Energy report

By Bill Bane

Bane-Clene has been interested in the environment and fuel conservation since the inception of its electric truck-mounted unit in 1969. Resisting the temptation to use the vehicle engine or a problematic additional engine to power the cleaning system, the company learned how to operate adequate pumps and machinery on electricity, a cheap form of energy.

For vehicles, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) could be the fuel of the future. Natural gas is plentiful and when used to power automobiles it burns clean, gives good mileage, improves engine performance, is easier on engines and promises longer engine life with less repair. The cost is less than unleaded gasoline and using it would reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

T. Boone Pickens is promoting CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) along with wind power as alternatives to foreign oil. He has large holdings in natural gas so his reasons are obvious, but they do make sense. Alternate fuels such as grain derivatives and oxygenated fuels are other alternatives to gasoline. Electric vehicles will grow in popularity. Batteries are being produced here in Indiana for a new electric vehicle made in Norway.

At our annual convention in September, 1991, Citizens Gas Company introduced a van which operated on CNG. Dan Willis, manager of our service company, had converted* some of his trucks to CNG for $3,000 per vehicle. Steve Goldsmith, the mayor of Indianapolis, spoke at the meeting and complemented us for thinking ahead and especially about fuel conservation. He warned of the risks of dependence on foreign oil.

We loved those CNG vehicles,** and the tax credits that went with them but economics and reality set in and we discontinued their use. Our technicians had to drive to one location to recharge the tank and often wait in a line there. The promise of a compressor which could be attached to a gas line in the company garage never materialized. Maybe CNG will come again.

*Any gasoline engine may be converted to burn safe, clean, efficient, inexpensive CNG. Besides keeping the air clean, the use of this fuel lessens dependence on foreign oil.

**CNG is measured in thermos, with 1.2 thermos equaling 1 liquid gallon. There are 100,000 BTUs (British thermal units) to a thermo of CNG. In 1991 we bought CNG at sixty three cents per gallon equivalent. The miles per gallon were the same and engine performance is as good as when it operates on gasoline. The savings at that time were about forty cents per gallon.

Fall 2008
Cleaning Digest™
INDEX