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2010 Spring General Assembly report

2010-06-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

We had 9 people attend the general assembly meeting yesterday and had plenty of lively discussion.
1)Treasurer's report
2)Expansion Plans
3)Future of Fuel purchase and Sales
4)Clean Fuel Fund
5)A walkthrough to observe fuel transfer process

Treasurer Report:
Current balance in the coop's account is $10k
$5k has been earmarked for the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) grant expenditures for the Clean Fuel Fund.
Spent $3370 on 1000 gallons of B99.

We are currently spending $30 per month on BGE services (mainly electricity delivery charge) and $50 per month on rent. These costs are covered by the markup we charge on fuel sold to members.

Inventory (Assets)
3 BBD9000 automated fuel kiosks
2 are fitted with solar panels and batteries, ready to place in the field.
We also have parts for others that can be assembled.

Expansion Plans.
2 new locations are being settled with tank, cage and BBD9000 kiosk.
Merriweather Post Pavilion (MP, passenger cars and tour buses)
Tidewater point (TP, passenger cars and boats)
'Aerotank' company has made a doublewall, 1000 gallon tank for us to place at MP.
TP has a 2000 gallon doublewall tank in place on the dock already.

Several separate action items must be executed to setup MP:
Site preparation near the concert pavilion (level area for the tank and cage).
Delivery of Tank from Aerotank company, to MP site.
Delivery of cage from Ron Thomas (Jewel Welding) to MP site.
Assembly and plumbing of BBD9000MP, cage, tank and solar panels.

Voted for a July 4, 2010 deadline to have MP up and running. Passed 8-0.
Once we have a technical drawing of the tank, Ilya and Paul will try to prefab the pipes for the plumbing job.

For TP, setup will also require a steam cleaning of the 2000 gallon tank that is mounted there (it is currently storing waste oil).
Cage is being assembled by Ron Thomas (Jewel Welding).
Assembly and plumbing of BBD9000TP, cage, tank and solar panels.
Bob Brandon and Paul will talk about options for tank cleaning company.

Future fuel sales.
distribution and purchase.
McComas is our fuel distributor. They have a new operations manager, Bob McComas. Bob will only purchase fuel available in Baltimore. We are attempting to purchase fuel manufactured by Clean Green Fuel, LLC, out of Nottingham, MD (White Marsh area).
We voted 8-0, to sell B20 at MP and TP sites until we determine demand.
We voted 7-1 to run a poll on the BBD9000 to determine demand for other blends.
We voted 8-0 to have a formal update on the Molly Pitcher tank truck purchased in 2008, at the July meeting.
We are in discussion with Clean Green Fuel to trade kiosks for a truck. we still need a driver of said truck however.

Clean Fuel Fund (CFF).
Promoting biodiesel use in schools to improve air quality for schoolkids. We are promoting biodiesel use by fundraising to offset the price difference between D2 and B20. Paying for fuel upgrades for school buses, in other words.
We may form a CFF 501(c)3 to do the fundraising and followup to the marketing.
Cafeteria is being contracted to design a website. We will also ask Drexler for a counter-proposal.
Discussion led to request for widgets that will follow fund-raising efforts in real time, allow coop members to donate by rounding up their purchases. We voted to have an internal meeting to further discuss the marketing approach, passed 8-0.

Fall Board Meeting Agenda

2009-08-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

10am, August 16, 2009, Mill Valley Center

1. Status of MD state grants
2. BBD 9000 sales/lease options
3. Legal / entity status update
4. Discussion of Mill Valley space
5. Planning for winterization
6. Recruiting additional board members

Spring 2009 Board Meeting

2009-05-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

May 3, 2009
Gellene, Bookhart, Goldberg, Eckley, Rouse and Shepley in attendance.

Treasurer's Report-Income generating activities.
Focused on activity of 2009. Projected losses, up to $300 per month on average.
Breakouts demonstrated that coop spent more than average on fuel to allow research on cold weather behavior and proper treatment.
More than average expenditures combined with less than average sales resulted in projected losses.

Some unexpected expenditures prompted a vote on legal action:
Motion to require board approval by majority vote before any legal firm retained, or employed for coop purposes.

Motion carried 6-0.

Membership has flatlined over the last 8 months. In that time, the Membership committee has lost two of three members.
Motion to offer an executive vice presidency on the board, to a membership recruitment specialist. The new position will be open to candidates from within current membership and from the general public. Candidates will be interviewed by the board in a formal process.
Motion carried 5-0, board member had left during motion.
Corporate sponsorship by CSBA would be met with free member initiation for all current CSBA staff. This offer will be made by Ted Rouse to a representative of CSBA, Keith Losoya.

Motion to allow $600 budget for discussion with legal professionals, to be named later, about entity status (attaining 501(c)12 status) and tax filing.
Motion carried 6-0.

Grant Proposals were funded. State of Maryland will reimburse ~$11,000 for a Carbon Offset Program and ~$13,000 for Distribution System Development.
A retroactive donation of $0.01 per gallon of fuel sold by the cooperative, since the funding of the COP grant, will be realized in an account to be established by the treasurer.
We will institute a function on the BBD9000 to allow members to round up the amount of purchase to the nearest dollar, nearest five dollars or another amount, as a choice for every purchase, to the fund. Obviously rounding up will not be required by any member. Participants will be ranked in a list of largest contributors to the Carbon Offset Fund.
The fund will allow school buses to run on biodiesel by offsetting the premium for biodiesel fuel, compared to ULSD.

BBD9000-2 and BBD9000-3 are being assembled by Ilya Goldberg. 2 will be placed at Merriweather Post Pavilion. 3 is slated for Tidewater Yacht Services and marina, located adjacent to the Domino sugar plant in the Inner Harbor.
Extensive site work needs to be accomplished before the BBD9000's can be placed in service.
Merriweather requires a tank and security cage be purchased an/or assembled.
Tidewater requires a security cage be built- a contact person from the coop is yet to be named.

Solar panels for each BBD9000 will collect charge and deposit it in attached batteries, allowing up to 3 days' operation in cloudy conditions. We are considering using the thin film option to allow charge accumulation in grey sky conditions.

Fuel supplier during warmer months may be McComas. They have begun purchasing B99.9 from United Biofuels, who is using multifeedstock, non-animal sources. Waste vegetable oil biodiesel has a cloud point between 1C and 3C.
320 gallons have been purchased and are 'settling' during algicide treatment.
All fuel sold from the Mill Valley location will be treated and doubly filtered before delivery to members' fuel tanks.

Spring is here. So is B100.

2009-04-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hi *everyone*.
Nice to see, hear and be all of you.

As you know, the cooperative will transition into selling B100 during April.
The price when we reach B100. April First: we have ~250 gallons of B50.
Should be sold by April 15, according to latest sales trends.

Cloud point is 1C.
B100 is ASTM6751 spec, made from waste vegetable oil. Waste vegetable oil is a highly sustainable feedstock, already used for food preparation, and this type of recycling keeps tons of grease out of landfills.

Treasure the Chesapeake!
bye for now,
Fuel Czar

New Fuel Filter 2/22/2009

2009-02-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

We have 475 gallons of B50 treated for albae growth and filtered to 30 microns.

I replaced the old filter on the outdoor tank.

We have 375 gallons of winterized biodiesel in reserve, so it is time to arrange a trip to United Biodiesel or Keystone to purchase B100.

2009 winter blend

2009-02-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone (Andrew. Rich. if there is *anyone* else reading this, please, leave a comment)

Our winter blend, B50, is selling at $3.37 per gallon to help pay for several things necessary for the operation of the coop:
Totes for transport of the fuel.
Truck rental.
Algicide treatment.
Fuel filters.

We are currently renting space inside of Mill Valley Center for storage of the biodiesel fuel. We have over 1000 gallons of B50 at the present time, all treated for algae growth.

The 450 gallons we have sold since mid-January was filtered upon transfer from inside the building to the outdoor tank. Algicide was introduced into the fuel, to keep the tank clean and the filters unplugged.

The outdoor tank was refilled and retreated this weekend, 2/7/2009, to combat any algae growth. With nighttime temps in the 20's and daytime temps pushing 60 condensation was a real possibility. I believe that filling the tank to the top decreased the amount of condensation.

We'll be keeping up with the fuel supply in this manner from here on out.

B100 Pricing for the coop, for members

2008-06-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

A local supplier has provided these prices for B99.9 or blended, Biodiesel. the fuel is made from poultry, choice white fat.
22April $3.30
09May $3.32
13May $3.55
21May same
28May $3.80
02June $3.65
12June same
18June $3.75

Road taxes must be paid to Maryland and Federal authorities, adding $0.49 per gallon to the above prices.
Our fuel transporter charges us $0.45 per gallon for service, as well.

We charge $0.35 per gallon to pay for development and growth of the coop:
t-shirts
bumper stickers
new truck ( which should save us $0.25 per gallon once we're using it)
BBD9000 systems

Therefore our price of $4.94 per gallon will be changing to $5.04 per gallon by weekend of 6/27.

Please note that we offset the preposterous jump in price from May 21 to May 28 by selling B100 that was purchased late in 2007.

Reorganization of the Cooperative

2008-06-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

501(c)12, tax-exempt, non-profit status
1) Board of directors will be elected for 2 year terms, with half of the board up for reelection each year.
Board will nominate the officers.

