Top Opportunities for Reducing Diesel Use
Reducing the need for carbon-intensive materials or services is the first consideration when developing plans for government activities and services whether conducted in-house or vis-à-vis a procurement process.
Ask these questions:
- Is the construction, renovation or maintenance necessary to meet service needs?
- If so, will there be a net benefit to the environment or an equity improvement?
- Are there opportunities to reduce the use of diesel fuel through more efficient staging of the project?
- Are there opportunities to reduce the amount of diesel used by implementing anti-idling requirements, idling measurement tools, and improved driver training?
- Will improvements in equipment maintenance reduce the amount of diesel used as well as increase the life of equipment (assuming it shouldn’t be replaced by more efficient equipment)?
- Are alternative, lower-carbon impact fuels available at reasonable cost for on-site equipment?
Specific strategies to reduce fuel consumption
- Right sizing – Buying and using the correct size and type of equipment for the size of the project.
- Route optimization – Truck route management is another key factor in fuel efficiency. A Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system can be used to optimize routes.
- Fuel use tracking – In addition, diesel equipment users and owners can develop a tracking system to record fuel consumption by vehicle and equipment item, to help identify fuel leaks and inefficient trucks and machinery.
Scenario of Construction Sector-wide GHG Emissions Reductions
|
Activity |
Assumption |
Metric tons CO2e annually |
|
Reduce Equipment Idling |
10% reduction from all off-road diesel heavy equipment |
830,000 |
|
Improve Maintenance & Driver Training |
Combined practices to increase fuel economy by 3% for heavy equipment |
130,000 |
|
Increase Fuel Switching to Biodiesel (B20) |
Replace 10% of diesel use with B20 |
1,400,000 |
|
Improve Electricity Conservation |
Combined practices to reduce total electricity use by 10% |
3,100,000 |
|
Total Scenario Emissions Reductions |
|
5,460,000 |
Source: EPA: Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Construction Sector http://archive.epa.gov/sectors/web/pdf/construction-sector-report.pdf