Zarco 66 Earth Friendly Fuels last month celebrated the official grand opening of its first sustainable and alternative fuel site in Lawrence, Kan.

The Zarco location not only dispenses ethanol and biodiesel produced within a 75-mile radius of the facility, it also represents an innovative vision for sustainable construction and energy consumption.

Dubbed the "Green Energy Gateway Fuel Station," the gas station and coffee shop will serve as a model for standards and guidelines that other retail fuel businesses can incorporate for green-building practices. Numerous governmental and non-governmental partners are using the Zarco 66 station as a pilot demonstration project, and the EPA itself is providing funds to evaluate the energy and pollution reduction benefits of the pilot plan. The information could help other stations develop a framework to go green.

Zarco partnered with pump manufacturer Dresser Wayne to develop the site’s fuel-blending dispensers and equipment.

"The advanced alternative fuel technology offered by Dresser Wayne has been an integral part of making this idea a reality," says Scott Zaremba, president of the family-owned Zarco 66. Zaremba found Dresser Wayne Ovation iX fuel dispensers fit the site perfectly. "The dispensers have the ability to blend alternative fuels precisely and reliably. In fact, the Xflo fuel meter utilizes precision engineering to accurately measure every drop of fuel. This makes it possible for me to guarantee a quality product for my customers."

Zarco 66 also uses Dresser Wayne’s iSense remote monitoring to coordinate maintenance efforts, ultimately saving the store money and resources while reducing energy consumption arising from multiple maintenance visits.

Zaremba said he set his sights beyond dispensing alternative fuels and wanted to encompass a larger picture of an earth-friendly station. "I wanted to build a site in line with the EPA’s four R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle and renew, but building a facility from scratch was cost-prohibitive for an independent retailer," he said. "I took an existing site and transformed it into a green location to show others how they can accomplish the same thing within budget."