2)A draft set of bylaws will be written up and posted here.
Our current bylawsw borrow heavily from other successful biodiesel cooperatives: Piedmont and Yokayo.
We plan to have all members purchase a share of stock (presumably this will be paid for by the $70 application fee we now charge) and along with it, the right to vote.
A quorum will be 10 members for any given meeting.

3)Naming of operators
Heads of committees will name someone to execute the responsibilities of the committee at short notice.
Eventually these may become paid positions.

Outreach to members of note....

2008-06-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

Steve Howard, Laura Koontz and Frank Lee have been noticed by various committees and board members. We would like to get them involved with marketing and operations in the coming year.

Nominations and elections

2008-06-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Nominees:
President- Davis Bookhart
Vice President- Ilya Goldberg
Secretary- Mark Eckley
Treasurer- Andrew Gellene

All were elected unanimously.

Executive Board was named, as follows:
Ted Rouse
John Shepley
Dave Saffell
Keith Losoya
Paul Kovalcik
Carrie Harlan
Rich Dean
Mare Cromwell
Susan Smith

Committee updates

2008-06-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

1. Technical Committee
see BBD9000
Filter has been attached to the tank to continue providing clear fuel to our users.

2. Marketing Committee
No report given as Carrie was out sick.

3.Finance Committee
Discussion of operational costs of truck suggest we need to reapply to Maryland Energy Administration for further grants.
>40% increase in sales demonstrates we are using the money they granted us last year wisely and effectively.

4.Membership Committee
Focusing on retaining existing members by using iContact to send out alerts, bulletins, etc. to keep information flowing from the board to the members.

We voted to name Mare Cromwell our operations 'co-head' along with John Shepley. They will assign projects to specific members of the committees.

Response team for operations needs to be put in place, with backups available.
We proposed an Operations Committee
Pay rent- Treasurer
Buy fuel-fuel liaison and treasurer
Maintenance- any capable member. Currently filter changes have been made by a handful of folks willing to get a little oily.
The tank still needs a proper cleaning.
No volunteers were ackowledged, any would be welcome.

Old business-BBD9000

2008-06-17T05:28:00.001-07:00

The BBD9000 is in operational test mode currently. Several board members have successfully purchased fuel at their convenience, outside of 'normal' business hours.

Scenarios are being tested- e.g., can a member buy fuel if their membership is not current?
Debugging will be complete by end of June.

Sales have increased from 2007 to 2008:
5 weeks around June 2007 (221, 233, 205, 168, 265 gallons->1092/5= 218.4 gallons per week)
Last 5 weeks, June 2008 (225,330,300 215,337 gallons -> 1407/5= 281.4 gallons per week)

That's a 28.8% increase in volume. Considering the price has increased from $3.25 per gallon to $4.75 per gallon, (46% increase)
sales have increased over 40%.

We expect this increase to grow faster with the expansion of hours for the membership to buy fuel, enabled by the BBD9000.

Finally we discussed providing the service for running the BBD9000 for other coops and biodiesel sellers in the area. We have learned how to maintain a database of members and keep track of sales, etc.
We will set up a virtual domain and website and administer those things for our clients. We can lease or sell BBD9000 machines, or help other groups assemble their own.
Ilya had purchased circuit boards with Baltimore Biodiesel enscripted on them and will be working with Rich to populate them.
Ilya has purchased a swipe machine and computer and estimates the cost of a new BBD9000 to have decreased to somewhere around $1700, including a wireless modem.

Considering fuel pumps that are used at gas stations cost upwards of $10,000 each, the BBD9000 is a really attractive alternative.

A business development committtee was proposed. Their job will be to make a plan for distribution and production fo BBD9000's in the future.

Old Business- new Truck ("Molly Pitcher")

2008-06-17T05:00:00.001-07:00

The tale of Molly Pitcher can be found on the yahoo! group, Charm21:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Charm21_BioCoop/

She cost us $3898 to buy and drive to New Jersey. $1338 to tow to Maryland where we are getting her in shape to pass Maryland inspection.
Fuel tank, Transmission, Brakes, Universal Joint, Air Compressor and Tanker pump will all be assessed.
The board voted to research buying a new chassis to put Molly's tank on.
We will not begin repairs for one month while we look into a chassis for a GVW 44000 pound vehicle, e.g., a heavy duty dump truck.
The board will research a gated, secure location for parking the truck, too.
Finally, it was suggested that MEA might be able to assist us with the gift of a used truck. Alternatively, we could trade for a used truck with biodiesel fuel. Paying off the truck over time, in effect.

Annual Board Meeting

2008-06-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Board members in attendance:
Bookhart and Rouse (co-presidents)
Goldberg (vice president)
Eckley (secretary)
Shepley (Treasurer)
Kovalcik, Gellene, Dean, Cromwell (Executive board members)
Note-Harlan, Saffell, Losoya, Smith not in attendance.

Agenda items:
Old business-
New Truck ("Molly Pitcher")
BBD9000 ('BFD9000')

Committee updates-
Technical
Marketing
Membership
Finance

Reorganizing the cooperative into a democratic, 501(c)12 non-profit concern.

Election of board members for 2008-2009

Members of note.

Update on Fuel Supply and Pricing

2008-04-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last we enjoyed record sales (~325 gallons) while suffering through record high prices ($4.99 per gallon).
The pricing was the result of things that we can explain- kerosene price is through the roof, approaching $5 per gallon itself- and things we cannot- why poultry fat biodiesel from United Biofuels, retailed to our supplier at $3.50 per gallon costs us $4.30 per gallon.
Alas, the middlemen have us in a vulnerable position and they are not kind with their authority.

This summer we will have a 3300 gallon tank truck to use for fuel pickup and delivery. We are becoming fuel distributors. For folks like our brethren in the Washington, D.C. biodiesel community, there will be a kind-hearted middleman available. Us.

Maryland Biodiesel would like to sell us B100, so we can adhere completely to our local, sustainable and renewable policy, without any caveats.

Bully for us!

Newsletter from .pdf file....

2008-03-13T06:17:00.001-07:00

Click on 'images' below to get a larger version of each of the three pages of the newsletter-

Agenda for Meeting on 2/5/2008

2008-03-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

Baltimore Biodiesel Strategic Planning Session
February 5th, 2008
5 to 7 PM at Biohabitats, Inc.

I. Introduction (5:00 - 5:15 PM)
• Introductions by attendees…state your name and why you are here.
• Overview of the Evening

II. Vision Statement (5:15 – 5:45 PM)

• Everyone create two bumper stickers that promote, or capture the “essence” of Baltimore Biodiesel (not just biodiesel). Group the bumper stickers according to common themes….Then let the group discuss this briefly to select appropriate themes and pass it off to volunteers who will draft the vision (later).

III. Setting Priorities and Creating Goals (5:45 – 6:45 PM)

• Or, write Goals on small pieces of paper and tape them up on a board. Organize and consolidate these into clusters that are similar or the same. Then discuss briefly and vote on these to identify top 5 goals in rank order. If there is time, consider one, three, and five year goals.

IV. Specific Strategies (6:45 – 7:15 PM)

• Break up into groups. Divide goals evenly between groups.
• Take 15 minutes to develop three strategies for each Goal.
• Discuss for 15 minutes to determine most appropriate strategies.
• Suggest actions for each strategy if time allows.

V. Wrap-up (7:15 – 7:45 PM)

• Discuss the Vision and Chosen Goals
• Determine Group Consent
• Approve Strategies
• Save Actions and Monitoring for another meeting? Have individual groups (marketing, technical, membership/volunteering, etc.) come up with action items?

Advocacy, Education and Outreach

2008-03-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Goals for Advocacy, Education, Outreach Group

1. Attend 4-6 Events this year

Actions:

-marketing group to explore opportunities

-less preaching to the choir and more education to the laymen

2. Form Partnerships with political lobbying groups

Actions:

-explore the best groups to align with

3. Educate diesel owners and Biodiesel members

Actions:

-write article to a trade magazine

-conduct workshops on maintenance

4. Target Diesel Professionals

Actions:

-educate diesel truck drivers about the product

-align with willing diesel mechanics to promote the coop and educate other mechanics

5. Organize the other biodiesel groups/seller/home brewers of MD

Actions:

-share common interests and lessons learned

-act as clearinghouse for biodiesel information

6. Build membership and maintain current base

Other Goals not discussed:

Identifying local sources of fuel

Growth-outreach

2008-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

We would like to identify government agencies that can use biodiesel.
For example, garbage trucks at the Sisson St. dump, next door to the coop, fuel up on petrodiesel onsite. Perhaps Baltimore Biodiesel Cooperative can help them mix their B20.
Agricultural diesel users (farmers and land owners) are another target for biodiesel marketing efforts as they tend to use diesel machinery for all manner of daily and weekly chores.
Fleets of 10 trucks or so would use up to 50,000 gallons per year. Identifying such a customer could increase biodiesel usage and coop growth significantly.
Shep and David will head the subcommittee to reach out to fleets.

Growth-distribution

2008-02-07T10:31:00.002-08:00

The coop is considering buying a delivery truck.
The truck will allow mobile fueling capacity that can potentially be stored indoors in cold weather, a feature that will help keep winter fuel costs down. Delivery charges will be more than halved if we can go to the 'rack' and drive fuel to Mill Valley ourselves.
Painting the truck will give the coop mobile exposure, too.
Research has shown a truck would cost $400-$700 dollars per month for upkeep.
Membership renewals will generate about $300 per month and new signups will help defray the rest of the costs of operation.

Shep, Dave and Ted will head the finance Committee.
Their first order of business is to budget the truck for this first year.

