Biodiesel is probably one of the most popular home-made fuels. It is easy to make and easy to use, as long as you have a diesel engine to put it in. Biodeisel is made from vegetable oils and is mixed with an alcohol, then dried and flitered. Some deisel engines can use vegetable oil directly in SVO (Straight Vegetable Oil) setups, although some problems can arise with these setups.

The diesel engine is often more efficient than a gasoline engine. For this reason, these engines are popular in countries that have expensive gasoline or fuel distribution. Deisels also enjoy higher torque at low speeds, making them the preferred alternative for work vehicles like tractors and trucks. Diesels are known to last a long time, and some stationary engines, like the Lister Clones or Changfas, can last more than 100,000 hours between overhauls. There is virtually no gasoline engine manufactured today that can meet these specs, or even half of these specs.

Biodisel production begins at the plant. High oil output is a top concern, because oil production is low per acre, so special care should be taken to pick a high output crop that is well suited to your environment. Canola is often chosen because of its high output per acre, but several other crops are possible. Don't expect more than 100-200 gallons of oil per acre. The oil usually comes from the seed part of the plant, and those parts will need to be crushed, pressed, and heated to extract the oils. Some oils will need pre-processing to get rid of the free fatty acids before biodiesel production.

Processing the oil can be done in the back yard, but special care must be taken because it involves potentially lethal processes and chemicals. Home refineries are available at low cost, but most are easy to make at home. Be sure to research your recipe well, to insure that you can obtain the chemicals needed, like lye or methanol. Most chemicals could technically be produced at home, but beginners are advised to start simple, and work towards complete production.

Once you get your biodiesel refined, you can pretty much use it in any diesel engine. Many diesel fans swear that biodeisel is better for the engine and gives more energy output, however these claims differ between techniques and recipes.

Biodiesel is the closest thing we have to the alternative fuel silver bullet. It is easy to produce and easy to use. The problems lie in the fact that overall, it is not very efficient to use space to grow crops specifically for oil, due to the low oil content in the crops. Efficiency can be increased by using crop residues for animal feed or feedstock to another biofuel system. Many people argue that it is unethical to use cropland to grow fuel instead of food, and this is especially important in low-output crops like oils. Care must be taken to avoid competition between energy and food resources.

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