Eurofuel blog

NORA has become a member of Eurofuel

NORA is excited to announce its partnership with Eurofuel, marking a significant opportunity for collaboration within the European Liquid Fuel Heating industry. This relationship, now decades old, focuses on technological innovation, as both organizations are committed to advancing knowledge and developments related to fuels and heating equipment. Moreover, both organizations emphasize education and training by informing technicians, consumers, and stakeholders about safe, efficient, and sustainable heating systems. One key difference, however, NORA, by U.S. Law, cannot participate in Public Policy or legislative activities.

The United States Congress authorized NORA in 2000 to facilitate the liquid heating industry’s efforts to lower emissions and provide more efficient, more reliable home heating and hot water to six million homes. NORA receives USD $0.002 at the wholesale level on every gallon (3.8 liters) of liquid heating fuel sold in the twenty-one states who voluntarily participate in the NORA program. NORA receives no federal or state appropriations and is 100% industry funded. As mandated by federal law, NORA directs annual fee receipts to support Consumer Education, Safety & Training; Research, Development & Demonstration (RD&D); and Heating Oil Efficiency & Upgrades. One key difference between NORA and Eurofuel, NORA, by U.S. Law, cannot participate in Public Policy or legislative activities.

Through joint efforts, NORA and Eurofuel have taken part in various workshops and conferences, in the U.S. and Europe, which provide a forum for the open exchange of ideas and experiences. From the perspective of NORA and the United States, this partnership has proven invaluable, especially given the shared emissions challenges facing both the U.S. and Europe. The introduction and continued integration of renewable fuels presents effective pathways to address these challenges.

Renewable liquid fuels offer excellent value— they are efficient, dependable, sustainable, cost-effective, and affordable for end-users. Additionally, their flexibility allows integration with other energy sources, such as solar thermal, photovoltaics, and biomass.

NORA's work with Eurofuel has proven beneficial in many ways, particularly by broadening the vision of what can be accomplished in the sector. For example, European industry has a longer history of using HVO, and these experiences may be useful to the U.S. market as we are early on in our adoption. NORA has recently begun a broad field study of HVO and HVO/FAME blends to solidify their place in U.S. home heating. Europe’s technical advancements in high-efficiency boilers and hybrid systems also offer the U.S. a wealth of information as well as a sense of what can and cannot be done.

To propel the installation of more efficient appliances, NORA funds homeowners in the States within the NORA Alliance, cash rebates for installing new heating systems in their homes. This, coupled with a U.S. Federal tax credit for systems that are compatible with renewable fuels, makes it more comfortable for a homeowner to make the investment while reducing fuel use and emissions.

The U.S. use of FAME., ongoing for decades, allows European appliance manufacturers to learn from our experiences, as almost all liquid fuel burners sold in the U. S. are 100% FAME compatible.

Going forward, NORA anticipates continued pressure on the environmental status of liquid fuel heating and the need to continually increase the efficiency of the heating systems. The ongoing exchange of knowledge and experience is highly beneficial for both NORA and Euofuel and the homeowners they represent.