When John Rensel ran an auto-service shop in DeLancey, customers would often ask him to convert their cars to run on compressed natural gas.
At first he brushed them off. But in December Rensel heard that his cousin Dennis O’Donnell had just graduated from the University of Northwestern Ohio, where he’d studied automotive technology and alternative fuels.
The two teamed up to start a business converting vehicles to run on compressed natural gas. In August, Alternative Fuel Solutions of Pennsylvania opened at Rensel’s shop.
An Oct. 29 grand opening is scheduled at its location in Mahaffey. Several farmers have approached Alternative Fuel Solutions about converting tractors and other equipment to fun on the fuel. Eventually, Rensel plans to close down his service center to focus on compressed natural gas.
He says compressed natural gas, which has a higher pressure than the natural gas used for heating, has several advantages over gasoline. It gets better mileage and burns up to 90 percent more cleanly than gasoline. And it’s abundant in Pennsylvania.
“Around here, there’s so many farmers and individuals that have wells on their property,” Rensel says. As part of the deal, they can usually get natural gas for free. Customers without wells can check online for a station that sells the fuel. And filling stations can be installed at homes that are heated with natural gas.
It costs between $3,500 and $10,000 to convert an engine to run on compressed natural gas, depending on the type of engine and customer preferences. Systems can also be set up to run on gasoline too. “You can switch from one fuel to another when you’re driving just by pushing a button on your dash,” Rensel says.
Source: John Rensel, Alternative Fuel Solutions of Pennsylvania
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen