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Refuse Haulers Fleet Experiences
Choice Environmental Services Chooses Natural Gas
Last Updated: October 11, 2011
Choice Environmental, a wholly owned subsidiary of Swisher Hygiene, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWSH), a residential, commercial and industrial solid waste services company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the first refuse company in Florida to convert a portion of its operations to compressed natural gas (CNG). "Choice provides solid waste and recycling collection, transportation, processing, and disposal services to customers throughout Florida. In our bidding for residential collection contracts, we realized that the main unknown was projecting diesel fuel cost five to seven years into the future," explains vice president Tony Ciofalo. "We found that the price of CNG was much more stable than diesel and we were given the option to lock in fuel price guarantees." With natural gas selling for about $1.50 less than diesel per gallon, the potential savings for a truck using 10,000 gallons a year is around $15,000 in fuel costs.
Environmental considerations also played a part in the switch to natural gas. The chance to help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil is "a very big deal for us," states Choice CEO Glen Miller. "We believe opting to use domestic natural gas is better for our company, for our customers, and the economy as a whole." Achieving a clean, green operating profile is another key objective of the ongoing transformation of the Choice fleet. "The use of natural gas has been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 23 percent. We know that the Florida communities we serve consider protecting air quality a very important issue," Miller said. "So we brand each truck as 'Powered by Natural Gas-The Green Choice for Florida.'"
Choice Environmental has 14 CNG collection trucks serving residential and commercial customers in Broward County and intends to add two commercial route vehicles in the next few months. The current fueling infrastructure is a private time-fill station in Pompano Beach, Florida, built by Clean Energy and leased by Choice. Choice intends to maximize the Pompano facility by replacing the 30 remaining diesel trucks at Pompano with CNG vehicles.
Natural gas collection trucks have been a hit with both drivers and maintenance staff. Drivers appreciate the reduction in diesel emissions while running their routes. Maintenance costs has also been an extremely pleasant surprise, says Ciofalo. "We have compared apples to apples, comparing the latest diesel emissions technology with the CNG trucks and found there is significantly less maintenance required on CNG trucks than on our comparable diesel trucks."
One impediment to quick fleet conversion is the municipal contract bidding process. "The bid window from the award date to start date is often very small--operations sometimes have to be up and running in 90 days. The typical timeframe for taking delivery on CNG vehicles and building the necessary CNG infrastructure is six months," says Ciofalo. Miller explained that Clean Energy had a very short time window to design, permit, and complete station construction. "The fueling facility had to be up and running when our new CNG trucks arrived to start the Fort Lauderdale contract and Clean Energy made the deadline with time to spare."
Ciofalo concludes, "Natural gas has become very well accepted in the solid waste industry. Choice Environmental has found overwhelming success with our use of CNG and we look forward to expanding our CNG fleet."
Enviro Express Operates East Coast Fleet on LNG
Last Updated: June 27, 2011
Enviro Express Natural Gas, LLC, a waste collection and transport company, uses its fleet to haul ash and other refuse from Bridgeport to Putnam, Connecticut. The 110-mile trip will now be accomplished by Enviro Express's new fleet of 18 Kenworth T800 semi tractor-trailers powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
By switching to LNG, Enviro Express's fleet is able to displace approximately 500,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually while achieving lower vehicle maintenance costs. The company owns and operates the combination LNG and CNG refueling station in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the first LNG refueling station east of the Mississippi River. The LNG is being provided by Distrigas of Massachusetts, LLC, from its Everett Marine Terminal.
Partially funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the $6.2 million project is part of the larger Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels project.
City of Los Angeles Dedicates World's Largest LNG/LCNG Fuel Station
Last Updated: April 12, 2011
The City of Los Angeles operates more than 400 liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied to compressed natural gas (LCNG)powered refuse trucks out of a total fleet of 700 units and has just opened its fifth LNG refueling station. The station is thought to be the largest LNG/LCNG station in the world with a combined LNG fuel storage capacity of 60,000 gallons, six LNG fuel dispensers, 32-gallon-per-minute pumping capacity, 72,000 SCF of high-pressure storage and two dual-hose CNG dispensers.
