Less than 10 years ago, there were only about 1,500 compressed natural gas (CNG) garbage trucks on the road, all made by Autocar and Crane Carrier Company. Today that number has more than tripled, and continues to grow, with nearly every major manufacturer producing a version. Some estimates place the figure at 5,000 CNG garbage and recycling trucks out of a total of 140,000. The number is increasing as fleets replace older diesel trucks with CNG in their scheduled rotation.
Cost is the primary driver behind the move. “Otherwise,” admits Trevor Bridges, vice president of power train integration and strategies for Autocar, “nobody would do it.”
The differential in purchase price between a diesel and a natural gas truck has been shrinking, which helps drive the move. Federal tax incentives-some now expired-have also helped. Fuel costs have played a significant role in promoting the switch.
“Natural gas is dramatically cheaper than diesel,” notes Adam Burck, vice president of brand management for Autocar. “Diesel is $3.80 per gallon, versus $2 per DGE [Diesel Gallon Equivalent], even before the government credit of 50 cents per gallon.” On top of the disparity, diesel prices are volatile, while natural gas is stable.
Fleets with their own facilities can drive the cost down even further, Burck notes. Under the Federal Energy Act, private firms or municipalities that build a CNG fueling station can receive tax credits up to $30,000 off the project cost.
Beyond the Bread
While Burck and Bridges estimate that a positive return on investment (ROI) can be achieved on a 10- to 12-year natural gas vehicle (NGV), they believe that customers are paying attention to other benefits beyond cost. “Sixty percent of the vehicles we sell are CNG,” says Burck.
The majority of orders from Waste Management and Republic Services Inc. are for CNG trucks, which Autocar has been building for 15 years. The top two reasons, Bridges says, are the quieter engine and reduced emissions. “Environmental sensitivity and noise are factors in their choice.”
Switching to cleaner fuels positively impacts the battle against climate change and improves air quality. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 defines alternative fuels to include compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, biofuels, biogas, ethanol, hydrogen, electricity, and propane. In the waste industry, CNG dominates.
CNG produces 23% less carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions than diesel. Not only is that a benefit to drivers in cab for 8-10 hours a day, but Bridges points out that there are areas in California where haulers are not allowed to run new diesel trucks: they must run CNG trucks.
The “quiet aspect” is also important, Burck says. CNG trucks average 10 decibels quieter than diesel engine (90 decibels at 10 meters). Using trucks that don’t annoy residents is a bonus. Pleasing residents remains important. Letting them know that their garbage trucks run cleaner fuel is also important.
“Haulers want to get the message out,” says Bridges. “They want to promote the green aspects.”
Smithtown’s second public access CNG motor vehicle fueling station, Kings Park, NY
Natural gas-fueled road maintenance truck 2010 freight liner M2112, with Cummins Westport ISL G Engine
Case Study: Tampa
“Environmental concerns are important to us,” states Mark Wilfalk, director of the City of Tampa Department of Solid Waste and Environmental Program Management. He explains Tampa’s commitment to sustainability and reduction of environmental impact, and says Tampa is after the gold level of Green City Certification.
To help attain that level, Tampa’s refuse fleet began increasing its CNG fleet through a vehicle replacement program three years ago. By the beginning of 2015, Wilfalk expects to have 12% of the fleet on CNG.
There’s no getting around the financial aspect. The idea was introduced by the fleet maintenance department, Wilfalk says. “Clean Energy pitched. We did the calculations and educated ourselves.”
A Florida rebate program providing up to $25,000 per vehicle was convincing. So were the fuel savings. Natural gas costs average $1.50 less per gallon than diesel. Tampa purchases 1.4 million gallons of gasoline and diesel to power its entire fleet, which added $1.6 million to the city’s expenses.
Tampa’s CNG trucks fill up at Clean Energy’s fast-fill station for $2.19 per DGE at the time of this report. That price will drop to $1.25 when the city builds its own station, Wilfalk says. By comparison, diesel is $3.85 per gallon. Beyond the additional savings, he likes the improved efficiency their own station will provide. “We’ll be able to optimize the tanks -fill them full.” They’re only able to fill to 3/4 capacity with the portable filling station.
