Highlights on a Few Reputable Biodiesel Makers

By Win Paulson

Biodiesel has recently been recognized as a viable alternative energy source and fuel additive by several international groups. Its many advantages over conventional petroleum based diesels include being environmentally friendly due to causing no harmful emissions, as well as being readily biodegradable. Biodiesel also enjoys a certain amount of sponsorship from environmental groups because certain types of biodiesel are made from waste cooking oils, allowing easy recycling of something that would otherwise go to waste after use.

Furthermore, it's performance specs initially show as much efficiency as normal diesel fuels, but it also gives the added advantage of increasing the lubrication of the engine parts it runs through, improving engine efficiency in the long run by as much as 30% as well as cleaning out the engines, making them run smoother, and prolonging their lifespan.

Several firms in recent years have placed research into producing biodiesel, and with funding from various investors and even government sponsors, these firms have come up with safe and effective fuels. Some reliable names in the biodiesel industry include the following companies:

NBB

This is not a manufacturing company per se, but merits first mention because it is the National Biodiesel Board. Its main goal is to promote the overall production, trade, and development of biodiesel in the United States. NBB subsidiaries and sponsored corporations have to pass strict standards, so they can assure the public of safe and effective forms of biodiesel.

Pacific Biodiesel

Situated in Hawaii, Pacific biodiesel specializes in the creation of fuel from cooking oil byproducts. Their approach is extremely environmentally friendly, employing used vegetable and animal cooking oils as their source of fuel production. Their manufacturing plant takes these used materials that would normally simply be discarded, and processes them into useable biodiesel. The unused portions of the oil are also used, and are converted in another facility into soap and detergent products.

Footprint Recycling

These manufacturers also specialize in the recycling of cooking oil into biodiesel. They make a distinction between conventional biodiesel and WVO, or Waste Vegetable Oil. Their definition of biodiesel is that is processed directly from soybeans and coconut oil, while waste vegetable oil (WVO) diesels are made especially from recycled vegetable-based cooking oils.

Minnesota Soybean Processors

Minnesota, together with its famous adjoining city St Paul, form the economic engine that drives the Upper Midwest of the United States. The Minnesota Soybean Processors are a conglomerate that specializes in the production of soybean related products. One of their main products is soybean-based biodiesel, and one of the strengths of this group is that they have tie-ins with other Minnesota based institutions to further their research and development, including the state sponsored University of Minnesota.

Biofuel Industries

Based in Texas, this company eschews the usual approach of other biodiesel manufacturers. Instead of utilizing waste vegetable oil or soybeans as a fuel source, they convert other plant oil into biodiesel. Actually, they originally focused on vegetable oil biodiesel, but as time went by this particular group made a point of branching out. Their specialty is in finding sources aside from WVO and soybeans to use as a base material for creating biodiesel. Currently, their research includes using coconut oil and palm oil, and they are continuously exploring other oilseed plants as viable options for alternative fuel.

About the Author: Win Paulson is a contributing editor at http://www.info-biodiesel.com where you will find information and resources on biodiesel. Head to FlexFuel-Info.com for information on other biofuels and renewable energy.

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A Closer Look At The Alternative Energy Sources Of Solar And Wind Power

By Gregg Hall

More and more scientists today agree that global warming is a serious issue and that the cause of global warming is carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Politicians, too, are being swayed as they see increases in property damaged, injuries, and even deaths due to natural catastrophes which appear to have gotten worse in recent decades. Because fossil fuels appear to be the source of worldwide atmospheric change, people have began to look to other methods of producing energy. In addition to causing atmospheric change, there's the reality that we will run out of fossil fuels. The world's economy is based on fossil fuels but they are a finite resource. Eventually we will run out of them. Fossil fuels are not a sustainable resource. Two methods of producing energy which have little impact on the environment and are sustainable are solar and wind power.

First, we'll take a look at solar power. Solar power is, of course, power derived from the energy of the sun's rays. The limitation with this energy source is the sun itself. The sun will never run out, except at night. Solar power sources have been designed to compensate for the downtime of night or cloudy days, but solar power works best in sunny climates. Solar power is generally used in one of three ways: to generate heat, to generate electricity, and to desalinate salt water. Solar powered heating systems are usually either active or passive in design. An active solar heating system uses pumps to circulate water which has been heated by the sun. Passive solar heating systems use the nature of water to create circulation. This method relies on the fact that heat energy wants to move into areas of lesser heat. In generating electricity, solar power is harnessed by photovoltaic cells which convert the suns energy into electricity. These cells have been widely used to power calculators for decades. In solar desalination, the power of the sun is used to evaporate water to separate it from the salt and other undesirable minerals.

