Green Fueling on the Coast
by Whitney Merrill
Biodiesel “magic” under the hood. Photos: Whitney Merrill.
April 2013—Dave Eck and his wife Ginny just returned from a weekend trip to Pismo Beach in their custom-built RV, and they didn’t stop for gas even once. In fact, if you recently had a meal at one of the local restaurants in Half Moon Bay, it’s likely that your meal subsidized part of their trip — so “thank you” on behalf of our local economy and also on behalf of the Ecks. They look like they had a great time in their fully refurbished, custom-designed 1971 Silver Eagle luxury coach that burns fuel at about 4 miles per gallon, so it’s really nice of you to help them out!
Dave Eck.
If you haven’t guessed it already, what we’re talking about is the use of biofuel — and in particular, biodiesel. The reuse and recycling of cooking oils from local Coastside restaurants into a fuel is what powers the Ecks’ coach and a number of the vehicles at the family business of Half Moon Bay Auto Repair. Eck buys the cooking oil directly from Coastside restaurants and converts it into biodiesel via a mini-refinery on-site at his business. He’s been doing this for 15 years, even when the gas prices were lower. Eck says: “It’s not just about the cost savings. The reason I’m doing it is because it’s a cleaner-burning fuel.” He adds that biodiesel produces less black smoke and has more power.
The process starts with finding what Eck calls a “really good product” — cooking oil from a local restaurant that uses high-quality oils with no trans-fats and changes the oil every day. He picks up the oil himself from pre-installed storage tanks, pays the restaurants for their oil, and also pays the state 16 cents per gallon road tax. This oil is then converted to biodiesel by adding some chemical agents including potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid, drying it to removing the water and moisture, filtering it, and then removing and recycling the by-product of the reaction — the glycerin used in some soaps.
The green-fueling lab.
Eck describes this as a fairly non-toxic process and says that he isn’t required to have a license to make biodiesel. He has a number of storage and drying tanks, a machine that mixes the chemical agents, and a bunch of testing equipment that looks a bit like a biology lab — but he’s quick to point out that the process is fairly simple and low-tech. “A person could get everything they need to do biofuel and do it out of a 50-gallon drum,” he says. There is also extensive information in the form of biodiesel home-brew guides and kits available on the Internet. A number of federal tax incentives for biodiesel use are currently in place and promoted by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The luxury biodiesel Silver Eagle coach just back from Pismo Beach.
Some of the other benefits of using biodiesel are the resulting reduction of greenhouse gases and the environmental benefit of recycling. Since Eck is recycling oil that has already been produced and transporting it locally, the net carbon output is very small, and he is reusing something that would normally take additional energy to dispose of or recycle completely. “I feel really good about it because I’m doing something good for the environment,” says Eck. “I’ve really been into being green, and at the shop I recycle everything.”
Eck is also very proud of this custom RV that he has lovingly restored and equipped with a full stainless steel refrigerator, flat-screen TVs, full kitchen, hardwood floors and a full master bath and bedroom. And “it goes down the road like a pillow … it’s so smooth,” Eck says. He’s worked with the Cabrillo school system for years, works on motor homes in his business and has a true passion for transportation and freedom. His RV is a labor of love: “To take something from the ground up, you’re building something that’s worth building,” he says. In his case he’s built more than a custom RV — he’s built a system and a process by which he can be fully independent of fuel supply and costs, thereby providing more flexibility and freedom for himself and his business.
The green-fueling lab.
But there’s one more reason for using biodiesel, Eck says: “The real reason I’m doing this is because I am ready for an earthquake. I’m off the grid and I have three backup generators.” Pointing to a map of the U.S. on his fridge showing all of the places that he’s visited, Eck notes that he can travel for hundreds of miles with his coach and its large storage tanks, all with a green and renewable process. With his “refinery” and his bus, he’s ready to hit the road at any time and he feels prepared for the future, whatever that may bring. Eck sums up with what sounds like his personal motto: “When you’ve got your own fuel, you can go places.”
On the Web:
www.afdc.energy.gov/laws/laws/US/tech/3251
