Piedmont Biofuels
   
Membership Newsletter
Piedmont Biofuels Newsletter
doug2
Doug Jones, Farmer Extraordinaire and King of the NC Pepper!
Tales from the Plant
September 2010

Greetings!

As the year rolls on, so do our endeavors to keep you up to date on what's happening with Piedmont Biofuels and all our friends.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy the 8th Edition.

As fall settles in, we continue to see record highs on the B100 Trail and are gearing up for several weekends of local fuel, local food, and community based events.  In fact, all you have to do is check out the bulletin boards next to your favorite filling station (Carrboro.....your bulletin board is next on our list) to see what's happening in your neck of the woods!

September found us putting almost 20,000 gallons of fuel into the world, helping Agrofuels in Statesville, NC get a degumming skid up and running, not to mention continuing work and research on our enzymatic grant from the Department of Energy.

The last quarter of this year we have been focused on building from the inside out.  Success starts at home and we are committed to strengthening our internal systems to meet our members' and associates' needs.

Our loyal members can expect to receive a hugely informative B100 map in the mail.  This map is packed full of info for all you Biodiesel addicts.

As the leaves begin to change color and fall, please remember to come out and join us at the 3rd Annual Pepperfest, Shakori Hills Festival of Music and Dance, and CCCC's Green Central.  


Sustainably yours,
Piedmont Biofuels
September is for Soybean Crushing!

September is for soybean crushing! This September, Piedmont Biofuels helped  McLain Farms in Statesville,NC to add value to their soybean oil by supplying equipment to non-chemically remove gums from the oil.



McClain Farms offers different types of soybean and canola oil, including many non GMO varieties! PBI's design build team researched, designed and constructed a skid-mounted continuous processor that uses water, shear mixing and a stacked disk centrifuge to remove hydratable gums and moisture from virgin soybean and canola oil.

Removing these gums will enable this farm to sell their oil into the food fryer market or the biodiesel feedstock market. We hope it goes to the fryers first so we can all eat that GMO free oil!...and you know we'll pick it up on the back end anyway.


  

Second Time Around!

Piedmont's Research and Analytics department is celebrating another funding award from the U.S.Department of Energy. We received a second phase award to a federal Small Business Innovation and Research grant. This award will be $969,970 to develop a biodiesel refining process that uses enzymes to convert low-quality fats, oils, and greases into biodiesel fuel.

This funding is a continuation of the DOE Phase one award from November 2009.  These monies will help expand our research in enzymatic biodiesel using low quality feedstocks like yellow and brown grease. Now we are running research quantities of fuel from our enzymatic pilot plant.  In the coming year we will break ground on a larger production scale enzymatic biodiesel.

We will continue to collaborate with our research partner, Novozymes, a Danish biochemical company with its U.S. headquarters in Franklinton. Novozymes will supply the enzymes for the project. 





Education is our thing.....

We've had an eventful summer bringing clean fuels technology to the people.  In September we partnered with Triangle Clean Cities  on two public and fleet Biodiesel workshops, using our Cleantech Mobile Education Trailer to teach folks the many benefits of using Biodiesel.   Our Monforts Oil Seed workshop was a smashing success.  We hosted a full workshop with folks learning the benefits and possibilities of cold-pressed oils for food, fuel, and health.  Attendees were treated to a delicious oil tasting with samples of Muscadine Grape, Pecan, Grape and Scuppernong Oils.
 
We're looking forward to this fall's Shakori Hills Grassroots Music Festival, where we'll be holding court with Cleantech, giving a couple interesting lectures at the Sustainability Tent, and offering some delicious B100 up for sale in the parking lot! 

Did you know that Piedmont Biofuels members get $5 off at the door? And, if you're coming from around Pittsboro, consider leaving your car and taking the Chatham Marketplace - Shakori Hills shuttle, which will be running on B20 from yours truly.   Come out and say hello, we'd love to see you at our favorite festival.
 
On October 27th we'll be presenting with Cleantech at Guilford College, one of our Partners in Sustainability.  They will be hosting Solarpalooza to celebrate their new solar thermal install.

