Reducing Brooklyn's Truck Idling Emissions with Electrification and Community Activation
Despite New York's state and local anti-idle laws, many commercial vehicles idle because they must. Otherwise, drivers risk not having enough electric power to operate equipment or to run AC/heat.
Blackburn Energy's (BE) RelGen® technology harvests kinetic energy from a truck's spinning driveshaft to generate electricity to fully power vehicles' systems allowing drivers to shut off engines during deliveries and not idle in lots to recharge batteries.
RelGen doesn't require additional infrastructure to be effective. It is an ideal community-based solution because it enables fleets to comply with laws while reducing their fuel costs and GHG emissions associated with negative health impacts in disadvantaged communities immediately.
With community engagement in North Brooklyn's Industrial Business Zone, our three-year goal is to install 1,000 idle eliminating units, reduce noise pollution, save fuel and maintenance expenses for fleets, and sequester an estimated 17,000 metric tonnes of CO2 and other pollutants annually.
This is a community-based solution that meets both the needs of fleets and communities: First, fleets gain more clean power to work with while reducing fuel and maintenance expenses and can comply with anti-idling laws without risking interruptions to their businesses; b) residents of Brooklyn have better air quality while still having all the benefits trucks bring to the local economy.
Success is measured in distinct phases:
Phase 1: activating more community partners and manufacturing-focused business improvement districts (BIDs) to raise awareness of RelGen and its role in anti-idling awareness, curriculums, workshops and neighborhood meetings; conducting fleet outreach, education and installation scheduling, hiring installation mechanics, conducting training, establishing and arranging facility; establishing Team Blackburn bi-weekly meetings to ensure project roll-out;
Phase 2: The New York University Stern School of Business conducts and completes business case studies and analysis, additional fleet outreach and signups, fleet testimonials and feedback, address any necessary project course corrections, troubleshoot and develop solutions and adjust to fit community needs; continued bi-weekly meetings;
Phase 3: Expansion and project replication in additional areas of NYC with additional funding opportunities provided from Renew Energy Partners. By reaching our goal of eliminating idling on 1000 trucks we will reduce noise pollution and annually abate an estimated 22,000 tonnes of CO2 and other harmful emissions that contribute to negative health impacts. In addition to educating fleets and community anti-idling activists about RelGen, we are also petitioning public officials to consider a rebate for hybrid charging solutions to encourage adoption and accelerate emission reductions.