Growth-locations

2008-02-07T10:31:00.001-08:00

Growth of the coop was discussed in detail:
Last year membership grew to over 90 members. We purchased and sold about 100 gallons per member on average (10,000 gallons). Our bank balance grew to over $10,000.
Growth of the coop requires additional locations for sale of biodiesel. For our five year plan, 5 'locations' were enumerated-

1)Meriweather Post Pavilion
2)Boat Marinas
3)Truck fleets
4)Towson
5)Washington DC

The committee identified Meriweather Post Pavilion as a good target site for 2008. Touring musicians may be ideal customers- environmentall conscious, diesel driving folks. The key enabling technology for this expansion is the BBD9000, a credit card swipe machine that identifies members that have registered in the coop's online database. The basic box has been assembled and will be fit onto our existing tank cage by March. Projected fuel sales at Mill Valley are 20,000 gallons for 2008. For Meriweather Post, 10,000 gallons.
Boaters of all stripes recognize that petrodiesel is a risky proposition on the bay- Shep and Ilya formed an outreach committee to push biodiesel to fuel suppliers for boaters. Expect about 5,000 gallons to be sold at marinas in 2008.

Goals for 2008.

2008-02-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Board Meeting at Biohabitats was hosted/facilitated by Paul, food provided gratis from Woodberry Kitchen, via Ted
12 folks in attendance.
Meeting commenced with introductions and personal reflection on the coop and biodiesel.
We 'visioned' for an hour and formed a subcommittee to formally craft a vision statement.
We discussed marketing strategy and physically growing the coop in 2008.
Finally we formed subcommittees, effective immediately. All members are invited to contact the chair of a subcommittee they would like to join. Some subcommittees require a volunteer chair.

Visioning Statement is being crafted by Mare and Carrie.
The group suggested we consider the following concepts: keeping it local, being part of the solution, maintaining fuel that is clean, green and sustainable. Two major goals for 2008: Find a reliable, local source of fuel. Community building

Next, we broke into two groups discussing Marketing and Distribution/Financial goals for the coming year.
Marketing notes will be posted soon. Briefly, three Subcommittees are necessary; Advocacy, Education and Outreach.
Subcommittee (chair)
Advocacy (Davis chair)
Education (Susan)
Outreach to potential members in the agricultural community( requires a volunteer subcommittee chair-your name here).

Pump Failures (information)

2008-01-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

The following is information the Rich found on biofueloasis.com

full link here: http://www.biofueloasis.com/html/basics.html#ulsd

Possible Fuel Pump Failure in VW TDIs, post '99 Mercedes SDs, or any diesel with an injector pump lubricated with fuel - We've seen a sharp rise in injector pump failures, a previously rare occurrence, since California switched to Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) in October 2006. ULSD is causing problems in all types of diesel engines around the country because of its lack of lubricity and seal-shrinking properties. After surveying our customers and talking to diesel engineers and mechanics we've reached the following conclusions:

How could ULSD cause fuel pump failure?
Injector pump seals: The original formulation of petroleum diesel caused pump seals to swell, and biodiesel swells seals even more. ULSD causes the seals to shrink and harden. Too many changes can damage the seals and the pump will leak fuel and/or suck in air. Most of the failures due to damaged seals have occurred in cars that have run on all three types of fuel. Three or four fuel changes are simply too many. Injector pump seals that are only exposed to two types of fuel, biodiesel and ULSD, are apparently not failing. It is likely that injector pump seals that have never been exposed to the pre-'06 blend of diesel will be OK.

Mechanical wear: ULSD is very low in lubricity, which is not good for pumps lubricated with fuel.
Both biodiesel and ULSD attract water, and water causes rust, which is abrasive.

Recommendations:
Cars that have run on pre-'06 diesel:

* Avoid running ULSD after switching to biodiesel. If you cannot get biodiesel when you are on the road, add the ULSD when you've still got at least 1/4 tank of biodiesel so that you are running a blend and not making an abrupt switch.
* Use a diesel fuel conditioner, such as Stanadyne, when you do not have access to biodiesel. 3 oz. of conditioner per tank of ULSD will replace the lubricity properties of biodiesel.
* Consider a preemptive injector pump rebuild, especially before a road trip that will take you away from biodiesel sources. A planned repair is a lot less expensive and inconvenient than an unplanned one. The new seals that have never been exposed to pre '06 sulfured diesel will theoretically be less likely to fail

Cars that have not run on pre-'06 diesel, or had injector pump rebuilds after October 2006:

* Current evidence shows no problems with switching back and forth between biodiesel and ULSD, but be cautious anyway. Avoid abrupt switches in fuel types whenever possible; blend fuel types between changes. Biodiesel swells seals and ULSD shrinks them, so switching back and forth can theoretically strain seals. ULSD has only been around for a year - It may simply take more time for problems caused by fuel changes to surface.
* Use a fuel conditioner when running ULSD.

All diesels running either biodiesel or ULSD -- avoid rust:

* Keep your tank full overnight when the days are warm and the nights are cold. Less air in the tank means less water condensation.
* Use a fuel conditioner.
* Add a water separator to your fuel system .

Don't get ripped off If your injector pump does fail!

* First, try switching back to biodiesel. Several people have reported that running at least 30% biodiesel re-swells the injector pump seals and stops the leaking. Let the injector pump absorb the biodiesel for 24 hours or more before giving up.
* Avoid the dealer unless you can get the repair done under warranty. VW dealers typically charge $3k to replace your injector pump and fuel injectors and purge your entire fuel system. The same repair done at an independent garage typically costs half or less of what VW charges. Dealers are also notorious for diagnosing all fuel system problems in cars with biodiesel stickers as injector pump failures, and have recommended $3k repairs when they simply failed to bleed the air out of a new fuel filter.
* If something doesn't feel right always get a second opinion before agreeing to an expensive repair.

Fuel Sourcing

2007-12-27T07:34:00.000-08:00

Discussion of how to ensure local supply of fuel explored several options:
1.Make biodiesel from waste vegetable oil (WVO).
This option requires testing for every batch made, to reach ASTM6751 specification.

2.Canadian biodiesel
This is K50/veggie oil 50 and is not approved for on road use. American Independence fuels has been offering this blend for months, at very competitive prices, below $3.00 per gallon. The secret? Illegally providing untaxed kerosene as fuel. Good intentions aside, American has been fined heftily by Maryland Transportation Authority.

3.Fuel from October.
Our B100 that gelled upon delivery to our main tank has been transported off site and will be offered for sale when the weather warms up. 'New' price will be $3.26 per gallon for those couple hundred gallons of fuel, in the spring.

4.Small truck purchase
Trucks under 26000 pounds operating weight do not require the driver to have a commercial driver's license (CDL). Piedmont Biofuels (in North Carolina) ran their coop out of a 1500 gallon truck before the creation of their biodiesel corridor. They now have 7 fueling stations across NC. A truck would lower coop operation costs because we could buy fuel in larger batches, directly from the suppliers. Currently delivery charges of $0.80 per gallon ($320 per 400 galon batch) are incurred every three weeks or less.

Fuel Crisis

2007-12-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Every member that filled up on 10/13/2007 has been affected by bad fuel performance. Ilya Goldberg reported his first problem occurred the week before the meeting (week of December 1st), many weeks after filling up with questionable fuel. Ilya used an off the shelf 'Gel Melter' to unplug his fuel filter-he washed the fuel filter with it and was able to drive home.
A word of caution to all members that filled up the weekend of 10/13- if you have not run your tank down, close to empty, you may have a very high gel point plug waiting to leave your tank and plug up your fuel filter. Once warm weather hits (somewhere in the 70's) the plug should melt. This fuel is fine for your engine, it just hardens at ridiculously high temperatures (in the 50's). Keeping your tank above 1/'4 full should avoid any problems this winter.

The coop has required a certificate of ASTM6751 specification for each batch of fuel we have sold since November.
We have tested for water, glycerol, proper pH, as well.

The fleet of public buses in Harrisburg, PA has been plagued by similar fuel issues, using a B5 blend. Apparently the high gel point fuel can be traced to B100 made from palm oil and barged into the Baltimore port. B100 from palm oil has a cloud point of 11C (degrees centigrade) or higher and will not be accepted as a source by the coop. We will ensure smooth running by requiring gel point below 4C.

Volunteering

2007-12-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

1.Please email Mare Cromwell to enhance our contact list;
marecrom@gmail.com

2.Include special skills you can offer the coop, e.g., marketing, technical, organizational

December Meeting

2007-12-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

8 December 2007
6 members and Greg Hanscom (the Urbanite) in attendance.

-Volunteering
-Fuel crisis
-Fuel sourcing
-Tech Committee report

See separate posts above for commentary or to start a thread.

NY TIMES article

2007-12-02T07:59:00.001-08:00

Nice read. Now if we can get the city to do the same.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/us/02diesel.html?

Winter Blend For Sale

2007-11-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

Is anybody out there? Just kidding, folks, I know Andrew reads this blog once in a while.
Mare Cromwell requested an update for Baltimore Biodiesel Cooperative members, so here it is:
The technical committee has requested K50B50 (soy) be sold as the winter blend.
Fuel liaison Mark Eckley was unable to secure this blend from McComas Fuel Company and had to go to Taylor Oil for the blend.

We'll be selling it Friday and Saturday, November 30 and December 1, 2007.
Price will reflect huge uptick in K1 and B100 prices: $4.30 per gallon.

