In a move to compliment the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) New York-based On Site Energy Co. has invested heavily in Tier 3-certified green equipment and is making most of it’s current rental fleet more emission friendly with biodiesel fuels.

“This is not something new; in fact Rudolf Diesel (father of the diesel engine) experimented with many different fuels to feed his invention, a compression ignition engine,” said Patrick French vice president of marketing for On Site Energy.

According to French, the legend goes that Diesel took the rancid peanut stock a farmer friend had stored, then used an olive press to get the yellow oil contained in the nuts. Diesel’s engine debuted at the Paris World Exposition powered by peanut oil fuel, surprising the crowds who presumed Diesel’s area was a food stand, rather than an equipment display, because of the burned peanut oil smell.

Joe Gere, OSEC’s expert on green initiatives explains why the company has made the effort to go more green when there are yet no regulations to mandate the company’s efforts. “We operate in one of the most heavily populated marketplaces in the world,” Gere said. “Events such as the Tribeca Film Festival and other high-profile customers are very environmentally conscience and they expect their vendors to be as well. The steps we have taken put OSEC at the forefront of Green rental marketplace.”

According to the company, biodiesel is the only alternative fuel in the United States to complete Environmental Protection Agency Tier-1 Health Effects Testing under section 211(b) of the Clean Air Act. Biodiesel produces approximately 80-percent less carbon dioxide emissions, and almost 100-percent less sulfur dioxide.

Based on Ames Mutagenicity tests, biodiesel provides a 90-percent reduction in cancer risks. Biodiesel is safer to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable as sugar and 10 times less toxic than table salt. When burned in a diesel engine, biodiesel replaces the exhaust odor of petroleum diesel with the pleasant smell of hemp, popcorn or french fries. The Congressional Budget Office, Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Agriculture have determined that biodiesel is the low-cost alternative-fuel option for fleets to meet requirements of the Energy Policy Act.

On Site Energy Co. is a solution-driven, regional renter of power, cooling and heating equipment with field experts to assist customers in event, industrial, commercial and technology-related sectors and to meet their goals and reduce their exposure while providing an environmentally friendly alternative.