Powered by Clean Natural Gas

Each month, Worldwide Energy Vice President and COO Gaylen Davenport will publish his thoughts on the latest energy-efficient news, products, and trends.

A few weeks ago, Worldwide Energy converted our company vehicle to natural gas. We didn't just want to talk the talk; we wanted to prove how efficient our solutions are.

Compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicles are a great way to provide significant fuel cost savings, fuel efficiency, and are environmentally friendly. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy says natural gas burns much cleaner than oil– producing about 70 percent less carbon emissions.

A converted car will feature a few new additions to the vehicle. This includes cylinders that store the natural gas compressed to 3,000-3,600 pounds per square inch. These high-pressure cylinders are available in steel (typically lower cost) or high tech composites (less weight).  Modifications are made to the engine compartment to allow direct injection for gasoline engines and a computer is added to control the engine and switching between gasoline and natural gas operation.

As more cities look to install natural gas pumps, it’s getting easier to find a pump in your city. In Kansas City, the average cost per gallon of gasoline is about $3.40, compared to the average cost per gallon of CNG of $1.69.

CNG powered vehicles are widespread in other parts of the world, including China and India. As of 2010, countries in Asia and the Pacific have increased the use of natural gas vehicles (NGV) by 42 percent since 2000.

Of course, natural gas is not just used for vehicles. Many industries now rely on natural gas to become more energy efficient, and to save on utilities including transportation companies, municipalities, and even residential consumers.

And according to the International Energy Agency, the demand for natural gas is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next 20 years.

New drilling techniques have created an abundance of cheap natural gas and the infrastructure to transport and support natural gas is developing rapidly, and companies should start thinking about its benefits soon.

Be sure to wave when you see the Worldwide Energy vehicle, powered by clean natural gas.

-Gaylen