See you out there at Mill Valley!
Renewal of membership dues is due as the anniversary date has passed... just a friendly reminder ;-))

No Fuel Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-11-21T12:45:00.001-08:00

We will not be able to sell fuel this weekend, but we did find some soy biodiesel, cloud point 0C.
That's 20 degrees F below the cloud point listed for the fuel we just removed from our tank.

We will be selling B50K50, our winter blend, starting Friday November 30.

Quality Control Program

2007-11-18T17:22:00.000-08:00

Discussion of how to make sure we are delivering the best biodiesel possible led to the following resolutions:
The coop will require our supplier to buy only 100% soy biodiesel. The high gelling point of the current fuel is unacceptable (solid fuel at 40 F is not possible with soy biodiesel).\
The coop will require documentation of the cloud point of fuel from the supplier, in keeping with ASTM 6751 standard.
Mark Eckley and John Shepley will be the contacts for McComas or Taylor fuel supply companies.

The coop will install a fuel/water separator filter on the storage tank. Water encourages microbial growth that can cause sputtering. Condensation within the tank is unavoidable in fall and spring when temperature swings are large and humidity levels in the air change. This fuel polishing system will remove water from the fuel and also filter out any microbes. Estimated cost of $300 will be paid with coop funds.

The storage tank will be emptied and rinsed with kerosene before a new batch of fuel is purchased. The tech committee hopes this will be necessary only this one time. However, each batch of fuel will be tested with a pHlip test available from Cyto Culture Environmental labs. 10 field tests were purchased and will be used to evaluate the next batches of fuel, before sale to members.

Fuel additives and fuel filters will be made available to members, at cost, at the kiosk in Mill Valley. Please email your requests to the Yahoo! group or post them here on the blog as comments. The tech committee will also work on publishing a handbook for all members to help avoid fuel issues in the winter and when first acclimating your car to biodiesel.

Poll results

2007-11-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

Several members responded to our poll:
Of 15 respondents, 10 members had fuel quality issues, ranging from gelled fuel lines, to sputtering engine performance due to clogged fuel filters.
4 fill up weekly, 6 every other week and 5 less frequently.
Suggestions included:
Better communication.
Card swipe machine.
Testing fuel on site before sale to members.
Buy fuel polishing, water separator filter system.

Meeting Notes, November 10, 2007

2007-11-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

12 members in attendance.
We focused on fuel quality.
3 measures were voted on and passed:
1- We will test each batch received from our supplier and require delivery of B100 derived from Soy oil.
Measure passed 12-0
2-Fuel polishing system will be installed to remove water and filter fuel prior to sale.
Measure passed 12-0
3-Tech committee 'crisis pay'
Measure passed 8-1

Several other topics were discussed and some duties were delegated.
A) Notifying membership of fuel issues.
Steve Howard will assist Mare Cromwell in assembling a member e-mail database. These signups may coincide with signup for the automated fueling setup.

Tech committee and Davis Bookhart will send a message to the membership via the Yahoo! group if further fuel issues crop up.

B) Membership renewals are coming due.
Please leave a legible copy of your email address when fueling up on your next visit. Also plan to pay your $30 for dues.

C) Remediation for expenses, due to fuel problems.
Submit a detailed description of your fuel problem and costs (towing, etc.) to Davis Bookhart. Davis has $ to disperse to inconvenienced members.

Fuel Update

2007-11-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

All,

I want to report on the status of our fuel, selling, and next steps.

The coop will not be able to sell fuel this weekend. The fuel in our tank is gelled at this point, and last ditch efforts to thaw it and empty the tank last night didn't succeed. We need to work with our supplier and find other resources to get the tank completely emptied and cleaned sufficiently to put a winter blend in it. Because of the amount of unknowns about this fuel, we do not want to try to blend it with kerosene or anything else to try to sell it.

I don't want to comment in detail about the quality of the fuel for fear of mis-leading anyone. We don't have all the answers yet. Here is what we do know for sure. The fuel that we have in our tank and had sold for the past several weeks was bought by us as a B99, ASTM certified fuel, but it is gelling at even higher temperatures than one would expect for Soy-based biodiesel. It has gelled in the tanks of several people's cars, causing them to need to be towed and repaired. When it gels, it seems to form a milky white solid, the consistency of Crisco. Many people have used it, some in 100% concentrations, with no apparent problems. We don't really know the underlying cause, although several possibilities are strongly suspected and are being tested. To that end, Mark Eckley and I will have a conference call to McComas today to try to find out if ASTM traceability for this fuel can be verified and the results of tests (if any) that have been performed yet. We will also explore with McComas remedies to our situation - both emptying our tank, and the 500 gallons of unuseable fuel we now own. Mark and I will report on that conversation later today.

If you have used this fuel recently, and your car has been running well for the past week, there is no reason to suspect you have anything to worry about. If your car starts roughly, stalls, or runs badly, it is possible that you have some gelled fuel in your system. From what's been reported, if the Biodiesel is blended with petroleum to at least 50% when it is a liquid, it will pass through the engine with no ill effects. If it gels first, it will not easily blend with petroleum until it thaws. A couple of additives have been suggested that may help the situation. One is called Arctic Exprees (by Power Systems). Another is called Power Service which is available at Advance Auto parts. Don't hesitate to use either at double the recommended dose. They will help de-gel the fuel, will disperse water,a nd will help keep filters / injectors clear. I suggest, if you suspect gelling, that you add the additives to your tank and try to start your car and let it idle during the warmest part of the day. Let it idle for a while. The engine recirculates warm fuel back to the tank which can help de-gel the fuel and help the additives do their job. If it seems to run okay, go and add petro diesel.

Several people have been working very hard to resolve the fuel issue. Folks spend considerable time last weekend and this week trying to drain, clear, thaw, or otherwise resolve these fuel issues. I appreciate everyone's efforts, and even more imploortantly, I greatly appreciate the positive attitude most members have expressed about these issues and about the good things the coop is accomplishing in spite of this setback. Thank you all.

John

John Shepley

Baltimore Biodiesel Coop.

Jshepley@greenroofplants.com

http://www.baltimorebiodiesel.org

Letter to Coop Members - gelling issues

2007-11-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Members,

As you may know, a number of Members have had trouble with biodiesel over the past few weeks. We believe these problems are caused by the high temperature gel point of the current batch of biodiesel. It is important to note that the biodiesel is good quality - it will not damage your engine - but is vulnerable to cold weather. We are working to correct this problem by "winterizing" the fuel.

If you recently purchased biodiesel from the coop and still have a significant amount in your tank, we strongly recommend taking the following actions:

1. Top off your tank with regular #2 diesel fuel or #1 diesel fuel (kerosene) if available.

2. Get some Arctic Express (by Power Systems) fuel additive and double the recommended treatment.

We are working with our supplier to replace our current fuel and to get our winter mix of soy oil and kerosene. This worked well all last winter and should allow us to resume our normal operations. We plan to institute a more vigerous testing and monitoring regimine to ensure that Members always get the highest quality fuel that is properly mixed during the winter months.

We apologize to our members who had problems with gelling fuel, and we are discussing ways in which we can use a small allocation of coop funding to help defray a portion of the costs incurred . For all members who did have troubles, please send a note to me directly (dbookhart@gmail.com).

While the problems with gelling fuel were not realted to the quality of the fuel (it is good quality), we've decided this is a good opportunity to take additional steps to ensure that the fuel quality remains high. In the next week or so, we will be installing a new filtration system that will clean and "polish" the fuel daily.

We hope to have the winterized fuel and the new filtration system in place as soon as possible. Until then, we appreciate your patience and look forward to filling your cars up again real soon.

Warmest regards,

Davis Bookhart
President, Baltimore Biodiesel Coop

Coop Meeting November 10, 2007

2007-11-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

All members encouraged to attend.
Gather at Mill Valley center, 1030am.

Meeting wil run from 11am to noon.

Winterizing Fuel for 2007-2008

2007-10-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

The last two days have seen cold temperatures around the cloud point of biodiesel fuel.
Unfortunately several coop members have experienced problems starting their cars. Check the message board of the Yahoo! group to follow the complete thread. Other members have experienced poor engine performance in several makes and models of car, as well, pointing to the fuel as the culprit.

A common concern raised is water in the fuel or fuel storage tank.

We need volunteers to remove the sludge discovered by John Shepley and McComas Fuel's delivery man/tester recently.

Can we do this 'cleaning' before delivery of kerosene to winterize the current batch of B99?

Saturday 130pm Mark Eckley will arrive at Mill Valley to commence sludge removal.
Any other volunteers?

Here is correspondence about the tank (digested by your faithful secretary)
1--------------------
Shepley wrote>>
FYI...
Here is Info from Ted Rouse, where he asked Doug (the guy who provided our tank) about it's history.

Can we organize some volunteers to look into opening the drain cock on the tank and removing some sludge? Other near-term solutions would be to rais the intake to about 3-6 inches off the bottom and to transfer the contents (The upper, presumably clean fuel) to another tank or drums to separate it from the sludge.
John

2---------------------
Ted Rouse wrote>>[mailto:wr@...]

Here is Doug’s response….
tank was cleaned and visually inspected prior to delivery. sludge in the bottom is inevitable in a new tank. That is why there is a drain cock in the bottom to drain water relatedstuff out. doug

Biodiesel Mechanic Suggestion

2007-10-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I might pass around my very happy last trip to the mechanic. I needed a lot of work on my '95 E300D, it just kept running so I kept deferring my trip to the mechanic. I got several estimates and my trusty mechanic had given me the lowest bid. He did much more work than originally planned (all well needed) and still came in $150 under his original already low bid on the work. When I picked up the car friday evening it ran like a top.

