First Backyard Ethanol Maker Installed in L.A.

GreenHouse energy installed the first of its Microfueler backyard ethanol makers in Los Angeles, and a slew of green-minded stars attended the installation, including GreenHouse investor Shaquille O’Neal. (Imagine the size of his carbon footprint. Size 23, according to Wikipedia.)

The Microfueler uses spent beer yeast, algae, or cellulose (but not from corn) to produce organic ethanol, or E100, that can be pumped directly from the unit to your gas tank.The system can make up to 70 gallons of fuel a week, and you can hook four of these babies together, if you’re so inclined, to make 280 gallons a week and service a fleet.

The Microfueler is available nationwide for $9,995 — less a federal tax incentive, which brings it to under $5,000. Some states have rebates on top of that, and carbon credit coupons can be used, too. If you live in SoCal or Arizona, GreenHouse will deliver the raw materials to your house (an Internet connection tells them when you’re low) for $2 a gallon of end-product ethanol. Why yes, that is cheaper than gasoline! And greener, too.