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I can't quite fathom that at the moment. I just have a gut feeling that the plants wouldn't like it.
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Originally Posted by BrokenTap
I think it is a good idea overall. We are reducing waste every year and we are recycling at a better rate, but until we can convince society and manufacturers that those little bubble packets on EVERYTHING we get are not really needed, landfills are a necessity of society. If we can divert some built up methane and produce a bit of power I am for it.
I have no idea what these units have for noise levels, but I have often wondered if domestic power and domestic heat could not be methane derived.
Its an outside the box kind of idea, but I noticed that the ice over wetlands and swamps was always very thin and the reason stems from the heat generated from these wet area being laden with vegetation that is decaying. I often wondered if putting loops of pex piping out through these wetlands could heat my home?
What makes that possible is a high tech radiant floor heating system I have. I only need 75º-100º water to heat my concrete slab. If a home was situated close to a wetland area, and their heating system was like mine, could circulated water heated by the natural heat from these wetlands keep the propane boiler from coming on? Even if it reduced the boiler's usage during the fall and spring it would certainly help. It would also encourage people to preserve and use wetlands since installing pex pipe would not be damaging anyway to the wetland...just drawing some of the heat from it?
Going a step further, and tying this in with the original posters thoughts, could a small scale collection system being installed to draw of the methane produced by these wetlands? It could be collected and added to the propane system of the house, or be used to power a generator. I think the collector might have to be so large though that this would be impractical for a home.
Again just some crazy thoughts this AM that anyone is free to throw darts at.
Landfill gas energy recovery is a proven technology. Recovery engine generators sets should be installed on all landfills large enough to provide an economically feasible amount of gas. The smaller landfills should have flares (burners) to convert the methane to CO2 to reduce the greenhouse effect.
Landfill gas energy recovery is a proven technology. Recovery engine generators sets should be installed on all landfills large enough to provide an economically feasible amount of gas. The smaller landfills should have flares (burners) to convert the methane to CO2 to reduce the greenhouse effect.
So why aren't we hearing more about this type of energy? Not enough lobbyists?
So why aren't we hearing more about this type of energy? Not enough lobbyists?
The truth is there aren't that many real cost effective sights to put a LFG unit that haven't been developed. You might think because we make garbage everyday that would be otherwise. A landfill has to meet some specfics before it becomes a viable alternative. A closed site may generate for awhile buy it's a finite fuel source and eventual will stop produceing. The best site is one that's open and produceing gas in a quantity that justifies the capitol expense.
Here's a list of sites and potentials in the USA
Environmental Protection Agency - LMOP: Landfill Gas Energy Projects and Candidate Landfills (http://www.epa.gov/lmop/proj/landfillstatus.htm - broken link)
Aside from landfills, I'd like to see farmers managing livestock effluent having affordable means to recycle their own stuff. No, not cow fart catchers, but managing their waste stream for at least break even, at best another source of revenue in the whole farm equation.
Aside from landfills, I'd like to see farmers managing livestock effluent having affordable means to recycle their own stuff. No, not cow fart catchers, but managing their waste stream for at least break even, at best another source of revenue in the whole farm equation.
Yes Ag sources are a major producer of methane. The problem is once again money...In order to put in an at least break even digestor plant you need at least 900 animal units (1unit + 1000lbs) Idealy that is found in the Dairy industry. Cows produce the most methane and large dairys are positioned to collect the waste in one location. It's all about location and collection. Couldn't do it with range grown heards. A similer problem with swine, for example is that you have to haul or pump the waste to a central location increaseing cost and the chance or spreading contamination.....
I have a problem exempting large industrial scale agricultural operation like 100,000 head swine lots from environmental regulation. A hundred thousand pigs put out as much or more manure as a human city of that population. We have seen what that level of untreated sewage can degrade the local and, sometimes, distant environmental quality. These operations should have to meet the same solid, liquid and atmospheric emission requirements as required by any municipality or industrial plant. This would force the industry to internalize the waste processing costs instead of passing it on to the neighbors or downstream river users.
When the manure is treated by the same technology as municipal sewage the captured methane can result in enough energy to operate the sewage plant and the associated feedlot. The treated waste can than be used as a soil conditioner to help growing more pig food.
I have a problem exempting large industrial scale agricultural operation like 100,000 head swine lots from environmental regulation. A hundred thousand pigs put out as much or more manure as a human city of that population. We have seen what that level of untreated sewage can degrade the local and, sometimes, distant environmental quality. These operations should have to meet the same solid, liquid and atmospheric emission requirements as required by any municipality or industrial plant. This would force the industry to internalize the waste processing costs instead of passing it on to the neighbors or downstream river users.
When the manure is treated by the same technology as municipal sewage the captured methane can result in enough energy to operate the sewage plant and the associated feedlot. The treated waste can than be used as a soil conditioner to help growing more pig food.
If I remember correctly this was a problem for much maligned Decoster Farms in the midwest. Agri-business can be just as destructive as industrial chemical plants if their waste production is not properly handled. There's no reason why such waste generation can't be harnessed as energy for the originator and the surrounding community's benefit. With todays's technology there is no excuse.
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