So if anyone is looking for a mechanic I highly recommend Brian and his crew at Mt. Washington Autohaus. I have had 5 different vehicles worked on at Autohaus over the last 10+ years but this last trip takes the case. And this trip was for my diesel Mercedes and I knew I was going to spend some cash for this trip.

He seems to really know his cars and he has quite a few diesels through his shop.

When I picked up the car friday there was an early 90's Mercedes TurboDiesel for sale parked on his lot. It looks nice and is owned by another customer of the shop. If anyone knows anyone looking for one drive by see if if you like it.

If you are looking for a mechanic who knows his diesels go to Autohaus. They are on Falls Rd. by the Kelly Ave bridge.

Cheers.

Jim

October 13, 2007. Topic 4

2007-10-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

4-Fueling Kiosk setup
Please visit
http://biodiesel-kiosk.blogspot.com/
for all the details.

$2500 budget was proposed by Ilya Goldberg and Andrew Gellene for a credit card/PIN system that will operate on battery power. A card swipe, keypad and LCD screen will all be accessible on the fueling cage. We will use the current pump and tank.
The kiosk will allow members to purchase fuel anytime they wish.
Measure to provide Ilya Goldberg $2500 to purchase components and build kiosk was passed, 6-0.
John Shepley has permission to provide funds to Ilya Goldberg upon request.

Important note to membership:
The cooperative anniversary date is coming soon. Prepare to pay your annual dues for 2007-2008 on your next visit to Mill Valley.

When the kiosk becomes operable, members will be able to register a PIN with their name. Once registered members can purchase fuel with any valid credit card bearing their name. Entering the PIN will activate the pump. Swiping the card will allow the cage to be opened and then member can dispense fuel. A flow sensor will calculate the total purchase price and charge the credit card swiped.

'One Day Wonders' can try our biofuel by paying $10 online and register for a 24 hour PIN. The $10 would be credited to their first purchase. The board assumes the first purchase will convince the Wonder to return and join the Coop as a regular member, for the $30 annual fee.

October 13, 2007. Topic 3

2007-10-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

3-McComas heating oil 'partnership' research, signage and referrals
Kickback of 1 cent per gallon has been offered by McComas Fuel Co. for referring biofuel customers for home heating oil.
Coop would display a sign at the kiosk. Board agreed the sign must be made by McComas themselves.
Currently McComas includes a Baltimore Biodiesel logo on their ads run in City Paper.
Discussion of level of kickback revealed lack of knowledge of the current home oil heating fuel market that might be interested in biofuel blends.

Measure to research the market over the coming winter and display a sign rendered by McComas at our booth in Mill Valley was passed, 5-1.

October 13, 2007. Topic 2

2007-10-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

2-Volunteer perks
4 incentives were discussed
a.volunteer 2x per year and receive fuel at cost. Cost was not specified.
b.free fill up for whoever is volunteering that day.
c.point system based on hours worked, with a 'wage' value kept track of.
d.percentage of weekly profit credited to volunteer.

Measure D level was suggested, after consideration of $200 weekly profit.
20% of profit should be credited to volunteer(s). 2 volunteer slots per week.

$20 merchandise will be offered to volunteer on the day of work.
'Merchandise':Fuel, membership fee offset, bumper stickers, etcetera.
Measure D passed, 5-0

October 13, 2007. Topic 1

2007-10-18T09:20:00.001-07:00

1-Winterization of fuel
B50 blend suggested 50%kerosene/50%biofuel.

Date of blend introduction between this week (October 20) and week of November 10.
No point person was named.
No vote was taken.

test

2007-10-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

test

Meeting Notes October 13, 2007

2007-10-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2007
Mill Valley Center, 11am
6 members in attendance.
4 issues discussed and 3 resulting measures were voted on.
1-Winterization of fuel

2-Volunteer perks

3-McComas heating oil 'partnership' research

4-Fueling Kiosk setup

Details are in separate entries to the blog, above.
Thanks to members for any and all comments!

Next meeting, November 10, 2007.
1030am, Mill Valley Center.

Biodiesel Car suggestions and links

2007-09-06T07:22:00.001-07:00

-Yes, most of our members run VWs or Mercedes. I'd check out
>www.craiglist.com and www.cars.com for good deals on diesels. The used ones

>go quick because everyone wants to run biodiesel these days. In 2008,
>however, there should be a much larger supply of new diesels on the market.

>The car companies realize that the biodiesel industry is heating up.
>
>Any diesel engine, of course, can run biodiesel without conversion or
>modification. There's only a couple of caveats: 1) cars made before 1990
>need rubber hoses replaced with viton (I finally found a good website that
>explains the issue: http://www.greaseworks.org/viton); 2) VWs, even newer
>ones, seem to run better with more regular changes of the fuel filter (say
>every 6 months); and 3) a lower blend of biodiesel (between B20 and B50)
>needs to be used in colder weather so as to avoid gelling in the engine. We

>sell B50 from about November to March.
>
>
>Jeremy
>1984 Mercedes 300TD, 245K miles.
>
>
>
>Kbpilla <kbpilla@gmail.com> wrote:
>Very intrested in any feedback on what are the best cars to run on
>biodiesel and reliabilty issues if any....
>
>
>Thanks------------------------------
>Looking

2004 Jetta TDI and the snow screen location

2007-08-17T12:51:00.001-07:00

>The snow screen is under the air box, and in the
>intake pipe. Not all cars have them, apparently even
>from the same years. In my cars the 2003 has one while
>the 2004 does not. You can also remove them if you
>want to not bother with it but VW does then offer a
>special air filter that has a bottom filtration to
>help keep some of that big stuff out of the filter.
>Some people say it matters, some people say that
>neither the screen or special filter make any
>difference at all.
>
>good video to show it.
>http://pics.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/snowscreen.html
>
>
>
>--- Willy Wonka <feverwilly@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Where is the snow screen and how do you clean it out
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> > On Aug 13, 2007, at 2:57 PM, Tim Rhodes
> > <timrhodes@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > I know I'm a little late to the party (been out of
> > the
> > country for a bit) but wanted to add my two cents.
> >
> > It sounds like your N75 valve might have failed/been
> > replaced. It controls the vanes in the turbo, and
> > can
> > lead to power issues. This has hoses that connect to
> > the turbo, which depending on miles could have been
> > replaced. But typically this issue is found by your
> > car going into limp mode, which resets itself each
> > time you start the car. The same for vacuum leaks
> > from bad hoses for the most part is how I understand
> > it. But no matter what, no actual bioD is going into
> > your turbo. So unless there is some strange exhaust
> > it is creating, these issues are not related to the
> > bioD use. Clogged fuel filter is, but not turbo
> > related issues.
> >
> > If the problems have gone away, great. If they
> > return, I would suggest checking out the MAF. I had
> > some very weird stuff happening including loss of
> > power like that, but finally was able to change out
> > the MAF. It was night and day for my car. Also a
> > number of the TDIs came with devices called
> > "snowscreens" which can lead to reduced power as
> > they
> > get filled and restrict airflow into the engine.
> >
> > I am no mechanic but am happy to help folks if I
> > have
> > the time. My contribution to the co-op has been
> > laughable up to this point so maybe I can help out
> > in
> > this way. In the least I can show folks how to do
> > the
> > easy stuff like oil changes, fuel filter changes,
> > snowscreen cleanings, checking/replacing glowplugs,
> > air/cabin filter changes etc.
> >
> > -Tim
> >
> > --- nose1@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > > Hi!
> > > I have a 2004 Jetta TDI and I'm having problems, I
> > > think because of using
> > > biodiesel. I replaced the fuel filter after the
> > > first month (this Spring). Just
> > > recently I started losing power when I accelerate
> > on
> > > hills. I took my car in
> > > and they replaced some hoses and a valve
> > (something
> > > related to the turbo). They
> > > advised me not to use biodiesel. I would still
> > like
> > > to though (it's one of the
> > > reasons why I bought the car). Has anybody had an
> > > experience like this? Can
> > > you give me advice?
> > > THANKS!
> > > Margaret
> > >

Pumping Action!!! Aug 4th

2007-08-06T10:05:00.001-07:00

I had a great time pumping the biofuel this Sat. It has been a while and I met some new faces and some old ones. I mean old in the very age positive way... We had a new member join. Welcome Alison!!! She was very excited and took pictures. Her husband was on hand to commemorate the occasion. I asked her to post the pics on our photobucket site to appear on the website. We had about 10 members fill up and it was HOT HOT HOT. We even sold some of my favorite bumper stickers "Biodiesel Turns Me On". Several folks ask about the new pump situation and I told them to go to the meeting this sat to learn more.

Thats about it. See everyone in the green environment.

Andrew

Mechanics

2007-07-26T08:37:00.001-07:00

Can we post preferred / reputable mechanics? Or at least get there names and contact them about paying to advertise on our site? I think I have a few from an old email. But if anyone has a more comprehensive list, we (ok, maybe I) could get working on contacting them. $50/month to advertise?

carri www.brennanarch.com
www.alter-e.com
www.baltimoregreenweek.org
www.baltimorebiodiesel.org

Preservation. Celebration. Rejuvenation.

Email test successful but

2007-07-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Notice that the email I sent did post but it is not very well organized. So it would be great if folks wanted to post a topic and then people use the comment feature to ad their 2 cents. I will clean it up after a few days...