But the savings have already added up. “On an annual basis, we make financial adjustments to compensate for fuel and maintenance,” explains Wilfalk. That amount is usually around $1 million, but this year it was only $75,000, in part because the new CNG trucks had no maintenance issues.
“Savings are great, but it’s also cleaner and takes less maintenance time,” continues Wilfalk. Less maintenance time means more up time. “Availability is important to us.”
Whether availability is as important as sustainability isn’t clear, but the city’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint is evident. Even Mayor Bob Buckhorn supports the green efforts. “He champions the message,” says Wilfalk.
“Initially, I didn’t know about CNG, so I played along,” admits Wilfalk. He and the city are still learning, but they have already dispelled the myth that CNG is not as powerful. “It’s a little slow on takeoff, but you can barely tell.” By learning the principle of gas molecules, the drivers’ initial concern about blowing up has been allayed.
Looking at other cities and private haulers like Waste Management and Republic helped educate them, but experience has also been a good teacher. “Our first five trucks had the tank on the top for better turning radius, but we have lots of trees; this is a tree city big on green space.” Because the trees damaged shields, the city changed to trucks with tanks behind the cab.
It’s a pleasant learning curve. “We’re enjoying the ride,” says Wilfalk. “We’re committed.” They’re so dedicated, they are now exploring incorporating alternative fuel vehicles into their sedan fleet. “We want to walk the walk.”
Case Study: Muncie
A small Indiana town that didn’t even have a recycling program in 1998 is walking the walk now, having become a leader in sustainability and environmental protection.
In June 2014, the Muncie Sanitary District “opened for business with new trucks and a fueling station,” announces Nikki Grigsby, district administrator.
TruStar Energy built the station, which uses two Ariel 200-hp compressors capable of producing the equivalent of almost 6 gallons of gasoline a minute. Thanks to two fast-fill dispensers with credit card readers and onsite fuel storage, the station enables more than just the city to reduce its fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
“The private sector can fuel at our station,” explains Grigsby. “We serve private, public, and municipal customers.”
In fact, customers were a big part of the decision. “One company averages 10,000 gallons per month. Another company averages 5,000 gallons per month. Income and money saved on diesel can be put into other programs,” says Grigsby, offsetting the hit from property caps.
A supportive mayor, board and 200 employees who care about the environment have been matched by a community of 113,000 residents (36,000 households). “We have the highest recycling rate in the state,” says Grigsby.
Muncie’s full-time recycling programs don’t cost residents any extra-even for household hazardous waste, tires and Freon. The Sanitation District gets $0.07 of every $100 of assessed value.
To keep residents on board with its green initiatives, the Sanitation Department met with neighbors near the site of the new fueling station. They also launched a marketing campaign that included decals on the trucks, advertisements on Indianapolis’ syndicated Bob & Tom radio show, billboards at major interchanges, and the personal touch. “The guys take time on their routes to explain CNG,” says Grigsby, adding that “little kids” love the new trucks and the recycling mascot, Mr. Blue.
Case Study: Hobart
“Indiana is a goofy state,” says John Dubach, director of public works for the city of Hobart. “So many things are legislated; it’s hard to keep up.”
But keep up, he did. He found a state grant with available funding that led him to look into CNG refuse trucks for his city. “The economics worked out, but it’s just the right thing to do. What are we leaving for our kids?”
While he was crunching numbers, he consulted private haulers and South Shore Clean Cities for their expertise. In fact, he says, Clean Cities wrote the grant proposal-which brought a little publicity.
Mayor Brian Snedecor added to the publicity by announcing the move to replace the city’s diesel trucks with new CNG units as part of their regular duty cycle during council meetings. There was also extensive media coverage because Hobart was ahead of the curve. “It’s been slow going in this area,” explains Dubach. “We knew that if we stepped out and showed it works, others will try it.”
Stepping out and trying things isn’t unusual for this community, which has the only paint recycling program in Indiana. “It’s a simple program,” indicates Dubach. They mix all the paint collected in the county and sell it for $3 per gallon. “It’s a good-quality paint,” he adds.
The CNG trucks were a harder sell. “What held us back for years was the concern that the trucks weren’t powerful enough. They’re carrying a lot of weight,” explains Dubach.
Now that those concerns have been allayed, he’s looking at using the technology on other vehicles. “We want to try it on snow plows.”
2011 Kenworth T440 Dedicated CNG refuse truck 320-hp Cummins Westport ISL G Engine
Leading by Example
“Towns are very receptive,” declares Rita Ebert, program coordinator of the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC), a chapter of the US Department of Energy’s alternative transportation initiative. GLICCC’s mission is to increase the public’s awareness and use of alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles, while decreasing dependency on foreign oil.
Some cities are more receptive than others. Delivery trucks in New York are going 100% CNG by 2015. CNG fleets are already mandatory in Smithtown.
But more could be done. Because the post office is in the public eye every day, she thinks they should use CNG. “People see it, we get a lot of attention, and the message spreads,” says Ebert.
She believes that the state should mandate alternative fuel for a percentage of their fleet. “They should lead by example.”
New York, where health and the environment are big issues, is trying to. “The highest rates of asthma and breast cancer are on Long Island,” says Ebert. It’s a non-attainment area. “There’s so much pollution, we have to do something to control pollutants.”
One challenge is keeping the issue at the forefront. “When gas prices drop, people lose interest,” she indicates.
The Coalition sends e-mails to thousands whenever a hauler gets a new CNG truck to show that towns are doing something about the environment. “We keep educating, but more could be done,” states Ebert.
The Coalition is working with ferries to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) and CNG, as well as with schools to replace diesel school buses, citing the “enormous savings” refuse haulers gain by switching. “They can save $1 to $1.50 DGE with CNG. One client with 22 trucks saves half a million dollars a year,” says Ebert.
In addition, the guys on the back of the truck are no longer inhaling toxins and nitrogen oxide (NOx). At a recent opening of a CNG station, a white handkerchief was placed on the exhaust of a diesel truck and a CNG truck. “You could see a black ring on the diesel,” recalls Ebert. “When you show examples like that, it’s alarming. Nobody is against CNG. We need state regulations on fleets.”
Sam Spofforth, executive director of Clean Fuels Ohio, believes local governments can influence haulers to change by writing requirements into contracts. In fact, he says, “we encourage them to do so!”
Having worked with a lot of fleets, Spofforth says the motivators for change to CNG are economics and then public perception, especially if they have a visible brand. Referencing the Ohio Green Fleets certification program for specific reductions in petroleum use and emissions, he says nine fleets are certified. “Waste Management was certified this year. Public perception is a big part of it for them; they’re high-profile and concerned about their image.”
For most haulers, though, public image plays an important part, but is not a decisive factor, he concludes. Money is. That’s why it’s important for governments to mandate it. Then, if a hauler isn’t competitive with fuel costs, they could lose out on contracts. Mandates or not, he says, “Any refuse company not transitioning to natural gas is making a big mistake.”
Case Study: Smithtown
Smithtown is a pioneer, Spofforth states. Smithtown, NY, is the first community outside of California with a 100% CNG fleet and the first in the US to mandate for contract refuse collection (since 2006).
At first, it was a purely economic program, admits Russell Barnett, director of the Department of Environment & Waterways. After Hurricane Katrina, diesel prices went up, but because the contracts in effect had no fuel escalator clause, contractors who bid when diesel was $1.30 per gallon threatened to stop collecting when it went up to $4.50 per gallon. Barnett was forced to look for a cheaper alternative.
As part of his search, Barnett drafted the “Smithtown mandate,” the first municipal policy outside of California to require its waste management contractors to use only CNG trucks. The mandate took effect January 1, 2007.
That year, Smithtown saw more bidders than ever before. Barnett ascribes that to the fact that the contract had value because diesel prices were unstable. “We negotiated a contract with Clean Energy Fuels to design, permit, build, own, and operate a fill station, eliminating the uncertainty about fuel cost,” explains Barnett. They also guaranteed stable prices for the fleet.
