As the article states: Wouldn’t it be great if we could kill two birds with one stone?

Cities and towns with aging landfill operations are faced with a huge dilemma and an emerging opportunity to do the right thing with their solid waste: turn it into clean, green bioenergy and keep the dollars earned in their own communities.

That one waste company (who usually owns the landfills) is monetizing the gas is nothing more than harvesting the low-hanging fruit of landfill gases. Big deal. It does nothing to reduce trash volumes or convert solid waste to clean green energy.

We have yet to apply “production thinking” to the disposal side of the equation beyond incineration and electrical power generation. Mining methane from landfill leachates is a side business for Waste Management and yet another sign of America’s failure to act in its own best interests where the environment and the national economy are concerned.

If you really think about it, and we are, there really should be no overflowing, gas-belching landfills in America! With today’s gasifiers and gas to liquid fuels tech, perhaps that vision will one day become reality.

As the article states: Wouldn’t it be great if we could kill two birds with one stone?

Cities and towns with aging landfill operations are faced with a huge dilemma and an emerging opportunity to do the right thing with their solid waste: turn it into clean, green bioenergy and keep the dollars earned in their own communities.

That one waste company (who usually owns the landfills) is monetizing the gas is nothing more than harvesting the low-hanging fruit of landfill gases. Big deal. It does nothing to reduce trash volumes or convert solid waste to clean green energy.

We have yet to apply “production thinking” to the disposal side of the equation beyond incineration and electrical power generation. Mining methane from landfill leachates is a side business for Waste Management and yet another sign of America’s failure to act in its own best interests where the environment and the national economy are concerned.

If you really think about it, and we are, there really should be no overflowing, gas-belching landfills in America! With today’s gasifiers and gas to liquid fuels tech, perhaps that vision will one day become reality.

We do need to minimize the volumes of waste entering landfills, but equally as important is taking advantage of the natural decomposition process!

We do need to minimize the volumes of waste entering landfills, but equally as important is taking advantage of the natural decomposition process!

Just using methane to generate electricity at say 30% efficiency is a bit better.

IMO its most efficient to use the methane for cogen of electricity and provide district heat for facility or any very local municipal buildings.

Just using methane to generate electricity at say 30% efficiency is a bit better.

IMO its most efficient to use the methane for cogen of electricity and provide district heat for facility or any very local municipal buildings.

http://www.countyofdane.com/pwht/recycling.aspx (look in the middle of the page, under Landfill Gas-to-Energy Systems )

They have been generating about a half Megawatt of power for many years, and sell it to the local power utility. The PDF and powerpoint have a ton of information about how it is working for them, and the costs and benefits.

http://www.countyofdane.com/pwht/recycling.aspx (look in the middle of the page, under Landfill Gas-to-Energy Systems )

They have been generating about a half Megawatt of power for many years, and sell it to the local power utility. The PDF and powerpoint have a ton of information about how it is working for them, and the costs and benefits.