Discussion about adding cars recommendations to the website...

2007-07-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

To make blogging easier I have set this email address: blog954.baltimorebiodiesel@blogger.com

Up to post our blogs all you have to do is email this address and it will post whatever the subject is as a title and the body as the text.

Check this email out at www.baltimorebiodiesel.blogspot.com

From: keith.losoya@gmail.com [mailto:keith.losoya@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Keith Losoya
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:36 PM
To: David Saffell
Cc: carrime@comcast.net; igg@cathilya.org; Andrew Gellene; Davis Bookhart; Jeremy Caradonna; Mare Cromwell; Paul Kovalcik; Ted Rouse; William McComas
Subject: Re: FOR SALE!

Yes we should add diesel mechanics/services but we also should consider this an advertising revenue source. E.g. we will advertise your services on our site in exchange for membership or another amicable advertising fee. Not being greedy but if the goal is to develop as many revenue streams as possible to assist with our educational outreach and overall growth we need to develop these potential channels and this is one obvious candidate.

On 7/25/07, David Saffell <redhens@peoplepc.com> wrote:

And there's ebay also.

We could publish and post on our site a list of mfgs, models and years of diesel vehicles gleaned from our collective knowledge. This would give the uninitiated a starting point. We could also have a FAQ where inquiring minds could post their questions. We could add diesel mechanic/service locations also, which we have talked about, not sure whether that has happened.

----- Original Message -----

From: Keith Losoya

To: carrime@comcast.net

Cc: igg@cathilya.org ; Andrew Gellene ; David Saffell ; Davis Bookhart ; Jeremy Caradonna ; Mare Cromwell ; Paul Kovalcik ; Ted Rouse ; William McComas

Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:13 PM

Subject: Re: FOR SALE!

You got it...BLOG IT!!

There are several updates to the website that Andrew has in the pipeline and he said they will be done in about two weeks. Updated membership agreements and bylaws plus pictures and we are considering a page specifically dedicated to Home Heating so we educate our current members on the benefits of Biodiesel for home heating this winter.

As for cars. If you go to cars.com and do an advanced search that queries all diesel vehicles within 30 miles of a local zip code you will see an ok selection. A large portion of the inventory is via dealership but many private. The challenges are how can we let these sellers know about us, how do we promote our online ads and quite frankly who in our coop really has the time to spend on this if they don't get some sort of reasonable compensation directly.

On 7/25/07, carrime@comcast.net < carrime@comcast.net> wrote:

Well, if there really is a large pool of used diesel inventory, I don't see a problem with posting ads (pay to post). I also think it would be a good idea to have a section of testimony and stories of members and they're experience with biodiesel and the cars they put it in. I love talking about my car! Maybe that's what the blog is supposed to be for???

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Keith Losoya" < keith@csballiance.org>
> The limited variety of new makes/models in the US is a problem but there is
> a larger pool of used inventory available- be it VW, Mercedes, Jeep Liberty
> or misc. trucks.
>
> As people in the area make the decision to move to diesel for Bio reasons
> they will usually find our site because of biodiesel.org They may have
> emotionally bought into the need to transition over to a diesel vehicle and
> use biodiesel but need to get the car first. When they go to our site they
> can see cars for sale to help them achieve their goals.
>
> Perhaps we can have a category for ADVERTISING MEMBERS where they pay
> $30-$50 for us to post their car on our site?????
>
> On 7/25/07, carrime@comcast.net < carrime@comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> > Isn't the problem that there aren't any car manufacturers currently making
> > diesel engines? I've certainly heard more people looking for cars rather
> > than selling their diesels. Maybe we need to be talking to car dealers and
> > checking in with manufacturers.
> >
> > -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > From: "Andrew Gellene" < andrew@dbcardsolutions.com>
> > > I think this is a great idea. I have seen a lot of information that
> > gets
> > > passed in the yahoo email blast that should be captured in the
> > blog. This
> > > can be a starting point to gather content for web publishing.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: keith.losoya@gmail.com [mailto: keith.losoya@gmail.com] On Behalf
> > Of
> > > Keith Losoya
> > > Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 8:18 PM
> > > To: igg@cathilya.org; Andrew Gellene; carrime@comcast.net; David
> > Saffell;
> > > Davis Bookhart; Jeremy Caradonna; Mare Cromwell; Paul Kovalcik; Ted
> > Rouse;
> > > William McComas
> > > Subject: FOR SALE....
> > >
> > > All,
> > >
> > > As most of you know Davis, John and I met with a Crown representative
> > > today to discuss the sale of biodiesel at the station and promoting
> > > Baltimore Biodiesel. John or Davis will fill you in on the details of
> > > that meeting but one thing we discussed that has been a missing part
> > > of our mission was the sale of diesel cars.
> > >
> > > Remember, supplying the need is one thing but we suggest Baltimore
> > > Biodiesel should also be about promoting the sale of diesel
> > > automobiles. We have seen various interests and questions when people
> > > are in the market and contact our group but perhaps the marketing
> > > committee can discuss a way to post cars for sale and drive potential
> > > buyers to the website to purchase. Perhaps we can work out a
> > > fee/commission with the seller in return for this service?
> > >
> > > Just some thoughts that need to be explored but it would be nice to
> > > list automobiles on our site for coop members interested in buying
> > > another or referring to a friend or newcomers looking for a diesel
> > > vehicle.
> > >
> > > Thoughts?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Keith Losoya
> > > Executive Director
> > > Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
> > > P: 443-838-1826
> > > Fax:410-342-1486
> > > Keith@CSBAlliance.org
> > >
> > > We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas
> > > Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Keith Losoya
> Executive Director
> Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
> P: 443-838-1826
> Fax:410-342-1486
> Keith@CSBAlliance.org
>
> We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller,
> Gnomologia, 1732
>
> --
> Keith Losoya
> Executive Director
> Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
> P: 443-838-1826
> Fax:410-342-1486
> Keith@CSBAlliance.org
>
> We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller,
> Gnomologia, 1732

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Keith Losoya" < keith@csballiance.org>
To: igg@cathilya.org, "Andrew Gellene" <andrew@dbcardsolutions.com >, "carrime@comcast.net" <carrime@comcast.net>, "David Saffell" < redhens@peoplepc.com>, "Davis Bookhart" <dbookha1@jhuadig.admin.jhu.edu>, "Jeremy Caradonna" < jeremycaradonna@hotmail.com>, "Mare Cromwell" <marecrom@gmail.com>, "Paul Kovalcik" <pkovalcik@biohabitats.com >, "Ted Rouse" <wr@sber.com>, "William McComas" <wam@shapirosher.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:22:34 +0000
Subject: FOR SALE!
The limited variety of new makes/models in the US is a problem but there is a larger pool of used inventory available- be it VW, Mercedes, Jeep Liberty or misc. trucks.

As people in the area make the decision to move to diesel for Bio reasons they will usually find our site because of biodiesel.org They may have emotionally bought into the need to transition over to a diesel vehicle and use biodiesel but need to get the car first. When they go to our site they can see cars for sale to help them achieve their goals.

Perhaps we can have a category for ADVERTISING MEMBERS where they pay $30-$50 for us to post their car on our site?????

On 7/25/07, carrime@comcast.net <carrime@comcast.net> wrote:

Isn't the problem that there aren't any car manufacturers currently making diesel engines? I've certainly heard more people looking for cars rather than selling their diesels. Maybe we need to be talking to car dealers and checking in with manufacturers.

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Andrew Gellene" < andrew@dbcardsolutions.com >
> I think this is a great idea.  I have seen a lot of information that gets
> passed in the yahoo email blast that should be captured in the blog.  This
> can be a starting point to gather content for web publishing.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: keith.losoya@gmail.com [mailto: keith.losoya@gmail.com] On Behalf Of
> Keith Losoya
> Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 8:18 PM
> To: igg@cathilya.org; Andrew Gellene; carrime@comcast.net; David Saffell;
> Davis Bookhart; Jeremy Caradonna; Mare Cromwell; Paul Kovalcik; Ted Rouse;
> William McComas
> Subject: FOR SALE....
>
> All,
>
> As most of you know Davis, John and I met with a Crown representative
> today to discuss the sale of biodiesel at the station and promoting
> Baltimore Biodiesel. John or Davis will fill you in on the details of
> that meeting but one thing we discussed that has been a missing part
> of our mission was the sale of diesel cars.
>
> Remember, supplying the need is one thing but we suggest Baltimore
> Biodiesel should also be about promoting the sale of diesel
> automobiles. We have seen various interests and questions when people
> are in the market and contact our group but perhaps the marketing
> committee can discuss a way to post cars for sale and drive potential
> buyers to the website to purchase. Perhaps we can work out a
> fee/commission with the seller in return for this service?
>
> Just some thoughts that need to be explored but it would be nice to
> list automobiles on our site for coop members interested in buying
> another or referring to a friend or newcomers looking for a diesel
> vehicle.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> --
> Keith Losoya
> Executive Director
> Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
> P: 443-838-1826
> Fax:410-342-1486
> Keith@CSBAlliance.org
>
> We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.  ~Thomas
> Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732
>

--
Keith Losoya
Executive Director
Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
P: 443-838-1826
Fax:410-342-1486
Keith@CSBAlliance.org

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.  ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

--
Keith Losoya
Executive Director
Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
P: 443-838-1826
Fax:410-342-1486
Keith@CSBAlliance.org

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.  ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

--
Keith Losoya
Executive Director
Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
P: 443-838-1826
Fax:410-342-1486
Keith@CSBAlliance.org

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.  ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

--
Keith Losoya
Executive Director
Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance
P: 443-838-1826
Fax:410-342-1486
Keith@CSBAlliance.org

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Testing the email blog action

2007-07-25T18:26:00.001-07:00

This is to test the email to blog function on our blog so that we email our posts.

