Current Connecticut Building Codes

Any new electric vehicle charging station, as known as electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), requires a permit. You can find the pdf application here.

As mandated by the Connecticut General Statues § 29-252, the State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee are responsible for adopting a State Building Code based on a nationally recognized model building code.

Currently Connecticut uses the 2003 International Residential Code and the 2005 National Electrical Code for building and structures. The 2013 Amendment stated the codes will be updated to the 2009 International Residential Code and the 2011 National Electrical Code along with Connecticut Code Changes. The effect was supposed to take effect October 1, 2013, but because of issues in the administration review process, there is a delay. Anticipated implementation date is now December 31, 2013.

To find out more please check the Office of the State Building Inspector website.

Clean Cities Offers Fleets New Tool to Evaluate Benefits of Alternative Fuel Vehicles

If you are interested in this tool and need help, please call Lee Grannis at 203.627.3715.

Clean Cities is providing fleets a new tool to calculate payback periods and emissions benefits of alternative fuel vehicles.

Developed by Argonne National Laboratory, the Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Tool can help a fleet estimate vehicles’ petroleum use, greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, and total cost of ownership.

The AFLEET Tool provides three calculation options:

• The Simple Payback Calculator uses acquisition and annual operating costs to calculate the payback period for purchasing a new alternative fuel vehicle relative to a comparable conventional vehicle; it also calculates the vehicle’s average annual petroleum use and emissions.
• The Total Cost of Ownership Calculator evaluates the net present value of operating and fixed costs over a new vehicle’s planned ownership period, as well as its lifetime petroleum use and emissions.
• The Fleet Energy and Emissions Footprint Calculator estimates the annual petroleum use and emissions of existing and new vehicles, accounting for older vehicles’ higher air pollutant emissions.

The AFLEET Tool requires Microsoft Excel to run and may be downloaded free from Argonne National Laboratory or accessed through the Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Courtesy of Clean Cities
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/news_detail.html?news_id=21084

November 2013 Question of the Month

Question of the Month: What are the key terms to know when discussing ethanol flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) and their fueling infrastructure?

Answer: It is important to know how to “talk the talk” when it comes to FFVs. Becoming familiar with the terms below will help you better understand these vehicles and the associated fueling infrastructure so that you can ask the right questions and make informed decisions.

FFV: An FFV is a vehicle that has an internal combustion engine and can run on E85 (defined below), gasoline, or a mixture of the two. Except for fuel system and powertrain adjustments that allow the vehicles to run on higher ethanol blends, FFVs are virtually identical to their conventional gasoline vehicle counterparts; however, drivers can expect a slightly lower fuel economy when driving on ethanol compared to gasoline, depending on the ethanol blend.

Types of Ethanol
Ethanol can be categorized into two main types based on the feedstocks used for its production:

• Starch- and sugar-based ethanol: Produced from feedstocks like corn, wheat, milo, and sugarcane, starch- and sugar-based ethanol makes up the majority of all domestic ethanol production. In fact, corn is the most common ethanol feedstock in the United States. This type of ethanol is manufactured through dry- or wet-mill processing. More than 80% of ethanol plants are dry mills due to lower capital costs. Dry-milling consists of grinding corn into flour and fermenting the mixture, resulting in distiller grain and carbon dioxide co-products. Wet mills separate the starch, protein, and fiber in corn prior to processing these components into products, such as ethanol.
• Cellulosic ethanol: Produced from feedstocks like crop and wood residues, dedicated energy crops, and industrial and other wastes, cellulosic ethanol offers advantages over starch- and sugar-based feedstocks (e.g., no concerns with food versus fuel). Feedstock components include cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Because it is more challenging to extract sugars necessary for ethanol production from these feedstocks, cellulosic ethanol is more difficult to manufacture than starch- and sugar-based ethanol. This type of ethanol can be produced through two conversion pathways:  
• Biochemical: Feedstocks are pretreated to release hemicellulose sugars and then undergo hydrolysis to break cellulose into sugars. Sugars are fermented into ethanol, and lignin is recovered and used to produce energy to power the process.
• Thermochemical: Heat and chemicals are added to feedstocks to create a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen, also known as syngas. Syngas is then mixed with a catalyst to produce ethanol. 

Ethanol Blends
The following ethanol blends can be used in conventional gasoline vehicles (note model year restrictions for E15):

• E10: (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) – E10 is classified as "substantially similar" to gasoline by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is legal for use in any gasoline-powered vehicle. More than 95% of the U.S. gasoline supply contains up to 10% ethanol to boost octane, meet air quality requirements, or satisfy the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2), which calls for 36 billion gallons of biofuels to be blended into transportation fuel by 2022. E10 must meet ASTM D4806 fuel specifications. ASTM International develops specifications for conventional and alternative fuels to ensure proper vehicle operation and safety.
• E15: (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline) – E15 is legal for use in model year 2001 and newer vehicles; however, there are several EPA and state agency requirements and regulations stations must adhere to when selling E15. Fuel producers that market E15 are required to individually register with EPA. While E15 does not qualify as an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct), it does help meet RFS2. E15 must meet fuel specifications laid out in ASTM D4806 and cannot be used in motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, off-road vehicles, or off-road equipment.

