Keene State College, in New Hampshire, has begun heating its campus with 100% purified waste vegetable oil. The biofuel is a product of a proprietary refinement process used by a local New England-based producer.(L-R): Keene State physical plant staff David Weeks, Cary Gaunt, Bill Rymes and Diana Duffy show the vegetable oil-based biofuel. Image credit: Keene State College.

During August 2016, Keene State met the demand for heat and hot water entirely through the use of purified waste vegetable oil. The carbon-neutral vegetable oil currently heats 36% campus, and administrators say they intend to increase use of the biofuel to heat a greater share of the campus in the coming years.

College officials say the move to waste vegetable oil for heating purposes is motivated both by the desire to meet campus sustainability and climate commitments and to cultivate a more diversified heating fuel portfolio.

"By choosing to replace polluting No. 6 heating fuel oil with an innovative new fuel derived entirely from waste cooking oil, we are [significantly] reducing our greenhouse gas footprint and improving the well-being of the people on our campus and the surrounding community,” says Cary Gaunt, director of campus sustainability.

The college says the waste vegetable oil, with renewable energy incentives, is available at a cost that is comparable to that of the fuel previously used to meet all of its heating needs. Upfront costs and staff time devoted to the transition were minimal.

Keene State officials are now making plans to recycle the campus' own cooking oil for use as heating oil.