5-Day Workshop at Piedmont Biofuels - Oct 13-17 in Pittsboro, NC

5-Day Hands-On Biodiesel Workshop at Piedmont Biofuels

Solar Energy International (SEI) is partnering with Piedmont Biofuels and Central Carolina Community College for a 5-day "hands-on" biodiesel workshop. Participants will learn the basics of fuel production, at small-scale, farm-scale, and commercial-scale from folks who have first hand experience.

Instructors
Matt Rudolf, Executive Director of Piedmont Biofuels Cooperative, a 580-member biodiesel cooperative in central North Carolina, will be leading discussions and hands-on demonstrations of biodiesel production techniques as well as on-farm production process including oil seed crushing.

Bob Armantrout, who has commercial scale biodiesel experience gained from working for two commercial producers of biodiesel fuel over the last five years will be assisting Matt and covering topics including biodiesel business basics, fuel quality, plant safety, and operational considerations in building a waste oil collection business.

Shaine Tyson, former Project Manager of NREL's Biodiesel Program will be spending a day at the workshop to share her wealth of knowledge. Shaine knows most of the key players in the industry and government and has an extensive understanding of the biodiesel industry. She will be discussing the latest developments in feedstocks, as well as helping shed light on where the industry is headed.

Also on the agenda are guest lecturers including most of Piedmont Biofuels Industrial's talented team. Lyle Estill will share insights from his latest book "Small is Possible" where he documents the evolution of the sustainability projects and their interconnectedness in the town of Pittsboro, NC, where the workshop will be held. Leif Forer, designer of the industrial plant will be on hand to present on the newly completed bio-refinery and the processes needed to remove contaminants to glycerin and turn a waste stream into a valuable co-product.

Also included will be presentations by David Thornton, head of Piedmont's Design-Build group, who will discuss plant design and discuss different reaction technologies, including both batch and continuous flow reaction technologies. Greg Austic will discuss alternatives to KOH and NaOH, called heterogeneous catalysts, which are types of catalysts not consumed in the reaction and which do not produce a soap byproduct.

Tours of both the Industrial facility and the coop are scheduled, as well as a look at the analytical lab equipment in use at the local community college where a two-year biofuels program was recently started. Participants will also have an opportunity to tour and use the Piedmont Biofuels mobile oilseed crushing and biodiesel production plant. This mini-commercial plant contains all of the components of a commercial plant, from oilseed extraction, through biodiesel production, methanol recovery and both water and dry washing.

This workshop offers the participant an unparalleled opportunity to learn from and interact with some of the best that the appropriate scale biodiesel world has to offer, and promises to help those who attend get an up-close look at working facilities from those who are currently running them.

The Abundance Foundation will be coordinating logistics for the biodiesel workshop. The Abundance Foundation champions vibrant, diverse and innovative ideas surrounding renewable energy, local food systems, and community-aware businesses that create abundance and bring people together, and educates and empowers others to do the same. In a changing world, we help connect the dots

The workshop will be held in Pittsboro, North Carolina from October 13th through 17th 2008. The cost is $750 for the workshop (not including travel, lodging, and meals)
To register contact Solar Energy International (970) 963-8855
or register online at: www.solarenergy.org