NORA Demonstrates Net-Zero Home with 100% Biodiesel for Heat, Solar Panels for Power

(National Oilheat Research Alliance) The National Oilheat Research Alliance is setting out to prove that homeowners can reduce a home’s carbon emissions to zero using a renewable low-carbon liquid fuel and solar panels. Indeed, the demonstration has already begun in Port Jefferson, New York, at the home of Thomas Butcher, NORA’s director of research. ...

This strategy is an alternative to the “all electric” policy of replacing all combustion heating and other home appliances with power grid-run electric furnaces, boilers and appliances.

The all-electric plan will place enormous strain on the utilities and the grid while also placing massive financial burdens on homeowners as they are required to replace their current heating systems with heat pumps. NORA’s zero-carbon home can achieve carbon reduction mostly using existing heating systems and commercially available solar panel systems.

The first step in decarbonizing a home-heating system is transitioning to a low-carbon biofuel. The biofuel widely available to the heating market in the Northeast is biodiesel (ASTM D6751). Relative to petroleum No. 2 fuel, 100 percent biodiesel (B100) provides a carbon reduction of 75 to 90 percent with the higher 90 percent reduction based on the use of waste feedstocks such as used cooking oil. Replacing petroleum with B100 can provide reductions in carbon of up to 90 percent.

Work is ongoing within the biodiesel industry on reducing even the small amount of carbon emissions associated with biodiesel production, and the picture is expected to get even better. The residual emissions can be minimized using a high-efficiency boiler or furnace.

The transition to B100 was made at the Butcher home in 2020 with the biodiesel fuel supplied by Hart Home Comfort of Oakdale, New York. The steel tank is indoors and approximately 15 years old. The tank was filled without cleaning prior to the introduction to B100. There have been no notable service issues since the transition. The heating system includes an Energy Kinetics System 2000, about 10 years old.

The second step is the addition of solar panels on the roof of the home, which can produce more or less power than the home needs at any time of the day. The system installed at Butcher’s home does not include a storage battery but rather “extra” power is exported back to the grid.

NORA’s Net Zero Carbon Home will continue to be monitored for financial returns. Greenhouse-gas reduction values and upgrades to further the carbon-emission reductions will also be assessed.

NORA would like to extend the Net Zero Carbon Home project to other U.S. States. Interested parties should contact info@noraweb.org. READ MORE