The fueling station is located at the North Central Sanitation Yard which will provide a critical fueling location for a variety of other city natural gas vehicles including natural gas powered street sweepers, transit buses, aerial lift trucks, dump trucks, passenger vehicles, and a variety of other vehicles.
Smithtown Chooses CNG to Cut Refuse Collection Costs
Last Updated: April 04, 2011
Faced with rising refuse collection costs, the Town of Smithtown, New York, decided to require its refuse collection contractors to use compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks. It was the first New York municipality to institute such a requirement. On January 1, 2007, the 30 contractor-owned diesel refuse trucks collecting solid waste and recyclables from the town's 116,000 residents were replaced by 22 CNG models.
Smithtown selected four bidders for seven-year contracts: Brothers Carting, Dejana Industries, Jody Industries, and V. Garafalo Carting. The companies were responsible for buying the new CNG trucks. To offset the higher cost for these trucks versus diesel trucks, the companies had the option of claiming the Federal Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit for up to 80% of the incremental cost. An alliance of local organizations helped the contractors find financing options.
To establish CNG fueling infrastructure, Smithtown partnered with natural gas supplier Clean Energy. With no leasing agreements, access fees, or capital outlay for Smithtown, the contract required Clean Energy to provide the fueling infrastructure and commission local service providers. Because of Smithtown's new contract with the refuse collectors, Clean Energy had to complete the fueling station in six months--two to four months faster than it usually takes to locate a station, obtain permits, and secure a compressor.
To accomplish this, Clean Energy received permission from the New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT) and Office of General Services to allow expansion of a station in nearby Hauppauge, which Clean Energy already operated for New York State. The Hauppauge expansion supported NYDOT's goal to increase natural gas use as a vehicle fuel and brought additional revenue to the state of $0.05 per gasoline gallon equivalent. Clean Energy expanded the Hauppauge volumetric gas flow rate from 15 to 2,000 scfm and opened the station within four months.Smithtown entered into an agreement on fuel pricing with Clean Energy through 2013. CNG costs for the refuse trucks started at $2.33 per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) through 2008 and increase each year to conclude at $2.94 per DGE in 2013. The contracted CNG price could decrease if the price differential between diesel and CNG goes above a set threshold.
"Controlling refuse collection costs for town residents was the primary reason Smithtown chose CNG," explained the coordinator of the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition. "The commitment from Clean Energy to set a stable fuel price was very important." Switching to CNG provides environmental and energy-security benefits for Smithtown.
The CNG refuse trucks are projected over the life of the contract to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 265 tons and particulate matter by 15 tons. Smithtown also expects to displace more than 1.5 million DGE of petroleum-based fuel.The benefits are amplified when other towns adopt a similar strategy. Smithtown's success inspired nearby Brookhaven to plan the deployment of 67 CNG trucks in 2009 in a similar effort.
Clean Cities inspired Smithtown's move to CNG. In May 2006, Russell Barnett, Smithtown's Environmental Protection Director, saw a Clean Cities alternative fuel presentation at the Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations Solid Waste/Recycling Conference & Trade Show in Bolton Landing, New York. The presentation persuaded him that CNG was the best choice for Smithtown's refuse fleet. According to Barnett, Smithtown and two neighboring towns that followed Smithtown's switch to CNG, save over a million gallons of diesel fuel a year by using natural gas instead. In 2010, federal funding helped Smithtown purchase seven Honda Civic GX natural gas sedans, eight general-purpose maintenance trucks, and three GEM electric vehicles--all adding to Long Island's fast-growing, municipal alt-fuel fleet. For more information, contact
Milwaukee Buys CNG Sanitation Trucks for Refuse Collection
Last Updated: December 20, 2010
The City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the proud owner of two new compressed natural gas-powered sanitation trucks. The Cummings ISL-G engine trucks are already making a big impact in the areas in which they operate. Not only are they much quieter trucks by design, they reduce emissions and greenhouse gases. Using CNG not only reduces the use of petroleum, it cuts the price of fuel by nearly $1 per equivalent gallon.