In addition, Manhattan-based Energy Vision assisted contractors to apply for federal incentives, such as the now-expired Section 1341 program of the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which provided a tax credit of up to $32,000 to cover the difference in price between a new CNG truck and a traditional diesel vehicle.
“We paid less in 2007 than in the previous five years,” reveals Barnett. Smithtown lowered collection rates because fuel costs were lower. Even more astoundingly, the second-generation contract dropped rates a second time, due to the lower price of the trucks.
It was a bold decision, never done on the East Coast before, according to Joanna Underwood, president of Energy Vision, a research organization that gave Smithtown guidance. None of the haulers on Long Island had used CNG before. Today, there are 150-200 refuse trucks on Long Island, as other municipalities follow Smithtown’s lead.
Other city departments also followed Barnett’s example, expanding the in-house CNG fleet by adding street sweepers, snow plows, highway maintenance trucks, rolloffs, and Honda Civics for inspectors. “It’s one of the most diverse CNG fleets,” he summarizes.
Barnett recognized that the move to CNG had other benefits. In addition to choosing a fuel with predictable prices that would allow them to accurately plan their budgets, he was interested in reducing Smithtown’s reliance on imported fuels. “We have an aging population of WWII veterans; reducing the reliance on foreign oil was well received.”
Self-reliance aside, one of the most important benefits is environmental. “It’s not just all about economics,” raves Barnett. “This is finally one of those things where you can get environmental benefits while saving money. It’s very rare . . . and very exciting.”
Located on an island roughly 35 miles from New York City, Smithtown relies exclusively on groundwater to supply drinking water to its 118,000 residents. “There is strong indigenous environmental sentiment here,” states Barnett.
The “guys on the back of the trucks” may be happier to breathe less diesel fumes, but this decision wasn’t made just for them. Smithtown is in a non-attainment zone, meaning their air quality is worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards defined in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970. Non-attainment areas must implement plans to meet the standard or risk losing federal financial assistance.
Switching from diesel to CNG has resulted in a 20% reduction of GHG and emission of fine particulates, along with a drop in nitrogen oxide emissions.
Because Smithtown was the customer, there wasn’t a deliberate marketing campaign announcing the switch to CNG, but Barnett says there was “some fanfare. The public knew. Governor Pataki is a big proponent of alternative fuel vehicles; he flew down for a big press event. There was national TV coverage, local papers, and radio.”
The new trucks were painted white to represent cleanliness, with a green stripe to signify the environment. Signs extoll the virtues of the trucks.
Since the switch, he says, there has been a constant parade of other communities coming to observe. Since refuse trucks are the only thing that stops at everybody’s door, their example is relevant everywhere. “We’re a sort of proving ground, so others are looking at us. We have 1 million people who have exclusive trash collection by CNG.”
Most of them are pleased with the change. Barnett says he gets calls from young women waiting at the bus station with their children, reporting the absence of diesel smoke. Only one complaint was lodged. An elderly man couldn’t hear the trucks coming, so he missed three weeks of collection.
Less Is More
That widely shared story underscores how loud diesel trucks are. Clean Cities reports that refuse and delivery trucks are the eighth leading source of noise complaints.
According to INFORM-a national non-profit organization which provides research identifying innovative business practices, technologies, and products that prevent damage to natural resources and safeguard public health-diesel refuse trucks have been known to generate noise levels up to 100 decibels, high enough to cause permanent hearing damage. That noise can be amplified in urban locations. “There’s a canyon effect in cities,” states NGV America’s Stephen Yborra.
Natural gas refuse trucks offer a noise reduction of 82.8 to 71.3 decibels inside the cab; 79.5 to 69.3 decibels alongside the cab, and 72.2 to 66.9 decibels behind the truck.
Noise isn’t the only type of pollution that is lessened by CNG trucks. Diesel exhaust contains more than 40 toxic substances, including known carcinogens, according to INFORM. Fine particulates in diesel exhaust are a major trigger of asthma attacks. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that occupational exposure to diesel exhaust increases the risk of lung cancer by 20-50%.
