Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

Wellesley College Study: Costs & Environmental Impact of Switching Campus Diesel Vehicles , Study Guides, Projects, Research of Economics

A project aimed at evaluating the feasibility, costs, and environmental benefits of switching 5 campus-owned diesel vehicles to run on a 20% biodiesel fuel blend instead of 100% petrodiesel. The project includes research on other schools' experiences, infrastructure changes, engine warranties, and cost comparisons. The document also provides an estimate of the potential environmental benefits and savings.

Typology: Study Guides, Projects, Research

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 08/18/2009

koofers-user-81h
koofers-user-81h 🇺🇸

5

(1)

10 documents

1 / 1

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
Environmental Economics (Econ 228)
Lauren Gritzke, Debra Hausladen, Anli Yang
Project Goal:
To evaluate the costs, environmental benefits,
and feasibility of switching campus-owned
diesel vehicles to run on a 20% biodiesel fuel
blend instead of 100% petrodiesel1
Why switch to biodiesel?
- Ease
- Low cost
- To bolster Wellesley’s environmental reputation
- To reduce Wellesley’s environmental impact2
- to reduce particulate matter, greenhouse
gases, and other harmful emissions
Evaluation Process
1) Researched other schools that use biodiesel
2) Researched feasibility at Wellesley
a. Possible infrastructure changes
(both filling station and in vehicles)
b. Possible complications with engine
warranties
3) Researched costs
a. Possible filter change costs
b. Difference in fuel cost
4) Contacted Burke Oil, Wellesley’s fuel
provider, and calculated difference in fuel price
6) Decided on pilot program
Project Specifics:
- Switch 5 vehicles (representative of Wellesley’s maintenance fleet) to run on biodiesel
- Choose between 2 biodiesel procurement schemes for pilot program:
- Buy two 55 gallon drums of B20 biodiesel (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel) from Burke every
2 to 3 weeks
- Or, switch 1 of the 2 existing diesel tanks at Wellesley’s filling station to biodiesel
1 Number of diesel gallons used at Wellesley in 2006
2 National Biodiesel Board. <http://www.nationalbiodieselboard.org/>.
Project Snapshot:
Conversion of campus-owned maintenance
vehicles to biodiesel
Petrodiesel cost:
Average price paid by Wellesley during 2006
(Burke Oil): $2.31 per gallon petrodiesel
Biodiesel costs/savings:
Current estimate of $0.12 increase per gallon
(Burke Oil): $2.43 per gallon biodiesel
= 9,419 gallons1 * $0.12= $1130.28
5% increase
Low estimate of $0.07 decrease per gallon
(assuming March, 2007 prices): $2.38 per gallon
biodiesel
= 9,419 gallons * $-0.07= -$659.33
3% savings
High estimate of $0.24 increase per gallon (Burke
Oil): $2.55 per gallon biodiesel
= 9,419 gallons * $0.24 =$2260.56
10% increase
Environmental Benefits from B20 use
(compared to petrodiesel)2:
- 20% reduction in carbon dioxide
- 12% reduction in carbon monoxide
- 20% reduction in hydrocarbons
- 20% reduction in sulfates

Partial preview of the text

Download Wellesley College Study: Costs & Environmental Impact of Switching Campus Diesel Vehicles and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Economics in PDF only on Docsity!

Environmental Economics (Econ 228) Lauren Gritzke, Debra Hausladen, Anli Yang

Project Goal: To evaluate the costs, environmental benefits, and feasibility of switching campus-owned diesel vehicles to run on a 20% biodiesel fuel blend instead of 100% petrodiesel 1

Why switch to biodiesel?

  • Ease
  • Low cost
  • To bolster Wellesley’s environmental reputation
  • To reduce Wellesley’s environmental impact^2
    • to reduce particulate matter, greenhouse gases, and other harmful emissions

Evaluation Process

  1. Researched other schools that use biodiesel
  2. Researched feasibility at Wellesley a. Possible infrastructure changes (both filling station and in vehicles) b. Possible complications with engine warranties
  3. Researched costs a. Possible filter change costs b. Difference in fuel cost
  4. Contacted Burke Oil, Wellesley’s fuel provider, and calculated difference in fuel price
  5. Decided on pilot program

Project Specifics:

  • Switch 5 vehicles (representative of Wellesley’s maintenance fleet) to run on biodiesel
  • Choose between 2 biodiesel procurement schemes for pilot program:
    • Buy two 55 gallon drums of B20 biodiesel (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel) from Burke every 2 to 3 weeks
  • Or, switch 1 of the 2 existing diesel tanks at Wellesley’s filling station to biodiesel

(^1) Number of diesel gallons used at Wellesley in 2006 (^2) National Biodiesel Board. http://www.nationalbiodieselboard.org/.

Project Snapshot:

Conversion of campus-owned maintenance vehicles to biodiesel

Petrodiesel cost: Average price paid by Wellesley during 2006 (Burke Oil): $2.31 per gallon petrodiesel

Biodiesel costs/savings: Current estimate of $0.12 increase per gallon (Burke Oil): $2.43 per gallon biodiesel = 9,419 gallons^1 * $0.12= $1130. 5% increase Low estimate of $0.07 decrease per gallon (assuming March, 2007 prices): $2.38 per gallon biodiesel = 9,419 gallons * $-0.07= -$659. 3% savings High estimate of $0.24 increase per gallon (Burke Oil): $2.55 per gallon biodiesel = 9,419 gallons * $0.24 = $2260. 10% increase

Environmental Benefits from B20 use (compared to petrodiesel)^2 :

  • 20% reduction in carbon dioxide
  • 12% reduction in carbon monoxide
  • 20% reduction in hydrocarbons
  • 20% reduction in sulfates