Since manure and waste products are often used in the digestion process, many biogas facilities build their tanks underground to reduce concerns about odors.  Tim Evans, the managing director of Renewable Zukunft, which is working in partnership with SS Agriservices, confirmed that the prospective facility at Attlesborough was be resubmitted with plans to store the waste underground.

SS Agriservices, is a collective of local farmers and agricultural contractors in Norfolk and Suffolk hoping to build the region’s first anaerobic digestion project. Located on a poultry farm off Stony Lane in Attleborough, the power station would be fueled by manure and waste crops like maize, cereals, and grains.  The methane gas produced would drive a generator and create electricity.

Evans said he believes that biogas was a more reliable and “attractive” source of energy than onshore and offshore wind farms. While other European nations like Germany and Austria can boast over 7,500 biogas facilities, there are only a handful currently running in the UK.

“The government is putting lots of money into wind farms, which only run for 25 percent of the year, and we run for 95 percent of the year,” Evans said. “It is not windy everywhere, but there are farms everywhere, and one of the attractions of Crows Hall Farm is that it is very close to a suitable connection to the National Grid.”

Read the article here. Read more about Harvest Power’s best-of-breed technologies here.

The Original Post is Located Here: In Norfolk, One Biogas Facility Struggles To Find Public Support

This stove is a partial oxidation gas generator stove. It produces Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide, Methane and other cracked organic compounds. The same principle is in our books on gasification of wood for engines and cars. Yes, you CAN run a car off this type of system and over 1 million vehicles did this during WWII… it can still work today

The Original Post is Located Here: Biogas Wood Stove Demonstration

We are now using our natural gas (carbonaceous fuel) resources up at a huge rate. These were formed from the fossilized remains of plants and animals in a process that took millions of years.

Such resources do not “grow back” in a time scale that is meaningful for humans. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that was created eons ago by the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. It is often found in association with oil and coal. It will deplete without an adequate replacement other than biogas, so we had better get on with it and improve our ability to produce biogas and sngas (from gasification) – its only real replacement other than converting other carbonaceous fuels into gas fuels!

Cooking is best with with clean-burning gas, rather than smoky wood. Introducing gas cooking improves respiratory health and reduces the pressure on local fuelwood. In contrast, cooking on open fires emits gases that endanger people’s health and contributes unnecessarily to global warming.

The German government saw the potential for biogas a number of years ago and intoduced incentives to encourage biogas and biofuel production. German technology companies has a head start over the US, and the UK. Based on thier experience, acquired over a number of years in partnership with their German customers, they have built a formidable record in biogas digestion.

The US should welcome these experts inot the US. They do say that they want to share their expertise in other markets.

According to reports availabe on the internet they already have numerous projects and installations completed in Russia, Thailand, England, France, Spain and Turkey, and this they consider to be just the beginning.

It is stated in a recent report available on the worldwide web, that biogas even offers the possibility of stepping towards energy security for rural and even peri-urban communities in some areas. However, the converse is certainly true, and there is no energy security for any nation now in depending on imports of natural gas, whereas literally home-grown biogas is right on our doorstep, and as secure a supply as can be imagined.

The Original Post is Located Here: The Importance Of Biogas Digesters For All Our Futures

Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Comprised primarily of methane and carbon dioxide, biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of biofuel. It’s a product of the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as manure or sewage, and can be used in CHP plants
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The Original Post is Located Here: Biogas: How it Works

Let’s start with the first source of renewable energy, solar power. Solar energy is free but most people are afraid of the cost of solar cells. A myth about solar cells is that they are expensive and not a feasible option for residential properties. Honestly, you can find service providers who will send you competitive quotes and a range of options based on your electricity consumption. You don’t need to invest USD100,000 when you need a solar panel that costs a thousand dollars.

In fact, if a thousand dollars is too expensive too, you can build your own. There are plenty of ‘do-it-yourself’ websites that will give you all the support you need. You can also consider purchasing, solar powered devices to help you avoid consuming electricity. For instance, you have solar powered cookers, solar powered heaters, air conditioners, etc.

Another source of energy, you must have heard about is ‘wind’. To harness wind energy, all you need to do is install wind turbines. If your home is close to the sea, offshore or at a high altitude you should consider this as a feasible option. It might seem expensive to install but you will save forty percent when compared to your electricity consumption. If you are a ‘go green’ advocate, you can have your neighbourhood switch to utilizing wind energy. A small wind farm (more than 10 windmills), can be an economical option and help you reduce a considerable amount on your electricity bill.

