BioPure™ Bioheat® Fuel: Clean Energy For Your Home & Business
There are many differing opinions on what would be the best option when it comes to using clean energy to heat our home or business in New England. When you perform research, you’ll get bombarded with tons of information, but unfortunately, not all of the information presented to us is true.
There are lots of aspects that are hidden or flat-out untrue.
In this article, we will discuss the following:
- The reality of clean energy that the media doesn’t report
- The impact of heating system electrification
- How the oil industry is providing a clean energy solution with BioPure™ Bioheat® Heating Oil
To learn more about clean energy in New England and how we, Townsend Energy, can help you reduce your carbon footprint, read on…
What About Electrification Of A Heating System? What Are The Real Economic And Environmental Impacts?
Let’s face it, knowing that we are producing zero impact on the environment feels great. But most people just do it because it sounds good. Because of this, we see lots of political pressure from elected officials to use terms like electrification and carbon-neutral to catch the attention of many people nowadays.
But what we find most disturbing of all is how the media continues to push this narrative while missing more important details. And when we say details, we mean the true cost of electrification to the consumer and the real net effect of reducing carbon output.
For now, let’s take a look at the impacts of electrifying a heating system in our economy, in our environment, and in our comfort.
Economic Impacts Of Electrifying A Heating System In New England
When we convert an existing liquid fuel heating system into an electrified heating system, there is actually a true cost that the media and politicians don’t want us to see and discuss.
Because to electrify a heating system in New England to produce cleaner energy, the homeowner would have to remove their existing oil-fired heating system and replace that with an electric boiler or electric heat pump.
Although this may sound simple, this is actually a huge expense to the homeowner. Not to mention that to have this upgrade, you’d also need to spend money for the installation of equipment plus other hidden costs.
In other words, if you wish to convert from oil to electric heat in New England, you’d have to spend around $18,500 or more.
Now, the problem doesn’t end there. Once you have an electric heat pump system installed, you would also need to install a secondary heat source in case outside temperatures reach below freezing point.
Considering all this information, converting to an electrified heating system can be quite a hassle and kind of heavy task for a homeowner. Because of this, we can say that electrifying a heating system becomes a socially economic inequity.
Environmental Impacts Of Electrifying A Heating System In New England
What makes people go in favor of electrifying a heating system in New England is the fact that it produces zero carbon emissions. However, when you look at how electricity is generated in New England, you see that this may not be the case.
As of 2019, electricity in New England is generated from the following sources according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)1:
In this data, we can see that although a very high percentage of New England’s electricity net generation came from renewable sources, most of these fuel sources still emit carbon to the atmosphere. The only difference is that they may release a lot less than what most energy sources would emit.
With this data, however, we can easily tell that even if a homeowner spends a large amount of money going from oil to an electric heating system, there is really no zero-emissions solution. We might be able to minimize it, but it doesn’t go down to zero.
To top that, it’s even possible that we’re impacting the environment higher by creating new electric boilers or heat pumps.
So, what’s the solution?
Further in this article, we will present a fuel source that can already reduce your carbon emissions by 20% without the hassle of needing to change heating systems.
Comfort Impacts Of Electrifying A Heating System In New England
Aside from the economic and environmental impacts, changing to an electrified heating system can also impact your comfortability.
It is predicted that large-scale electrification of heating systems in New England will create excessive demands on the electrical power lines. This will result in planned and unplanned power outages, just like what happened during the cold snap of 2021 in Texas.
This means that we’ll be risking having no heat during the time of the year when we need it most. And when this happens, we could be repeating the same tragedy in Texas in April 2021, where at least 111 people died of hypothermia during a winter storm because most of them did not have a heating system that worked.2
Apart from this reason, we also see how electric heat pumps tend to lose efficiency when outside temperatures drop below freezing.
It might be good that this technology continues to improve, but any HVAC contractor would highly suggest that an electric heat pump is not the best heating solution in cold weather climates such as New England.
BioPure™ Bioheat® Heating Oil As A Solution For Clean Energy
Fortunately, the blend of biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur heating oil is available now. There are various advantages that our fuel offers:
- Cleaner Burn: The BioPure™ Bioheat® fuel is biodegradable, non-toxic, and sulfur-free, offering a cleaner burn that reduces harmful emissions.
- Improved Equipment Operation: Because our liquid renewable fuel is sulfur-free, it also helps reduce build-up on your home’s heating system. This allows for improved heat output and system operation.
- No Heating System Modifications Necessary: BioPure™ Bioheat® oil can be used in your existing oil-fired heating system. So, there’s no need for you to spend money on upgrades.
- Safe: Like any traditional heating oil, our fuel will not burn in a liquid state; it does not explode. Added to that, you need to heat it at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for it to vaporize. And in case your burner malfunctions, you will be able to see obvious signs of problems before the carbon monoxide leakage reaches dangerous levels.
- Green: Our fuel solution also offers a clean burn and falls well within the air pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because of this, the Federal Clean Air Act doesn’t have to regulate it.
- Dependability: BioPure™ Bioheat® heating oil can be safely stored in your heating oil tank. So, there’s really nothing to worry about any weather or fuel disruptions. The best part is, you can always rely on us to deliver your fuel whenever you need it.
- Financial Advantages: We offer our BioPure™ Bioheat® fuel at no extra cost to you.
Providence Resolution
The Providence Resolution was created in 2019 and outlined some goals that the oil industry should meet in order to be net or carbon neutral by 2050.
At Townsend Energy, we adopted this same resolution and set our sights to meet these goals in advance. We take climate change very seriously, which is why we have set our expectations above and beyond those set by the Providence Resolution.
Want to help the environment? You can do so by using our BioPure™ Bioheat® oil. Be our customer and schedule your delivery with Townsend Energy.
Contact us now at (800) 722-4101 to find out more!
1. U.S. Energy Information Administration: Maine Profile and Energy Estimates ↩
2. The Texas Tribune: At Least 111 People Died In Texas During Winter Storm, Most From Hypothermia ↩