More and more, renewable biodiesel is being blended with ultra-low sulfur heating oil. The result: clean-burning Bioheat® fuel!
Thanks to Bioheat, oilheat customers enjoy a better, safer and reliable fuel. Bioheat helps contribute to lower emissions, a cleaner heating system and improved air quality. Plus, it can help save you money by improving the efficiency of your system. That’s something worth celebrating!
Biodiesel is a renewable energy resource made from soy and vegetable oils and other natural sources. Nearly 50% of biodiesel is made from soybean oils. The majority of biodiesel and Bioheat fuel is domestically sourced and produced.
You will usually see Bioheat described with a number, such as B2, B5 or B20. These numbers refer to the amount of biodiesel that’s been blended with heating oil. For example, B2 Bioheat contains 2% percent biodiesel.
The good news is that the average bio-blend is now 7%–and that number will continue to grow in the years ahead.
Thanks to research and development being spearheaded by the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA), heating oil is being made more cleanly and efficiently than before. The overall goal is to transition to even higher levels of Bioheat, which will further reduce the carbon footprint and actually turn heating oil into a carbon-neutral energy source.
Another ongoing research project involves transforming wood waste into a liquid for use in Bioheat. A field test of this renewable fuel was successfully conducted recently in our region. The industry is also working on the development of an oil-fired heat pump to provide more equipment options for homeowners in Massachusetts and the surrounding states.
Today’s oilheat is light years ahead of where it was just a few decades ago. And tomorrow’s oilheat is going to be a whole new ballgame!