as well as DOE’s Clean Cities Coalition, are all possible sources for grant money and information.
Says O’Keefe, “If you can get in on the loop and work in partnership, you will have a much better chance in getting in on when and where the money will be available.”
Strength in numbers
Working in tandem with other school districts may provide more time and expertise for grant writing, as well as an advantage in grant awards.
“The RAQC coalition is creating a fleet of 1,900 buses that could be run on biodiesel,” says Gervais. “That’s one of the selling points in being successful in a grant, especially when there are really limited funds. There is power in numbers when you’re looking at cleaning up emissions and cleaning up the environment.”
After all is said and done, does biodiesel live up to its PR? The broad answer seems to be yes. That doesn’t mean, however, that the fuel is perfect. Here’s some advice on how to maintain buses powered by biodiesel:
In order to avoid clogging, one of the most commonly cited problems associated with biodiesel, Biluck recommends cleaning your tanks and paying increased attention to the filters on older vehicles for the first six months. Biodiesel is an aggressive cleanser, and will scrub loose any deposits left by previous fuels.
Gelling is a concern that can be eliminated by fine-tuning the mix. Gervais, Biluck and Higgins all recommend working with your vendor to keep biodiesel flowing in cold climates.
Another option is to ramp up to B20. Dalton’s fleet of 292 buses began running on B5 this fall and will move to B10 next year and B20 in 2005. “Our primary concern is the safety of our students and taking care of their health while safely transporting them,” he says.
Screen vendors closely
The best way to pre-empt problems is to make sure you work with an EPA-certified vendor. The Clean School Bus USA program has verified soybean blends from several sources to ensure quality.
“We don’t want school districts purchasing technologies with nothing but the manufacturer’s word that it works,” says Clean School Bus USA’s Cohen.
Higgins seconds that. “The critical thing is that the biodiesel meets the national standard for biodiesel and that you go with a company that’s registered with the EPA rather than a home brewer,” he says. “It’s important to ask where the fuel comes from and if it meets the national standard. You can buy it directly from the manufacturer or from a distributor, but it’s the same question.”
Biluck, who has the longest-running biodiesel school bus fleet in the nation, feels confident in the future of the fuel. “It’s a technology that’s passed the test of time,” he says. “It’s not fly-by-night. It’s been able to meet the marketing hype.”
For more information about biodiesel, see these sources on the Web: