San Joaquin Valley Farm Saves $15,000 with CARB Certified Propane Diesel Dual-Fuel Irrigation Engine

FRESNO, Calif. - Jan. 29, 2015 - PRLog -- Steve Maddox, the third-generation farmer and general partner of 8,000-acre Maddox Farms in Riverdale, California, has announced that his two-year-long trial of the California Clean Air Technologies (CCAT) Dual-Fuel Retrofit System through the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) Farm Incentive Program (http://www.propane.com/agriculture/programs-and-incentive/propane-farm-incentive-program/) saved him around $15,000 per year. The innovative irrigation engine system, which was the first to receive the Off-Road Alternative Fuel Certification from California Air Resource Board (CARB), utilizes propane in combination with diesel to reduce the operational cost and emissions of 6 to 15 liter,heavy-duty diesel engines.

Maddox says he now has plans to install two more systems to run wells that provide water for drip irrigation systems on his farm, where he grows 1,500 acres of almonds, 2,000 acres of wine grapes, as well as alfalfa hay, corn and wheat to feed his 3,900 head of registered dairy cows.

“I didn’t know whether to believe it was true or not,” says Maddox of CCAT’s original proposal of the dual-fuel system two years ago. “As time went on and we saw the reduction of diesel use and a reduction in the total cost per hour to operate, it proved to be true. With the price advantage alone, it was a one-year payback on the system. It was a bonus that the emissions were also reduced, which is always a goal for us.”

Prior to applying for PERC’s dual-fuel incentive program, Maddox, who currently serves on the Sustainability Council for the Innovation Center for the U.S. Dairy, had never used propane on the farm. Instead, he relied on diesel, natural gas, electric and solar energy from his one-megawatt solar project, which produces about 80 percent of the annual electrical supply for the dairy.

Maddox claims that the propane-diesel dual-fuel system, when compared to his single fuel source diesel, is cleaner, cuts down emissions, increases the hours of service and offers a cost advantage in the long term. The CCAT system has also allowed Maddox to save money by avoiding costly diesel fuel theft. Instead of the large 10,000-gallon tanks of diesel (a potential liability in the event of theft), he can now opt for the new 1,500-2,000 gallon tanks which have anti-theft devices on them, cost less to install and come with fewer regulatory issues.

While cost and California Air Resources Board regulations are top priorities for Maddox, he says that the CCAT system enables him to better fulfill his goals of sustainability and land stewardship for future generations of Maddox farmers, beginning with his son, fourth generation farmer Steve Maddox, Jr.

“Managing a farm, I am always watching costs. But I am also cognizant that the decisions I make have an impact on the land,” Maddox says. “Choices like this one are not only for the benefit of the business; they’re in the interest of my family, the environment that makes my business possible, and the future of that ecosystem.”

The Propane Education & Research Council is an incubator of new propane-fueled technology and the world leader in propane safety and training programs and products. For more information about the CCAT Dual-Fuel Retrofit System, contact Michael Avery at (951) 672-2669 or michael@californiacleanairtech.com.  To apply for PERC’s Farm Incentive Program, visit www.propane.com/agriculture/programs-and-incentive/propane-farm-incentive-program. Media interested in more information, interviews or high resolution images may contact press agency AR & Co. PR & Marketing at (805) 239-4443 or angela@arandcompany.com.