid $3.40 for BD back when D2 was about $2.50. For me, it is about buying local and minimizing my impact on the planet. It also doesn't hurt that I can stiff ExxonMobilTexaGulvron.

Now I pay about $2.95. I've seen D2 at the pump for more, but most places are as much as ten cents less. I have no buyer's remorse, to borrow from another thread. Even at the increased price, I think I'll get my money back in the form of less engine repair expenses. BD lubricates better and burns cleaner. And when I find a place with more space to work in, I might start making my own fuel for a dollar or less.

I am not aware of anyone who hired me because of the BD, but I have heard a lot of positive reactions, along with a few queries from people who may have made the switch to compression engines later. I have a big sticker on my truck & chipper that says they run on BD, but it's less marketing my company and more marketing BD in my mind.

k

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Like I said 53 cents a gallon with no engine modifications. You can get set up for under 500.00 and all the room you need is a small shed. The hardest thing to do is find good clean waste oil to use and keep from going crazy with the constant smell of french fries. Which is better than smalling diesel fuel and paying 3.50 per gal. I think.
 
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