Following the lead of the transit departments around the country, Compressed Natural Gas has become the main choice for alternative fuel sweepers at Schwarze Industries. The cost of CNG is around 20% less than Diesel and various funding is available through both state, federal agencies and private grants. For instance, owners of Schwarze alternative fuel sweepers can get a sizeable tax rebate from the federal government for properly registered products. The IRS website (www.irs.gov) can provide more information on the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit.

CNG fuel is available throughout most of the country and the use of CNG fuel by cities has now been around for over a decade, especially in Southern California, an area where Schwarze has 100% dealer sales, service, and parts coverage to meet customer expectations. An additional reason for this choice was the quick filling of the vehicle’s fuel tank by these high pressure pumping stations allow for the least amount of downtime between sweeping jobs. On top of that, stored CNG does not vent off or have to be stored at cryogenic temperatures, increasing value and operator safety.

And when it comes to performance of alternative fuel sweepers, there is really no difference from diesel, gasoline or other alternative fuel sweepers. But CNG fuel however is known to create lower levels of particulates in the exhaust and is the cleanest burning of all motor vehicle fuels. CNG is a fossil fuel but it can also be produced as a by-product of decomposition of organic materials.

Some of the challenges of using CNG fuel Schwarze Industries had to consider were:

• The size of the fuel tanks required compared to regular diesel engines.
• The initial cost of the pumping stations.
• Training and certification of service personnel for CNG.

So, specific technology and a certified training program had to be developed to meet expectations, and today many of these challenges have been overcome.

Liquefied Natural gas (LNG) systems are not used due to the complexity of the storage tanks. Even though LNG takes up less than half the space of CNG, it must be cryogenically stored at around -260 degrees Fahrenheit. And when temperatures are not maintained, fuel will vent off and be lost. This in itself could pose a rather large public safety concern. The cryogenic components also require more maintenance adding more cost of ownership to this configuration.

Schwarze Industries expects continued growth in the sales of its alternative fuel sweepers, both to public agencies and to contractors. Requirements by cities or regions that alternative fuels be used will help grow the market further and programs assisting the end user with funding to offset the cost can bring alternative fuel sweepers within reach of many more Schwarze® product buyers.

If you have any additional questions or would like to know more about alternative fuel sweepers. Please contact us here. And one of our Schwarze sweeper specialists will be glad to help you.