If you are lucky enough to have your home in the countryside or a farm, a very cheap alternative source of energy is biogas. Installing a bio gas plant is a one time investment, and you can switch your entire power consumption to this source of energy. Biogas produce methane gas that is created by fermentation of slurry (fermented house hold waste, animal waste, sewage, etc). Biogas is very popular alternative source of energy in developing countries and can be used globally.

There are plenty of renewable energy alternatives that are used today, and every effort is being made to reduce costs. If are flexible with the cost, you can always choose from bio fuel, geothermal energy, etc.

For those concerned about the environment, switching to a renewable source of energy can help you reduce your carbon footprint and eliminate your electricity bill.

The Original Post is Located Here: Use Renewable Energy for Your Home

One country that seems to be leading the way in the renewable energy revolution is the small island of Iceland. They have fully embraced geothermal energy and hydropower, and 82% of their primary energy consumption comes from renewable sources. The country has managed within one generation to ween itself from dependence on coal and oil to a system almost completely based on sustainable resources.

Another country leading the way to a greener planet is Sweden. Approximately 25% of Sweden’s energy consumption comes from biogas. Biogas is power that is created from sewage. In the Swedish city of Linkoping, all of the garbage trucks and buses run on biogas, and there’s even a biogas-powered train line! The government in Sweden has even converted confiscated alcohol into biofuel for green applications.

In 1973, the country of Denmark became independent of fossil fuel imports. Since that time, the country has continued to embrace green technologies, and now boasts the world’s first profitable offshore wind park. Over 20% of Denmark’s power consumption is derived from wind power, and that’s after exporting 90% of their wind production outside of the country. Denmark is also using solar power to run heating plants as well as other applications, and they are also working on using rapeseed oil as a new type of biofuel.

Costa Rica is one of many countries that is working to become the world’s first carbon-neutral country. They incorporate several green energies including geothermal, solar, wind and the burning of sugarcane waste. Their biggest source of clean energy is hydroelectricity, and more than 82% of Costa Rica’s energy is provided by its hydroelectric dams. A quarter of the nation of Costa Rica is also devoted to park preservation.

In the United States, the green revolution has faced opposition most notably from the giant oil companies. Americans are just now beginning to realize the very real threat that global warming poses, and many are now willing to look at alternative energy sources. In recent years, the U.S. has become the world’s fastest growing wind power market, and several major turbine manufacturing plants have either been opened or announced their intentions. Recently, the government has instituted tax credits, rebates and other programs to encourage Americans to purchase energy saving appliances, vehicles, etc. New homes and businesses are being built with environmentally friendly products and energy sources, and owners are receiving significant tax breaks for using green technologies.

There are many other countries implementing green technologies with the hope of saving the planet and making the world a better place – let’s hope they succeed.

The Original Post is Located Here: Most Green Countries

Any fuel created from biomass can be called biofuel, although the term gets the most media attention when used to denote biomass-based fuels that power internal combustion engines especially cars. These include biodiesel, biobutanol, biogas and bioethanol. The fuels can be created from plant materials specifically grown for the purpose or from the recycling or re-use of other biomass resources.

Energy Crops
Crops have long been grown to feed people and animals, but until recently were not raised specifically as energy sources. Even trees, which have been used for thousands of years as a heating source, were not “farmed” for just that purpose. Today there is even a term for trees and woody plants cultivated for the specific purpose of creating fuel: dendro-energy. The products of any agriculture dedicated to producing fuel of any sort are called “energy crops” the high-falutin technical term would be “closed-loop biomass” and are steadily becoming an important resource in global energy development.

There are literally hundreds of different dendro-energy resources alone, from abies balsamea (balsam fir) to Zizania aquatica (wild rice) around the world. In countries with no proven reserves of fossil fuels, investments and research in dendro-energy resources have helped otherwise energy-poor nations such as Sri Lanka develop alternatives to costly and politically dependent imports, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “power plant.”

Some of the energy crops grown around the world include corn, soybeans, flaxseed and sugar cane. Additionally, biofuels are also manufactured frequently from the unused portions of crops grown for other purposes such as the chaff, stalks, shells, husks, and roots.