If you know of a group, camp, school or business that would be interested in one of our hands-on Cleantech Biodiesel workshops, contact Chris for more information and pricing on our sliding scale workshops.  Piedmont often travels to schools for these events, or we can host your group here at our Eco-Industrial Park.  [email protected] or 919-704-0549

Consider a featured article that focuses on the association's mission. Describe what the organization is today and where it wants to be in the future.
 
What action, if any, do you want your members to take? Add a "Find out more" link to additional information that you may have hosted on your website.
 
Meet the Staff featuring:
Chris Jude



Chris was our first ever intern in 2004 while working on a student biodiesel lab at Appalachian State University.  For this, he deserves a huge award - setting the bar high for those who were to follow.  

Raised in Atlanta, Chris moved from Portland, Oregon to Asheville, NC in 2002.  He is a graduate of the Appropriate Technology program at ASU with a focus on Small Scale Biodiesel.

Chris is at the helm of our education efforts and has worked on every aspect of this project....from the lab to production to design/build.  He is one of the most versatile folks we know and is always willing to help out or pitch in.

When Chris is not on the clock, he is immersed in several creative projects.  These interests include event planning (Mardi Gras and the Late Shift - just to name a few), oil seed pressing, and home gardening.  This year he has teamed up with some farmer friends to grow sorghum and make syrup.....yum!

We are glad we got to introduce you to Chris, for those of you who don't already know him. 


Member Referral


Piedmont Biofuels is gearing up for a Membership Drive that will continue throughout the rest of 2010!

We will be focusing on a few areas:
  • Residents in and around Saxapahaw
  • Current members friends and family
  • Folks or small businesses that are interested in having a private tank 
Please take a moment to send us some names and numbers of the above listed groups that you think would be a good match for Piedmont.  We couldn't do it without our members and are hoping to continue to increase the amount of fuel we are putting out into the world.

You can contact McCayne Miller, Membership Coordinator with any questions or ideas.

919-321-8260
[email protected]

$5.00 off Shakori Tickets

Shakori is only 6 days away!  Don't forget that Piedmont Biofuels members get $5.00 off at the door.  Bring your efueling card!

Grease Goddess Update

Moya, the Grease Goddess, in all her glory.

Moya, our Grease Goddess, and her team of oil collectors procure used cooking from restaurants, country clubs, universities and schools around the Triad and Triangle.


She is working hard to expand Piedmont's Oil Collection business and would love to take any and all of your waste vegetable oil. Already on board? Spread the word.

Moya can be reached at greasegoddess[at]biofuels.coop

Quick Links

Piedmont Partners

When deciding where to enjoy your lunch or dinner, check the front entrance for the Piedmont Biofuels Partner logo.

Our next Grease Appreciation:

Sitti, the hottest authentic Lebanese cuisine in downtown Raleigh, joined the Piedmont team in early 2009.

Since then we have been spinning the clean, quality used oil from the fryers in our locally sourced B100.

The staff at Sittiare a delight to work with and the food and ambiance are unmatched. I appreciate their ongoing efforts and to show our heartfelt gratitude, we are taking our next Grease Appreciation dinner to Sitti.

Please join us on October 19th at 6:30 pm for an unforgettable evening and help us thank those who make our biodiesel possible!

Sitti
137 S. Wilmington St.
Raleigh, NC 27601

____________

Don't forget 3rd Annual Pepperfest, this Sunday from 4-7 at the Plant! 

Pepper Poster

Local peppers, local beer, local band - - -and lots of fun. 


Happy Halloween


We are firing up the Pizza Oven on the afternoon of Halloween.....
in celebration of:

a. Halloween
b. the folks that built the pizza oven!
c. just because and it'll be delicious

We'll have lots of pizza dough!!

Bring:

a.  pizza toppings
b.  friends dressed up wildly
c.  drinks

RSVP:  [email protected]

If you'd like to come early for a Plant Tour, they start @ 1.00pm
We'll start the fire around 12.00 so that it's good and hot for 3ish pizza to go in!
Upcoming Events
Eco-Industrial Park Tours Every Sunday at 1pm and the first Friday of every month!

220 Lorax Lane
Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312

 Thank you For Your Membership

Together we continue to bring clean,renewable fuels throughout the Piedmont of North Carolina. Don't forget to renew your membership today for 2010.


Contact Information

Membership Services
McCayne Miller
919-321-8260