Listen to the audio file of this interview here .
As we explore ways to reduce greenhouse gases and increase energy efficiency, "cogeneration" or "combined heat & power" becomes an important concept to remember. In this discussion, energy expert Dave Sjoding* and correspondent Mary Hawkins look at how new systems are creating less waste and more energy in the Northwest.
(A very simple CHP diagram from the US Dept. of Energy CHP site)
Hawkins: CHP - "combined heat and power" - refers to systems that capture and maximize what used to be released into the atmosphere, the water supply, or the ground - to create sources of energy or useable materials.
A few years ago "Our Northwest" energy expert, Dave Sjoding, sat on a governor's climate change initiative subcommittee called "Beyond Waste", where they decided to turn the idea of waste on its head. Instead of thinking of waste as a liability, why not think of it as an asset? So, as we move beyond traditional thinking, every waste stream now becomes a potential revenue stream.
Sjoding: So, starting at the trash can - separating out front - recyclables in one bucket - organic waste in a second - then your straight "trash-trash" in a third bucket - right off the bat you have isolated your organic materials early in the stream. The whole process of "beyond waste" comes from our Department of Ecology - who say's let's NOT put this stuff in a landfill. Let's get beyond the whole mindset of waste and make them revenue streams.
Hawkins: The "Beyond Waste" Ecology initative began in 2002. Now Washington State recycles and "recovers" about 50 percent of its household waste. In recent years cogeneration systems have been created to mine energy in a variety of industries. Researchers have built systems that work well in Northwestern climates - which have their own special challenges. According to Dave, if you're a dairy farmer in California, for instance, and you want to produce methane - you could throw a blanket over your field and - with help from your warmer climate, you'd be in business.
In the northwest, you need to build insulated tanks for the same process. This involves a greater investment out front. But, with new models of regeneration, you can also build in potential revenue streams.
They are now looking at 9 potential revenue streams from dairy digester systems. For instance - from the liquid byproducts, phosphorous is being extracted and - instead of polluting the groundwater - its being used as sources of fertilizer.
Sjoding: The Vander Haak Research Dairy that we have up in Linden, Washington has an operating system that's now pulling the phosphorus it's our basically - first commercial scale that's starting to run - we're getting real close to full commercialization. And when we get both nitrogen and phosphorus extraction working on these digester systemsthat's two new revenue streams additional that's part of the 9 that you can get.
Hawkins: The other revenue streams that are being explored in the anaerobic digestion systems include electricity back to the grid, compost, a peat moss replacement, carbon credits and others still in development.
Cogeneration systems are cropping up across the Northwest. The city of Olympia is creating a wastewater CHP system where biogases are captured and heat and power is generated - which also helps to break down wastes much more efficiently.
Sjoding: This thing will work on the farm or at the dairy. It'll work at wastewater treatment plants. It'll work at food processing facilities, and then for us at the home level - the increasing source separation to get the organics out so they never even show up at the landfill, they're already separated out front - gives us a nice step forward in that process. These things are starting to tie together in some very wonderful ways.
Hawkins: For more information about cogeneration systems, including links to regional CHP projects, go to Our Northwest, online at N-W-P-R dot org.
Links:
Washington Department of Ecology on Climate Change
Washington Department of Ecology and Beyond Waste
Seattle Times: "Gregoire joins the West's war on warming: 5 governors target pollution":
Federal Energy Management Program and CHP Basics with diagrams: