Closing the Loop on Waste Oil

Across the country, facility managers and energy managers are finding valuable BTUs embodied in oil that might otherwise go down the drain. Literally.

Waste oil from vehicles and other operations can be used for heating, rather than being disposed of--a costly and heavily regulated proposition. The biggest beneficiaries of this after-use are those that have a ready and reliable stream of the dirty black stuff: truck fleet operators, car washes, and "quick lubes," the fast-service retail oil-change facilities for automobiles.

In addition to saving money on heating costs, the facilities are also benefiting from lower operating expense. In Derry, N.H., for example, an …