Andrew

New site posted

2007-06-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

I posted a new website design. Please post comments and suggestions here. I will attempt to adjust all errors and reasonable requests promptly.

Andrew

Add your photo's

2007-06-25T15:59:00.001-07:00

If you want to add your biodiesel photos to the website just go to: www.photobucket.com and login using:

username: Baltimorebio
password: bbdcoop

Andrew

Meeting of May 12th, 2007.

2007-05-13T08:48:00.003-07:00

In attendance: Davis Bookhart, Carri Harlan, Ilya Goldberg, Jeremy Caradonna, Dave Saffell, Ari Schenk, Rich Dean, Mark Geier, Harry Hochheiser, John Shepley, and Bill McComas

Missing Key...

2007-05-13T08:48:00.001-07:00

1) The first order of business was to figure out a solution to missing key problem. For some reason, the key to the back side of the tank suddenly disappeared this week, which proved a major issue when Taylor Oil tried to drop off its fuel on Thursday. As a result, the co-op has decided to cut off the old key lock with bolt cutters and replace it with a combination lock. Dave Saffel has agreed to undertake this project by Monday evening. Taylor will need to come back out on Wednesday or Thursday, as the tank is currently empty.

Bill McComas

2007-05-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

2) Davis discussed a meeting that he and Ted had with Jim and Bill McComas. Bill is a lawyer and Jim is the owner of oil company interested in getting more involved in the biodiesel industry. Jim (who sat in on the meeting) and Bill are interested in collaborating with the co-op and possibly becoming the new supplier. The idea was broached of somehow combining forces: leasing or buying delivery trucks from them, undertaking mutual business referrals, etcetera. The co-op agreed to continue discussions with both Jim and Bill.

Moving the new tank

2007-05-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

3) The co-op decided--assuming Doug Carrol agrees--to remove the broken concrete next to the 500 gallon tank, prepare the ground with gravel and other stabilization equipment, and transfer the 1000 gallon tank to that site. In other words, the 1000 gallon tank will sit next to the 500 gallon tank, and closer to the driveway.

This will require a series of steps.

First, Dave Saffel will haul out the concrete (for a relatively small fee) at some point during the next week.
Second, John will drop off some gravel to help stabilize the tank and level out the ground.
Third, co-op volunteers will either dig a small hole for the tank--so that it won't roll away--or stabilize the tank with concrete blocks (or wood), depending on whether there is concrete or dirt underneath the broken pieces of concrete.
Then, Dave will ask Jeff to use his forklift to transfer the 1000 gallon tank to its new resting spot.
Finally, John Gutierrez will be commissioned to build a new security cage and roof for the new 1000 gallon tank.

There are a couple of reasons for moving the 1000 gallon tank to the plateau.

First, it makes it easier to link the two tanks into a single fuel system. This would otherwise be impossible if one tank were several feet below the other.
Second, we want to minimize the amount of space that the co-op is using. It would be best to concentrate car traffic in the sub-driveway that we are currently using, rather than blocking the area next to the current position of the 1000 gallon tank.
Third, the new automated pump--discussed below--needs to be on the same level as the two tanks. Note, also, that the old tank will stay in its current location, and will be used, in the short term, as the regular tank. Once the new tank is up and running, the co-op will decide what to do with the old one (remove it, fill it with B50, use it for back-up fuel, etc).

Membership process

2007-05-13T08:44:00.001-07:00

John and Carri discussed some ways of streamlining the process in which membership agreements reach the treasurer's desk. Membership forms will be kept in stock at the kiosk and sent to John as they are dropped off. New members should continue to send their checks to John, and, in return, John will send out a welcome packet to new members, in addition to membership cards. This entire system, however, might change in the near future if a computer system is installed at the kiosk.

IT Committee Formed and bookkeeper

2007-05-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

5) John, Andrew, and Ilya agreed to form a new IT committee to investigate a new bookkeeping system. The co-op agreed that, if need be, a professional bookkeeper should be paid (around $50/month) to help keep things in order.

Website Update

2007-05-13T08:36:00.001-07:00

6) Andrew has officially taken over the website from Keith. Andrew is now responsible for updating information on the website, with the noteable exception of the volunteer calendar, which remains in Mare's control. Andrew has the ultimate say as to what shall and shall not be added to the website.

Back up attendant

2007-05-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

7) Although Mare and Paul were not able to attend the meeting, the recent staffing problems were briefly discussed. Jeremy agreed to post his cell number at the kiosk, to be called as a back-up attendant, in the event that a volunteer does not show up for a shift. Short of that, however, it is Paul and Mare's responsibility to ensure that all volunteer slots are filled ahead of time.

Running out of fuel

2007-05-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

8) Harry discussed possible means of warning members if the co-op has run out of fuel (a recurring issue as of late). Volunteers should alert the co-op, via the yahoo group, if the tank is about to run out of fuel. The co-op also agreed to schedule more regular fuel deliveries to alleviate this problem altogether.

State Grant

2007-05-13T08:32:00.002-07:00

9) The co-op briefly discussed the grant that we received from the state, but which is currently being held by CSBA.

Pump Purchasing

2007-05-13T08:32:00.001-07:00

10) Mark brought in a ton of information about purchasing an automated pump for the co-op, in addition to a computer system to handle on-site transactions. He and Bill McComas have formed a Pump Procurement Committee with the intention of procuring a pump by June 15th. Ideally, the co-op will be able to find a used pump (with proper biodiesel fittings) that could be donated by a gas station or oil company (and written off, by them, as a dontion to a non-profit organization). If not, the co-op will purchase a pump with the $7000 grant (although the pump should probably not exceed $5000). In addition, Mark has agreed to donate some computer equipment for the new set-up, which he s able to procure from his job. The new pump will most likely stand about 4-feet in height, and will be installed next to the 1000 gallon tank (on the side of the driveway). Both the tank and the pump will be underneath the security cage. It is simply not possible to mount the automated pump on top of the tank. There will need to be an electrical line that runs from the new pump to the outlet (and computer system) at the kiosk. The co-op has left all of the details of the pump (brands, etc.) to the discretion of Mark and Bill. Also, it appears that the majority of the co-op is in favor of two levels of security: both a lock on the cage AND a pin number to activate the pump. The majority of members also favor a system in which any credit card can be used at the pump (once the pin number has been entered). In other words, the co-op will not be saving any credit card information in our computer system.

Incorporation

2007-05-13T08:31:00.001-07:00

11) The issue of incorporation was touched upon briefly, and will be revisited at the next meeting.

Jeremy

Secretary of the BBC

Ecofest

2007-05-06T14:00:00.001-07:00

Photobucket Album

Meeting - Agenda

2007-02-13T16:52:00.002-08:00

Minutes from the meeting on 2/10/2007

In attendance: Davis Bookhart, John Shepley, Jeremy Caradonna, Mary-Ellen Chambers, Andrew Gellene, Paul Kovalcik, Ilya Goldberg, Ted Rouse

Agenda:

1) Updates on a variety of issues: electrical hook-up, marketing committee, calibration of the tank, outreach, financial committee

2) Discussion of our price per gallon

3) Possibility of becoming an LLC

4) Home heating

5) Issues relating to the new Friday opening

1) Updates

Meeting - Electric

2007-02-13T16:52:00.001-08:00

A) David has successfully installed an electrical hook-up on the outside of the buidling. The co-op should begin using this outlet immediately and cease running electrical cables through the Market's window.

Meeting - Marketing

2007-02-13T16:51:00.002-08:00

B) Marketing. Davis exhibited some new flyers (meant for car windshields) that he recently printed up. The co-op discussed the best means of financing these flyers (and any other advertising material). The co-op decided to pay for the new flyers in small increments. Davis also asked that the co-op push the sale of bumper stickers at the kiosk (and on-line). Sales tax, he reminded, must be added to the sale of any bumper sticker.

Meeting - Calibration

2007-02-13T16:51:00.001-08:00

C) Calibration. Ilya announced that there should be regular calibration of the pump, following new shipments of fuel. The pump will be re-calibated in the next week or two (following the next shipment of B50). John volunteered to supply a scale for this task

Meeting - outreach

2007-02-13T16:50:00.004-08:00

D) Jeremy announced that he gave a presentation on Wednesday the 7th to the Greater Homewood community organization. The co-op agreed that outreach should remain a high priority in the future.

Meeting - Financial

2007-02-13T16:50:00.003-08:00

E) Financial. John gave a detailed account of the financial status of the co-op. The co-op, while financially stable, agreed that all debts, especially to the treasurer, should be settled in the near future. The co-op also discussed what to do with the one-time $70 membership fee that has been collected from new members. The co-op agreed that the money should be put aside for the time being and used for future fuel-related needs.

Meeting - Price per gallon

2007-02-13T16:50:00.001-08:00

2) Price per gallon. The co-op agreed that, after a necessary mark-up, any decrease in wholesale fuel costs should correlate to the retail price of our fuel. Accordingly, the co-op decided to lower the PPG (effective immediately) from $3.51 to $3.34. The co-op's PPG will likely fluctuate in the near future (although it should stabilize in the long term). Andrew agreed to post the PPG on the website.