"We've noticed no difference whatsoever between the power of this engine and the power of a comparable diesel engine," says Jeff Tews, fleet operations manager. Besides collecting refuse, the trucks will also be used for plowing. The City of Milwaukee hopes to have more of these very clean CNG machines in service in the very near future.
V Garofalo Carting Makes the Switch to CNG
Last Updated: December 14, 2010
The V Garofalo Carting Company, a family-owned, Long Island, New York waste and recycling company, switched to CNG in 2007 after the town of Smithtown made it mandatory. They now clean up with 22 CNG trucks and plan to buy 5 more. Their clean-fuel switch was helped by a $600,000 federal Recovery Act grant from the Department of Energy. The 52-year-old firm has invested $6.5 million to green up their fleet with alt fuels. And it's already paying off.
Company owner, Mario Garofalo, says, "It's much cleaner--no more of this black smoke coming from our engines. The men working on the back of our trucks--they don't have to breathe in any of this pollutant anymore. You lose something, but you gain a lot." Garofalo also plans to build a CNG refueling station near the Long Island Expressway, which could help move Long Island even closer to a cleaner, petroleum-free future.
NYC Sanitation Adds Diesel Particulate Filters to Fleet
Last Updated: May 01, 2010
The MotorWeek success story of the week focuses on the New York City Department of Sanitation's efforts to improve air quality for residents in the Big Apple. The country's largest municipal refuse fleet has 2,000 trucks that are being retrofitted with advanced-diesel-particulate filters. These filters remove up to 90% of the soot from diesel exhaust.
The agency also has a slew of street sweepers--some of which are fueled by compressed natural gas--that are PM-10 certified. That means they are equipped with a special technology to help minimize dust turn-up while sweeping.
This green cage is another particulate-filter assembly--similar to the one on their refuse trucks. Collecting 22 million pounds of garbage a day is no easy feat, but the citizens of New York can breathe easier knowing it's the cleanest pick-up around. View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Hydraulic Hybrid Pressed into Service in Refuse Collection
Last Updated: March 04, 2010
Thornton, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, can boast of the second hybrid refuse hauler in service in the state. The Bridgeport automated side loader collection body is built on a Peterbilt chassis and uses Eaton hybrid hydraulic launch assist (HLA) technology. When the HLA system is engaged, energy is captured and released during deceleration and acceleration respectively. This makes the stop-and-go trash collection routes an excellent application for hybrids.
During braking, the vehicle's kinetic energy drives the pump/motor as a pump, transferring hydraulic fluid from the low-pressure reservoir to a high-pressure accumulator. The fluid compresses nitrogen gas in the accumulator and pressurizes the system. The regenerative braking captures about 70% of the kinetic energy produced during braking. During acceleration, fluid in the high-pressure accumulator is metered out to drive the pump/motor as a motor. The system propels the vehicle by transmitting torque to the driveshaft.
Adam Lovato, Thornton Environmental Services manager, explains that the Thornton City Council has directed staff to take an active role in conservation efforts and alternative energy. "We want to take this opportunity to put this new technology into the field. Our investment will provide good field data that will support industry development," Lovato says. "It's exciting to be part of shaping the technology for the future."
The vehicle joins a fleet of 19 city-owned refuse/recycle collection vehicles. Thornton plans to replace two traditional powered trucks with hybrid models later this year. The city anticipates that each truck may get 25% better fuel economy than its non-hybrid counterparts which could mean an annual fuel reduction of about 1,400 gallons per truck.
For more information, contact Thornton Environmental Services.
Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio Turns Trash Into Renewable Fuel
Last Updated: November 30, 2009
Our success story of the week comes from Grove City, Ohio, home of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio where they are turning trash into a renewable form of natural gas. At this specially-built Green Energy Center, more than 3,000 tons of trash is dumped into SWACO's landfill each day. As the trash decomposes, it releases methane gas which is collected through a network of pipes.
The raw gas is processed and cleaned through a series of stacks and tubes located inside the energy center. The resulting compressed natural gas is used to power SWACO's fleet of bifuel pickup trucks and dedicated CNG cars.
