Efficient use of Landfill Gas

A Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit burning a renewable gas is a perfect example of integrating green energy with energy efficiency. In Model City in the state of New York, the Innovative Energy Corporation uses landfill gas to power a CHP unit. By capturing the greenhouse gases and other potentially hazardous landfill emissions, they are prevented from escaping into the atmosphere.

Combining electricity generation with a tomato greenhouse

Collecting and burning landfill gas is a widely commercialized, cost-competitive technology. The Model City Energy project is a best practice case because it also makes optimally use of the heat from the CHP unit. Along with the generation plant, a ten-acre tomato-growing company H2Gro was founded and is now producing 5,000 kg of tomatoes each day.

The H2Gro greenhouse is heated entirely by the CHP unit, which supplies 31 million Btus/h of heat (32.77 GJ/h or 9.08 MW). Moreover the CHP unit produces 5.6 MW of electrical power which is mainly sold to the grid.

The key benefits of this project are:

• Magnified resource potential through the use of CHP technology
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions since the system captures GHG emissions that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere as well as reduces demand for electricity that comes from carbon emitting fossil fuels
• Financial benefits. Landfill gas is one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy to produce. H2Gro saves about $800,000/year by using heat from the landfill gas burning unit; a 38 per cent cost savings on operations
• Economic stimulus. The project drives the local development in the CHP and clean energy sector