Meeting - LLC Discussion

2007-02-13T16:49:00.001-08:00

3) The discussion of becoming a LLC was put on hold. The co-op decided to hold an extraordinary session, in the next week or two, to discuss the middle and long-term goals of the organization. Thus, broad issues such as becoming a LLC, moving in the direction of home heating, etc, will be revisited during this extraordinary meeting. The date for this meeting will be posted shortly. Those in attendance will then report back to the co-op at the subsequent general meeting.

Meeting - Friday Hours

2007-02-13T16:46:00.001-08:00

4) Paul announced that the Friday opening appears to be a possibility, assuming that the co-op can attract enough volunteers. The first Friday opening will be on February the 23rd, from 5-8:30. The co-op will remain open on Fridays as long as regular volunteers can be secured.

Ted on the The Marc Steiner Show

2007-01-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

In his State of the Union speech President Bush acknowledged the importance of finding alternative fuel sources. Marc and his guests Kevin Harrison, Professor in Environmental Policy & Sci. at McDaniel College, Ted Rouse, Chair of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance and Pete Horrigan, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Industry discuss the realities of alternative fuels. Listen to the show via the link on the top right of the page.

Saturday Fueling Post

2007-01-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

I am here with Jennifer and Jeremy at Mill Valley and we are having a grand ole time. Pumping fuel for our members. Ted has stopped by as well as some folks building a plant in Honduras that want to run the plant on biodiesel. They also want to build a station of alternative fuels here in the city. We are going to put them in touch with Keith and Ted and see what happens.

Biodiesel On the Radio

2007-01-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

We'll be talking Biodiesel on WCBM 680 AM this coming Sunday (Jan 28
'07) from 9-10 PM.
Janna Howley and Ted Rouse will be our guests on 21st Century
Radio with Dr. Bob Hieronimus.
Co-chairs of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance – Buy Fresh,
Buy Local Campaign and the Biodiesel Coop.
Tune in live on WCBM 680 AM or streaming live audio at wcbm.com or
check the audio archive later that week at 21stcenturyradio.com.

View Dr. Bob Hieronimus's ArtCar "Founding Fathers", the only
bio-diesel fueled artcar in the state of Maryland here:
htttp://www.21stcenturyradio.com/artcar.

Wall Street Journal Article

2007-01-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Cleaning Up Diesel's Image

Volkswagen, DaimlerChrysler
Unveil New Cars Engineered
To Meet California Standards

By GINA CHON and STEPHEN POWER
November 29, 2006; Page B1

For many Americans, diesel cars bring to mind an image of the vehicles that spouted soot and smoke in the 1980s.

Much has changed since then. New, cleaner diesel engines, running on low-sulfur fuel, produce far less soot than old versions.

This week at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, Germany's Volkswagen AG and DaimlerChrysler AG are unveiling several new diesel vehicles clean enough to sell even in California, which has the toughest clean-air standards in the U.S. The vehicles are part of an effort to position modern diesel technology as a fuel-saving rival to gas-electric hybrids. The new models will be branded "Bluetec," an umbrella term for a variety of diesel technologies.

"We're convinced that the future of the diesel engine has only just begun with this [Bluetec] technology, especially in North America," said Thomas Weber, head of research and development at DaimlerChrysler.

Separately, BMW AG, which is working on its own diesel technology, said it will also have diesel vehicles meeting regulations in all 50 states for 2008.

Offering diesels that meet California's standards marks a major breakthrough for diesel technology. The current diesel versions of the VW Jetta and Mercedes E-Class sedan can be sold in only 45 states. But persuading American consumers to buy diesel cars and light trucks will remain a challenge -- both because of diesel's old image, and because the hardware that makes some of these new models so clean requires more attention than many American drivers are likely to give.

The German auto makers have a lot riding on this latest diesel push. The rise in gasoline prices over the past few years has increased interest in fuel-saving vehicles, and diesels are about 30% more fuel-efficient than comparable gas engines. In Europe, modern diesel engines now power about half of all cars sold. Yet in the U.S., diesel has been stuck in neutral, accounting for just over 3% of U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2005. Meanwhile, gas-electric hybrids like Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius have grabbed the spotlight, even though they made up only 1.5% of U.S. new-vehicle sales last year. (Hybrids and other "green" vehicles will also be in the spotlight at the Los Angeles show, where, among others, BMW is unveiling a version of its 7 Series sports sedan that burns either gas or hydrogen.)

WALL STREET JOURNAL VIDEO

Chrysler Group Executive Vice President Frank Klegon discusses whether there's enough demand for diesel-powered vehicles and changing the image of the diesel engine.

VW and DaimlerChrysler plan to promote the Bluetec diesel cars as both fuel-efficient and fun to drive. Diesel engines offer more of something American drivers love -- torque, what a driver feels when a vehicle accelerates. Diesels have a longer piston stroke than gasoline engines, which produces more torque, and now with turbocharged diesel engines like the ones Volkswagen produces, torque is even more prominent.

The auto makers will also play up the idea that diesel can help reduce U.S. dependence on Middle East oil. The companies cite a recent Environmental Protection Agency study that found the U.S. would save 1.4 million barrels of oil a day -- equal to the amount of crude oil the country imports daily from Saudi Arabia -- if one-third of all light-duty vehicles in the U.S. were operated with modern diesel engines.

"There can be no clearer statement for the benefit of diesel," Mr. Weber says.

Still, the German car makers face an uphill battle to change the thinking of American consumers. According to a study by automotive researcher Kelley Blue Book, the number of U.S. car buyers who would be "somewhat likely" to consider a diesel-powered vehicle has remained relatively flat for the last year and fell slightly to 28% in October, down from 32% in October 2005. That compares to a 59% consideration for hybrids.

And now some of the hybrids are making a bid to focus on performance by tuning the engines to boost horsepower -- for instance, the new Lexus GS450 has a particularly high 340-horsepower engine, greater than the norm for hybrids and even for conventional gas engines. Meanwhile, the new diesels are mainly counting on higher torque to attract buyers who are interested in performance.

The diesel technology that's at the center of attention in Los Angeles is an updated version of a contraption invented in the 1890s by a Paris-born German scientist named Rudolf Diesel. Unlike the traditional internal-combustion engine, which generates a spark to ignite fuel compressed with air in a cylinder, a diesel motor compresses the air inside the cylinder much more, making the air so hot that when fuel hits it, it explodes without need of a spark. The so-called "compression ignition" process produces more energy per unit of fuel than the spark method does. But the process also has a tendency to produce more nitrogen oxide, which contributes to smog.

The U.S. has the toughest emission standards in the world, and a patchwork of state regulations that make it difficult to produce diesel vehicles that can be sold in all 50 states. California sets the bar the highest and a handful of other states follow its lead, including New York.

Meeting the requirements of all 50 U.S. states became easier in October when new low-sulfur diesel fuel mandated by the federal government went on sale at service stations. Modern diesels work properly only with low-sulfur fuel.

Some of the new-generation diesels cut emissions further with the injection of an odorless liquid, urea, into a special tank. This releases ammonia, which converts nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas associated with global warming, into harmless emissions. The hitch is that drivers will have to replenish the supply of urea every 10,000 miles. Auto makers say urea tanks can be filled when owners have their oil changed, but environmentalists and the EPA have raised concerns about the issue.

"If people continually forget or bring in their systems late, it's a loophole that's going to have health impacts," says David Friedman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an organization based in Cambridge, Mass. "If the system fails, you'll just reinforce diesel's bad image."

One idea that's been floated by environmentalists would be to give customers no choice but to refill the urea tank -- for example, by preventing the engine from starting if the tank is empty.

But DaimlerChrysler officials are leery of that approach, fearing it would result in some customers being left stranded -- and angry at the company. Mercedes says it's working with oil companies and auto repair shops to ensure that customers will always be able to find urea when they need it. But in most cases, the work of injecting the urea will fall to its Mercedes dealers, the company says.

Mercedes's diesel models will have audio and visual warning systems to alert drivers when they're running low on urea. In Europe, commercial vehicles with diesel engines also use urea, and refilling them hasn't been a problem, according to Mercedes.

The new diesel vehicles announced at VW yesterday include the Jetta compact and a new VW compact sport-utility vehicle called the Tiguan, both available in 2008. Both will have clean-diesel technology that needs no extra additive. In 2009, VW will add the Touareg sport-utility vehicle. Its diesel engine will require urea -- a potential stumbling block in the market. VW unit Audi's diesel version of the Q7 SUV, available at the end of 2008, will use an additive called AdBlue, which is put in the exhaust system as opposed to a separate tank, as urea is. Audi said customers won't have to add AdBlue and instead dealers can take care of it during service intervals for the vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz plans to offer diesel versions of its M-Class and GL-Class SUVs and its R-Class wagon in all 50 states in 2008. And DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group will have the Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. They, too, will require the additive urea to meet emissions standards.

BMW declined to say what models would be available in diesel and whether they will require special additives.

Pricing for the new diesel vehicles won't be announced until closer to their sale, but they will likely be relatively competitive. For example, the 2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec has a starting price of $52,325, only $1,000 more than the Mercedes-Benz E350 with a gas engine.

Other auto makers are also working on cleaner diesel engines. General Motors Corp. has developed a 6.0 liter V-8 diesel that it expects to offer in its pickup trucks and possibly also Cadillac cars in 2008. Honda Motor Co. is also working on new clean diesels for the U.S. market.

First Blog

2007-01-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hi. This is a forum where members of the baltimore biodiesel coop can post stories, research, ideas and comments.

Enjoy.