Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

GreenHouse Releases Ethanol Micro-Refinery System

SAN DIEGO --- GreenHouse, an alternative energy company based in San Diego, is making the E-Fuel MicroFueler portable ethanol micro-refinery fuel system available for consumer use.

by Staff
July 21, 2009
2 min to read


SAN DIEGO --- GreenHouse, an alternative energy company based in San Diego, is making the E-Fuel MicroFueler portable ethanol micro-refinery fuel system available for consumer use. 

GreenHouse will be the exclusive distributor of the E-Fuel MicroFueler in Southern California and Arizona. 

Ad Loading...

"Using the E-Fuel distribution system, GreenHouse is dedicated to bringing an affordable, renewable fuel to drivers in Los Angeles, and throughout Southern California and Arizona, in order to offset fluctuating gas prices and create a cleaner environment for future generations to enjoy," said Chris Ursitti, GreenHouse CEO. 

Using semiconductor technology, the appliance-sized MicroFueler units are pump stations and ethanol distillers that can be installed at residences and businesses by the GreenHouse distribution team. Each MicroFueler requires three kilowatts of electricity to produce a gallon of Efuel100 and, in turn, one gallon of Efuel100 will generate up to 23 kilowatts of energy. 

Efuel100 is made up of 100 percent ethanol biofuel and is safe for all vehicles made after 1991, the company said. The organic fuel is produced using carbohydrate waste products found abundantly in brewery waste, algae and cellulose (no corn or food-based products). Each vehicle must have a conversion kit installed, enabling it to run on both ethanol and gasoline. 

GreenHouse's turnkey business model includes the setup, delivery and servicing of each MicroFueler unit at the customer's home or business. GreenHouse has already partnered with such companies as Karl Strauss Brewing Co., Gordon Biersch and Sunny Delight to convert 29,000 tons of liquid waste using the Efuel 100 Microfueler process. 

GreenHouse, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. and the state of California recently announced they are launching the GreenHouse Developmental Pilot Program, a distribution model being introduced first in Southern California. Within the agreement, Karl Strauss Brewing Co. has agreed to provide 28 tons of spent beer yeast per week. GreenHouse will collect the leftover waste and distribute it throughout California to homes and businesses using the E-Fuel MicroFueler so they can distill their own ethanol. 

Ad Loading...

"One person's waste can be another's treasure," said Ursitti. "After 20 years of crafting some of the highest quality beers in the region, Karl Strauss has taken an enormous step in creating essential clean energy by providing its waste not just to GreenHouse but to the entire state of California." 

More Green Fleet

Sketch of chassis cab truck.
Green Fleetby Chris BrownMarch 9, 2026

Startup ZMD Motors Developing Electric Conversion for Ram 5500 Work Trucks

Detroit-based company says it has begun early development of a system to convert internal combustion Ram 5500 chassis-cab trucks to electric power.

Read More →
SponsoredFebruary 26, 2026

MOVING ON FROM DEBATE: A Guide for Fleet Managers Who Just Want To Get Electrification Done

Fleet managers are done with the debate—and focused on execution. Learn how to build a practical electrification strategy that aligns infrastructure, operations, and financing while keeping costs controlled and deployment scalable with support from Blink Charging. Discover how smart planning today positions fleets for long-term performance and ROI.

Read More →
EV charging symbol
Green Fleetby Chris BrownFebruary 12, 2026

U.S. EV Adoption Is Climbing, but Commercial and Passenger Markets Diverge

New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?

Read More →
Ad Loading...
SponsoredFebruary 6, 2026

Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges

For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.

Read More →
A side view of the yellow, blue, and red Slate Auto electric pick-up truck and SUV
Upfittingby Martin RomjueDecember 8, 2025

How To Upfit Electric Work Trucks and Vans

The biggest challenge lies in balancing additional equipment and accessories with EV battery capacity and range.

Read More →
Green Fleetby Martin RomjueDecember 4, 2025

How Fleets Can Adjust Approaches To EV Adoption

With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Panelists on stage at FFC.
Fleet Forwardby Martin RomjueOctober 29, 2025

Despite World Troubles, Forward Thinking Guides Fleets

Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.

Read More →
Illustration of GM Energy’s vehicle-to-home system showing an electric truck connected to home power storage, the grid, and GM Energy Cloud through the myOwner app.
Green Fleetby News/Media ReleaseOctober 28, 2025

GM Energy Details Partnerships and Targets for Public Charging Build-Out

EVgo, Pilot, ChargePoint and IONNA named; goal is 35k GM-invested DC stalls by 2030, with customer-experience upgrades at sites.

Read More →
Chart showing September 2025 EV sales. New EV sales totaled 147,716 units, up 44% year over year, and used EV sales hit 40,569 units, up 76%, marking strong third-quarter performance.
Green Fleetby News/Media ReleaseOctober 23, 2025

Q3 Electric Vehicles Sales Hit Record High

EV buyers took advantage of the final federal tax credit days, while average prices edged up for new EVs and continued to decline for used models.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A green vertical bar graph chart showing the rises and dips in quarterly EV sales since early 2022.
Green Fleetby News/Media ReleaseOctober 10, 2025

EV Sales Hit Record in Q3 Before Incentives Expire

But most OEMs record low-volume sales, which means EV profitability remains a distant dream for nearly every automaker.

Read More →