Phase 1 of the Green Energy Center at SWACO uses 8% of the available landfill methane. That creates or has the capacity to create 250,000 GGE annually. That's a quarter of a million gallons of gasoline that won't be needed! SWACO is also educating consumers with landfill tours showing common waste being used to create renewable, cleaner, greener fuel. View the MotorWeek video of this story.
New York City Sanitation Uses A Variety of Alternative Fuel Approaches
Last Updated: November 05, 2009
The New York City Department of Sanitation, the nation's largest municipal refuse fleet, is making great strides in using clean, alternative fuels. Among the array of vehicles is the hybrid hydraulic garbage truck, the only one in the country in its weight class. The agency is also testing hybrid electric and natural gas powered refuse trucks.
NYC's 2,000 other diesel refuse trucks run on renewable B5 biodiesel as do 450 of their street sweepers. Another 25 are fueled by compressed natural gas, and the alt-fuel list continues with hundreds of light duty gasoline-electric hybrids used by field supervisors along with 6 all-electric GEMs that move around the repair shop.
Collecting 22 million pounds of garbage a day using vehicles that are less dependent on petroleum is how NYC's Department of Sanitation is keeping it "clean and green" in the Big Apple. View the MotorWeek video of this story.
Waste Management of Seattle Adds CNG Vehicles for Refuse Collection
Last Updated: March 24, 2009
Waste Management of Seattle has added 106 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles to its fleet of collection vehicles as replacements for older diesel models. The company plans to replace the remaining 75 diesel vehicles in its fleet within five years. The switch from diesel to CNG comes as Waste Management begins its new collection contract with the City of Seattle. In addition, the company 's new CNG fueling station is nearing completion at its South Seattle operations headquarters. The station will service the new CNG fleet and will be open to the public.
The trucks are expected to dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. "Waste Management is committed to helping our region take the bold steps necessary to improve local air quality. We are dramatically reducing our use of CO2 emitting fuels with this substantial upgrade in equipment, said Susan Robinson, director of Public Sector Services for Waste Management, NW. "We are investing in cleaner air."
Waste Management is investing $29 million in the new vehicles and an additional $7.5 million to build the fueling station. The new trucks are six times cleaner than diesel engines manufactured in 2007, and already meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2010 emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), producing nearly zero particulate emissions.
An independent environmental review produced by Gladstein, Neandross & Associates, an environmental consulting firm, determined Waste Management's equipment upgrade will reduce smog-causing NOx by 97%, toxic diesel particulate matter by 94%, and greenhouse gas by 20% over current levels.
According to City of Seattle Council President Richard Conlin, "In addition to significantly reducing climate change emissions, this new fleet of cleaner trucks is an important part of the city's plan to dramatically increase recycling rates and improve the service provided to Seattle Public utility customers."
Sunnyvale Served by CNG Refuse Haulers
Last Updated: July 07, 2008
California-based Specialty Solid Waste and Recycling (SSWR) is replacing its diesel refuse haulers with those that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Of its fleet of 37 vehicles that provide trash collection service for the City of Sunnyvale, California, 30 are powered by CNG.
SSWR made a corporate decision in partnership with the City of Sunnyvale to adopt CNG to meet the conditions of the California Air Resources Board refuse rule, which requires particulate filter traps on diesel trucks. Fleets made up of 50% or more alternative fuel vehicles were exempted from the diesel rule until January 1, 2010. "Liquid natural gas was less widely available in California, so we looked to compressed natural gas," says Jerry Nabhan, SSWR general manager.
Good pipeline gas pressure at the company's Santa Clara site allowed SSWR to build and operate a CNG refueling station that is accessible to the public 24 hours a day. The station installation cost approximately $500,000, which was partially offset with $200,000 provided by the California Energy Commission.