Another type of clean, renewable power comes from the wind. Wind power, while growing in popularity, still accounts for barely 1% of the world's power supply. This is hard to believe considering how much the wind blows! Wind power is usually harnessed using wind turbines. A centuries old version of harnessing wind power is the windmill. These lovely structures used the wind to grind grains and pump water. Today's wind turbines are advanced machinery employing the latest technologies. More and more "wind farms" are sprouting up around the world. These huge arrays of wind turbines can be found on land and offshore. The biggest ones in the US are land-based farms in California, Oregon, and Washington. There are also more and more popping up the Midwest. Because of energy costs and damage done to the environment, alternative energy sources are receiving a great deal of interest. Two of the most promising are solar and wind power.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as href="http://www.sciencekitsandbooks.com">science books at http://www.sciencekitsandbooks.com

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Global Warming could be Global Opportunity for Solar Energy

By Lance Winslow

Many people dread the future of world climate change and they believe that global warming will have a significant impact on fresh water supplies, ambient air temperatures and life on Earth. Many global warming alarmists are also calling for the complete abandonment of burning fossil fuels in our cars and burning coal to make our electricity.

Of course industry analysts and the top research and development institutions in the United States have found a way to burn coal without polluting the environment or atmosphere using new clean coal technologies. Nevertheless, the global warming alarmists are telling us we are headed so fast for a climate cliff that it may be too late to stop it and therefore life in world human civilizations will change forever and we may need to close down our factories, power plants and stop driving cars immediately sometime in the very near future.

If all this is true then global warming could be a global opportunity for the investment in solar energy. If the temperatures are going to be hotter and the sun is going to bake us, then obviously we should soak up some of the sun's energy through solar technologies and get our free energy from the sun. What do they say about what you should do when life gives you lemons; make lemonade! Why not turn a negative into a positive and make good use of the solar energy? Please consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.

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Public Relations for Hydro-Electric Power Plants

By Lance Winslow

Hydroelectric power plants often do not get the credit they deserve. Hydroelectric power is some of the cheapest energy around. Hydroelectric power is so cheap that if we only had more water and more dams we could lower our nation's energy costs by 50%. It is important for hydroelectric power companies to explain to the public how they are so vitally important to our nation's power infrastructure.

All too often we hear of complaints from environmentalists who say mean spirited things about hydro-electric power and complain that the intakes of hydroelectric power plants such in fish and they get killed. This is not true in all cases many times the fish will go right through the hydroelectric power plants and come out the other side like nothing happened.

Although, even when environmentalists understand this they still complain about the fish, which are unable to get up river through the system and they do not mention that many hydroelectric power plant dams have built ladders for the salmon to get up river. Hydroelectric power plants need to promote themselves as clean energy and this means they need a robust public relations and community goodwill program in place.

We need to cut the hydroelectric power plants some slack and it would be good if they would promote themselves and alert the public as to how valuable they are to our civilization. Perhaps you will consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mailing Strategies for Companies Selling Solar Power

By Lance Winslow

Solar Energy is really moving fast due to so many innovations and new technologies these days. Solar Companies have a huge potential to sell lots of products and save people money on their energy bills and take advantage of tax incentives for alternative energies. Many people do not realize that the Return on Investment for a home or small business solar system is much faster than a decade the prior.

Of course a solar company must get in new customers so they can tell friends because word-of-mouth advertising and a referral network is best form of advertising and marketing. But how do they get these original customers in to buy so they can be satisfied and become believers in solar technologies to tell their friends?

Well perhaps a robust yet inexpensive marketing and advertising program might do the trick. Let me explain; you see, Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mailing Strategies for Companies Selling Solar Power makes a lot of sense really.

Companies selling solar power equipment, panels and batteries should send out direct-mail marketing pieces to high net worth households within a 25-mile radius and also to all the small businesses in the area. Please consider direct-mail marketing and direct mailing strategies for your solar power company in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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