Natural gas is a cleaner fuel than diesel, creating less pollution. It produces 67-94% less particulate matter, 32-73% fewer nitrogen oxides (which produce smog), and 69-83% fewer non-methane hydrocarbon emissions.
To meet EPA emissions regulations, diesel trucks had to add diesel particulate filters to remove soot and diesel exhaust fluid for NOx. “Exhaust after-treatment is expensive,” observes Yborra. “Diesel engine and exhaust aftertreatment add thousands of dollars and complex maintenance for sensors, et cetera. Overall operating costs increase. Natural gas is cleaner.”
CNG refuse trucks run 23% cleaner and are up to 50% quieter than diesel engines, according to Ray Burke, Clean Energy’s vice president.
People like clean, American fuel, Yborra believes. “Jobs [are] a big issue.”
He provides statistics, such as: In the US, 71% of all oil is used for transportation, and 60% of all petroleum is used for road transportation. Refuse trucks are the most fuel-inefficient vehicles on the road, consuming 1 gallon of diesel fuel every 2.8 miles. That’s a lot of imported fuel.
In contrast, 98% of natural gas comes from North America-88% of it from the US. Yborra estimates that it’s responsible for 100,000 jobs. “It’s a very big deal,” he says.
“It’s cleaner, it’s greener, and it’s a slam-dunk in the trash truck world, but the story is economics,” he emphasizes. “The economics are so compelling that the rest is window dressing.”
Natural gas requires less maintenance and provides fuel savings. Natural gas doesn’t require diesel particulate filters. Money is saved on aftertreatment, because the fuel and engine are clean. The technology allows use of a regular muffler, Yborra notes. “It’s maintenance-free; there’s no DEF.”
The cost differential is coming down, but there’s still a premium of $30,000, he estimates. However, with an ROI of two years from fuel savings, he says haulers “come out ahead after eight years.”
That could be why CNG is the primary fuel used in refuse trucks, and why 60% of new refuse trucks are fueled by it, according to INFORM.
NGV America’s numbers are similar. Yborra says 53% of all orders last year were for natural gas. “It’s outselling diesel. Waste Management is buying natural gas only.” They’ve been using it for 18 years, and now have approximately 4,000 NGVs on the road.
In spite of that longevity, Yborra considers CNG technology “still new,” and says some people fear new. On the other hand, he knows that cities like being green.
Case Study: Lexington
Lexington, KY, is one city that likes to be green-so much so that the Empower Lexington program was created to focus attention on reducing consumption and sustainability measures. “This community is sensitive to environmental issues,” affirms Tracey Thurman, director of waste management, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Lexington has already achieved a 30% reduction in GHG.
That number might increase. Since June, the city has acquired 11 CNG multipacks and takes delivery on two more in December. City officials have budgeted an additional $2.9 million for the purchase of 10-12 new CNG trucks over the next year. “We’ve been looking at them since 2009 because of the lower cost of fuel and less fluctuation in fuel prices,” says Thurman.
Each truck costs $353,000 and is being purchased as part of the city’s normal vehicle replacement schedule. Thurman says projected savings of $6,500 per truck derive from lower fuel and preventative maintenance costs. For example, a 5,000-mile tune-up is extended to a 25,000-mile oil change.
The trucks are currently fueling at a mobile fuel unit with two fast-fill hoses at Waste Management headquarters, but Thurman says they’re planning a move to a semi-permanent station to slow-fuel. “It’s a good fit with our fleet.”
Equipped with tanks on the top, the 24-yard body trucks feature 12-ton load capacity and 75-DGE fuel capacity. Because of the design, they are struggling with the tree canopy. For now, Thurman says “careful routing” is managing that challenge.
The employees love them, Thurman says, and the citizens have praised their quietness. They city is saving money and serving as a leader by driving change with CNG infrastructure. “We’re more efficient; we’re green.” So green that the local paper, singing the praises of CNG, credits their use with the “greening of the bluegrass.”