SSWR also receives grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) that help cover the $60,000 incremental costs of a CNG truck over a diesel one. With current CNG prices around $2.70 and the grants from TFCA, SSWR estimates that the payback period is about a year and a half per truck. The CNG refuse vehicles, which feature Cummins Westport 8.9-liter engines and Autocar chassis on Heil or Labrie bodies, drive 275,000 route miles per year and use 172,000 gasoline gallon equivalents of CNG annually.
According to Nabhan, there were some initial concerns about truck performance that proved to be unfounded. "Our city is relatively flat so the trucks have had no performance problems," Nabhan says. "With today's price of diesel at $4.88 and the price of natural gas at $2.70, we're glad we made the choice to go with natural gas."
Nabhan says his drivers like the natural gas trucks because there's no diesel smell, and the trucks are much quieter. Maintenance on the CNG trucks is a bit different than on diesel trucks, Nabhan says. For example, each truck's six spark plugs are replaced every six months at a cost of about $400 per truck. In addition, the trucks are tested for leaks every 90 days and tanks are pressure tested every three years.
"We're proud of our decision to go with natural gas. It's been good for our business and good for the community," Nabhan says. Interested visitors from several California communities as well as New York, Taiwan, and France have visited Sunnyvale to learn about SSWR's success with CNG refuse vehicles.
Contact Jerry Nabhan, SSWR general manager, 408-566-1809.
Los Angeles Clean Fueling Station Supplies LNG and CNG
Last Updated: December 18, 2007
On August 30, 2007 a new combined liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fast-fill compressed natural gas (L/CNG) clean fueling facility opened in South Los Angeles. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was on hand to explain how the station will help serve the City's growing fleet of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), which now includes 307 LNG solid refuse collection trucks, 54 CNG street sweepers, and various other city-owned AFVs. Los Angeles has the largest municipally-owned alternative fuel solid refuse collection fleet in the U.S. The South LA Fueling Station has a storage capacity of 45,000 gallons of LNG, and is the third in a series of similar stations. The first two stations were constructed in the West San Fernando Valley (45,000 gal.) and East Valley (60,000 gal.). All 3 stations were partially funded using $450,000 in Clean Cities U.S. Department of Energy grant awards received through the California Energy Commission. A fourth station is operating in the Harbor area, at a 6,000-gallon capacity.
The project took over 18 months to build. The station was then put into demonstration/testing mode for 8 months prior to the grand opening. The greatest challenge during the project was the site preparation and cleanup required prior to construction. Some 27,000 tons of contaminated soil were removed and cleaned up over a period of three months at a cost of $330,000.
A total of over $15 million in grants have been secured by the Environmental Affairs Department to help the City's solid resources collection fleet grow in size, and over 4 million gallons of diesel have been displaced since 2000, when the City started using LNG and L/CNG in its alternative fuel in its solid resources collection fleet.
For more information view the PDF about the South Los Angeles Clean Fuel Fleet Project.
Hoover Municipal Government Runs on Alternative Fuels
Last Updated: September 24, 2007
With a population of around 65,000, Hoover, Alabama, is the sixth largest city in the state. The City of Hoover currently operates 179 flex-fuel vehicles as well as 21 other light-duty vehicles, 60 medium- and heavy-duty trucks, two buses, two shuttles, and 96 off-road vehicles on B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. The city currently boasts that 80% of the fuel used by its fleet is alternative fuel.
Hoover's police force operates 130 of the flex-fuel vehicles, which are fueled 100% of the time on E85. The remaining 49 flex-fuel vehicles are used by the city's administative personnel. Hoover has also started a test program to use B20 in its fire trucks and plans to forward the results to the National Fire Protection Association.
Hoover may also be the first municipal government in the U.S. to manufacture its own B100 using waste vegetable oil collected from local restaurants. The city also plans to start home collection of waste vegetable oil by providing gallon jugs to homeowners who want to participate.
"The price of the alternative fuels is below the price of petroleum fuel. With our own B100 production, we might even turn a profit," says David Lindon, fleet management director for the City of Hoover. "The mayor and the city council are committed to clean fuel. It's the right thing to do for our energy security and it's cost effective."
For more information about the alternative fuel program in Hoover, Alabama, contact David Lindon, Fleet Management Director, City of Hoover.
