Companies Save by Burning the On-site Oil

Car dealerships, mechanics shops, and family garage oil changers recycle oil as a matter of practice. Sending those leftovers to recyclers often costs time and money, but a new kind of heating system can put it to good use and save companies thousands in energy bills. Clean Burn manufactures heating systems that run on used oil, with 80,000 of their units churning away for companies around the world.

McCormick Motors in Nappanee, Indiana is one such organization. They installed four of the units to heat their 40,000 square foot space. In doing so, the company reduced their oil waste from over 10,000 gallons per year to the volume of a single 55 gallon drum, avoiding the cost of disposal and greatly reducing their energy bills.

“We recycle almost 10,000 gallons of used-oils each year with our Clean Burn units,” according to Gordon Moore, vice president of McCormick Motors in Nappanee, Indiana. “The energy savings are significant. However, the most important aspect is that we’ve eliminated our liability for transporting the used-oils to a disposal site and we’re doing something positive for the environment.” Clean Burn has stories from other owners of their products, from an auto dealership trimming their yearly gas heating costs by 87% to a construction company saving $28,000 in heating oil.

Up to 15% of the used oil generated each year is dumped illegally, poured down the drain, or disposed of in some other manner that spoils the environment. The company's website claims that 40% of the pollution in U.S. waterways is from used motor oil. Clean Burn believes their product can help clean things up.

With a front page slogan of "Reclaiming the Earth's Energy" and prominent mentions of "environmentally friendly" across the site, Clean Burn had better be sure of its credentials. Eco-proofing is a popular way to drum up business and the enviros are quick to pin the label "greenwashing " on posers. So let's take a look behind the slogans.

The company says that used oil contains more energy than conventional heating oil and twice that of coal, producing 18 kilowatt hours of electricity per gallon. Looks good from an efficiency standpoint. Also, by not relocating the oil to arecycler, there's a decreased risk of spills and you cut down on emissions from the transporting vehicles. The company's website also includes a chart that discusses the uses of recycled oil, which include industrial fuel (72% of all end use), space heating, and lubricants. It's not like recyclers are coating the Everglades, these all seem like legit uses. So is the home-based system really better for the environment? Not to mention that we're still burning petroleum. A gallon of regular fuel oil produces 22 pounds of CO2 and I'm guessing there's nothing magical about CB's units that make them carbon neutral.

Verdict? On balance, I'd say that the reductions in CO2 emissions are minimal* And, clearly, energy from crisp breezes and sun rays is preferable to any kind of fossil fuel combustion. However, we have to do something with the 1.3 billion gallons of used oil generated in the U.S. every year. So why not have it go to reducing Marty Mechanic's heating bill?

*Geek time: A gallon of used oil produces 18 kilowatt hours. I'm assuming CO2 emissions per gallon equal to fuel oil (22 pounds), so that's 1.2 pounds CO2/kW hr. This website says (at the bottom) that a kilowatt of electricity - energy source not defined - produces 1.4 pounds/kW hr. A difference of 0.2 pounds. If I have my math wrong, please let me know.