Garbage-to-gas system makes its debut

[Jeffrey]

Great idea IMO… two birds with one stone.

The University of California at Davis on Tuesday formally unveiled a digester that converts food scraps and other garbage into natural gas and methane. The gases can then be converted to electricity. The system, developed by the university and Onsite Power Systems, is essentially a sealed network of tubes and chambers where bacteria consume leftovers and then excrete gases. It can convert about eight tons of garbage a week and will eventually process eight tons a day, the university said. A ton of garbage provides enough electricity to power 10 average California homes for a day.

More…

news.com.com/Garbage-to-gas+system+makes+its+debut/2110-1008_3-6129245.html?tag=nefd.hed

 

[WanderAimlessly]

There is also a process to convert poultry scaps from processing plants into gasoline. I think there is one near a Tyson’s plant in Arkansas

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

This is cool. I just hope they don’t price people out of using it.

For example when my wife and I bought a new fridge, they have different costs. Well if you buy brand X, over the life of your fridge you’ll save say $200 in energy costs over brand Y. Well guess what, brandy X costs $200 more than brand Y. I’m may not be a genius but the one thing I learned in economics class was money in your hand now if worth more than money in your hand later.

I know of at least one farm that converts manure to methane. He creates enough energy to fund his farm and sell the rest back to the utilities.

I also know of one farmer who is very concious of his effects on the environment and he looked into a system. Unfortunately it’s pretty pricey. He’d even go for it but none of his kids are interested in taking over the farm - so he doesn’t want to spend the money on it because he won’t see the benefit in his lifetime (but he would if one of his kids would take the farm over).

 

[Lance]

We have a garbage dump in our town where they have captured the methane for years and use it to power a generator to supply part of our electricty. We get visitors from all over the world who come to see the system and how it works. The part of the dump that is closed has been covered with dirt and is now a golf course.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Now when they can provide the technology for individual households to use with no middle man that will be news. If we could afford the technology we could be utility free now. But, the cost is so high that only BIG utilities can afford to convert.

Our heat pump system cost three times what a furnace and air conditioner cost when we had it installed. Solar power panels for our well are just TOOOO expensive for us to use. Methane gas from the coal mines in our area is unavailable for the average household.

The big power companies are drilling 100 methane/natural gas wells in our township. Ten of them within 1000 feet of our property or water well. We get no benefit from them. We can’t even get gas service for our homes which is less costly then our electricity.

So yeas I am glad for the technology. I am just waiting till the average citizen can use and have access to the technology.

The only way the taxpayer will get any benefit from this kind of technology is if we insist that the government use the power to provide gas and electricity to public buildings and thus cut our tax money out go for these services.