Leaf Me Alone
Throughout the South, and the Southeast in particular, large, old trees with low-hanging limbs have battered roof-mounted tanks of refuse truck, incurring extra expense for haulers who have to replace damaged tanks.
One solution to beating up both the treetops and top-mounted tanks comes from the CNrG Tailgate Fuel Delivery System, created by Heil. It lowers the overall height of the truck by 1 foot. Although it adds 19 inches to the length, Andy Cooper, product group manager-residential, says that because the wheelbase is the same, maneuverability is unchanged. In fact, he adds, the weight distribution is improved, because it takes 1,500 pounds off the front axle.
“It’s operator-friendly,” states Ken Shover, director of marketing for the Environmental Solids Group. “The driver isn’t battling it.”
Another benefit comes from a tandem axle on the rear, which allows the truck to handle more weight. A fast fill time and longer range than many of its competitors offer obvious advantages.
“It fills at the same rate as diesel,” claims Cooper. “That’s a big selling point.” It can go up to 105 DGE. He references one Louisiana customer who says he fills as fast as the diesel units for half the cost-even at a fueling station he doesn’t own-and can run on a fill for two days.
The tailgate features an integrated design for up to seven tanks, Cooper explains, with no less than 90-105 DGE. “We sell the kit to add tanks. The structure is in place; you merely add a tank and the plumbing. It’s -easily scalable in the field.”
Due to the front loader’s popularity, Heil anticipates the release of a sideloader version in 2015.
CNG motor vehicle fueling station, Hauppauge, NY
Case Study: Mesa
Since the late 1990s, grass has been converted into mulch in Mesa, AZ, the only city with a citywide curbside program for green barrel waste collection. The desert city places a premium on environmentally friendly actions and leads by example. City departments recycle gun casings, pallets, gas meters, and phone poles. And they’re looking for new diversion programs, such as textile recycling for end-of-use items like clothing, shoes, purses, and belts. Community outreach is part of their lexicon, from public events to a strong education program in schools.
And yet, even for this environmentally aware city, economics drove their CNG refuse truck program. “There have been different iterations of the CNG technology,” explains Mike Comstock, solid waste director, “but it caught up with the needs of the community, so we took a look.”
A year and a half ago, Mesa engaged in a one-year pilot program with one CNG truck to look at the economics-now they have 11 in their fleet. By July 2018-promises Marciano Reyes, marketing/communications, City of Mesa Sanitation Department-all 63 trucks in the fleet will be CNG as they replace old diesel trucks in their seven-year rotation cycle.
“The cost difference is $40,000 per truck,” estimates Comstock. “That’s not much over its lifespan. Similar maintenance costs equalize the playing field.” In fact, their CNG engines have proven to be more reliable than the diesel engines, requiring less maintenance and repairs.
The CNG trucks are more efficient. When comparing fuel cost per mile, CNG is currently less than one-third the cost of diesel. Comstock explains that it’s a matter of economies of scale on fuel costs: the trucks drive over 1 million miles each year. At that rate, the payback difference is 18 months. Of course, he adds, owning the gas and electric companies helps the ROI. “We own the gas and electric utilities in partnership with the solid waste department and energy resources department.”
The accountants aren’t the only ones pleased with the change. There are no noise complaints in the neighborhoods, says Comstock. It’s pretty much the only noticeable change. Because fuel mileage is the same, the CNG trucks are able to accommodate the same size routes; thus, there’s no need to change the day schedule. “It’s important to keep the same day, even on holidays,” he says.
There’s also less noise in the cab. That’s important, adds Comstock, because “the customer is not just the residents, but the drivers as well.”
Equally important, the CNG trucks help reduce pollution. “There’s no black smoke, because it’s cleaner-burning fuel and engine,” explains Reyes. That fact, along with other green and economic benefits, was presented to the mayor and council. Other early publicity included truck billboard signs on the vehicles that “powered by CNG,” with benefits highlighted. Reyes says that now the trucks display decals promoting the benefits of CNG for all to see.
Author’s Bio: Winner of several Society of Professional Journalists awards, Lori Lovely writes about topics related to waste management and technology.