The following ethanol blends above E15 should only be used in FFVs due to material and compatibility issues associated with the high alcohol content of ethanol:

• Mid-level blends: Blender pumps (defined below) can create various other ethanol blends between E15 and E85 (also defined below). E20 (20% ethanol, 80% gasoline) and E30 (30% ethanol, 70% gasoline) are the most common blends selected. Mid-level ethanol blends must meet fuel specifications laid out in ASTM D7794. 
• E85: E85 is considered an alternative fuel under EPAct and can contain 51% to 83% ethanol, depending on geography and season. This variance in ethanol content is allowed to ensure proper starting and vehicle performance in geographic locations where cold temperatures can affect fuel properties. Though dependent on the blend, drivers can expect about 27% less energy per gallon than gasoline, resulting in a corresponding reduction in fuel economy, when using E85. E85 must meet ASTM D5798 fuel specifications.  

Infrastructure
Low-level ethanol blends up to E10 have already been incorporated into the majority of the U.S. gasoline supply, and fueling stations that supply these blends are not required to update their fueling infrastructure. Ethanol blends above E10, however, do require specific ethanol-compatible equipment, including:

• Dispensers: E85 and blender pump dispensers require specialized metals and seals to perform with high concentrations of ethanol. Permitting authorities typically require all ethanol dispensers to be UL-listed for the ethanol blend dispensed.
• Hanging hardware: Hanging hardware, including hoses, nozzles, swivels, and breakaways used to dispense ethanol blends should use ethanol compatible materials. Permitting authorities typically require hanging hardware to be UL-listed for the ethanol blend dispensed.
• Storage tanks: EPA guidance allows underground storage tank (UST) manufacturers to provide a statement of compatibility for their products with specific biofuels blends. All tank manufacturers have issued statements of compatibility with ethanol blends. For a list of UST manufacturers and their ethanol-compatibility statements, please refer to the Clean Cities Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 and Other Ethanol-Gasoline Blends (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/uploads/publication/ethanol_handbook.pdf)

Most stations that dispense mid-level blends also have the following:

• Blender pump: This type of fuel dispenser offers FFV owners a variety of ethanol-blended gasoline products between E15 and E85. Blender pumps draw fuel from two separate storage tanks (E10 and E85) and can dispense preprogrammed blends of those fuels. Blender pumps also may be used to dispense E15 legally. Note that blender pumps currently are offered only at select fueling stations and are mainly concentrated in the Midwest. The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) Fueling Station Locator (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/locator/stations/) includes details about E85 stations with blender pump availability. 

Additional information on FFVs, ethanol feedstocks, and infrastructure can be found on the AFDC Ethanol website (http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol.html).


Clean Cities Technical Response Service Team
technicalresponse@icfi.com
800-254-6735

Clean Cities Launches iPhone App for Alternative Fueling Station Locations

Alternative fuel stations in the palm of your hand.

iPhone users now have access to a free app that locates fueling stations offering alternative fuels, including electricity, natural gas, biodiesel, E85, propane, and hydrogen. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed the new app for DOE’s Clean Cities program. It is available for download through Apple’s App Store.

The Alternative Fueling Station Locator app allows iPhone users to select an alternative fuel and find the 20 closest stations within a 30-mile radius. Users can view the locations on a map or as a list containing station addresses, phone numbers, and hours of operation.

“If you drive an electric vehicle, for example, you can now use your iPhone to easily identify, contact, and navigate to the charging station that is most convenient for you,” NREL Project Manager Trish Cozart said. “Generally, people don’t search for a station while they’re sitting at a computer; they need this information while they’re out and about, which makes a mobile application the ideal means to deliver it.”

The app draws information from Clean Cities’ Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), which houses the most comprehensive, up-to-date database of alternative fueling stations in the United States. The database contains location and contact information for more than 15,000 alternative fueling stations throughout the country.

“The number of alternative fuel vehicles on the road has been increasing steadily over the last two decades,” Cozart said. “Drivers and fleets have an unprecedented array of options to cut or eliminate petroleum use, and this new app serves as one more tool to facilitate these transitions.”

The AFDC is a comprehensive clearinghouse of information about advanced transportation technologies. The site offers unbiased information, data, and tools related to the deployment of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles.

In addition to the iPhone app, the AFDC provides multiple ways to access and use its alternative fueling station data. The Alternative Fueling Station Locator functions as a “widget,” meaning that users can embed the tool onto their own websites. The data are also available via data feeds that developers can access and use in their own mobile and Web applications. Provided through NREL’s developer site, developers can retrieve the data via a Web services API (application programming interface).

Courtesy of Clean Cities
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/news_detail.html?news_id=21037