Energy crops add fewer emissions to the air and water supply than do petroleum products in general and coal in particular. Energy crops contain almost no sulfur and far less nitrogen than fossil fuels, so their combustion does not contribute to acid rain and smog (sulfur dioxide, or SO2) and smog (nitrogen oxides, or NOx). And unlike fossil fuels, they do not have significant quantities of mercury to leach into the water supply. In general, energy crops do not release nearly the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as anthropogenic sources (that is, human-made concoctions such as natural gas, gasoline, solvents, pesticides, and paints).

There are biogenic sources of VOCs, however, and these do represent significant contributors. Pine and citrus trees, for example, release large quantities of isoprene (a chemical compound found naturally in plants and animals, including humans, isoprene is nevertheless a pollutant, especially as it contributes to the production of ozone) and terpenes (a family of hydrocarbons that are the major components of resin and, not surprisingly, turpentine), although these trees are used as biomass.

One promising source of biofuels is microalgae, which can be grown on aquaculture farms. A pilot program demonstrated in during the 1990s showed that algae can be used to create diesel and jet fuel. This is particularly good news given the efficiency of algae relative to some other energy crops. For example, corn, which is a common energy crop, yields just 18 gallons of fuel per acre. Thanks to its fast growth cycle, algae can yield up to 10,000 gallons per acre. There’s another benefit to algae, too. Some power plants are already using algae bioreactors to reduce CO2 emissions by pumping the gas into a pond or tank for the algae to feed on.

Recycled Energy
Another way in which biomass gets put to use as an energy source is through recycling biodegradable materials or water products. Industry and agriculture are major sources of biodegradable by-products, but every household generates potentially useful biomass. On a large scale, manufacturers and other industrial and commercial services generate biodegradable materials they no longer need.

The Original Post is Located Here: Biofuels – Stay On Top Of The Coming Trends

Biogas is created in landfills. When organic matter such as compost or natural waste is buried without oxygen, it starts to create a gas. This is biogas and it can be contained and used to produce energy. A landfill that is properly designed will produce biogas for several years. This gas is released into the earth’s atmosphere, so it just makes sense that harnessing it and making use of it would be a better solution. As far as natural resources go, this might be one of the best.

For the most part biogas is made up of carbon dioxide and methane. However, quite often there are also varying quantities of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and various other natural gases. Special wells have to be drilled in order to properly get biogas out of a landfill. It is a much more efficient way of capturing all of the gas. At this time there is a train in Sweden that is currently powered by biogas. The use of sewage and cow waste is the primary fuel source for that train. It has been determined that biogas has virtually no trace of toxic emissions in comparison with fossil fuels.

There are several great benefits to using biogas as fuel. Not only does it produce much needed energy but it also eliminates all of the organic waste in landfills by giving it a purpose. This in turn also improves conditions in landfills regarding insects and the reduction of pathogens. Reducing the amount of methane in the earth’s atmosphere is also a good idea which biogas helps with as well. Those that are interested in the benefits of biogas should do the necessary research in order to understand it better. As consumers and members of this earth, we all must do our part to make an educated choice.

There are a handful of disadvantages associated with biogas as well. The actual product value of biogas is incredibly low, which does not necessarily make it economically feasible. The process that is required to obtain biogas can also be quite expensive since special wells must be drilled. There is also reason to believe that some of the gases in biogas are corrosive to metal. This can be a problem because metal is a major component of automobile engines. Weighing the benefits and disadvantages is necessary in order to conclude if biogas will work for you.

The Original Post is Located Here: Biogas

As part of an integrated waste management system, anaerobic digestion can also reduce the emission of landfill gas into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digestion is a renewable energy source because the process produces a methane and carbon dioxide rich biogas suitable for energy production helping replace fossil fuels. Also, the nutrient-rich solids left after digestion can be used as fertiliser.

Scientific interest in the gasses produced by the natural decomposition of organic matter goes back a long way. Biogas was first reported in the seventeenth century by Robert Boyle and Stephen Hale, who noted that flammable gas was released by disturbing the sediment of streams and lakes. In 1808, Sir Humphry Davy determined that methane was present in the gasses produced by cattle manure.

It has been reported on the web that the first anaerobic digester was built by a leper colony in Bombay, India in 1859. In 1895 the technology was developed in Exeter, England, where a septic tank was used to generate gas for street lighting. Also, web sources report that in England, in 1904, the first dual purpose tank for both sedimentation and sludge treatment was installed in Hampton. In 1907, in Germany, a patent was issued for the Imhoff tank, an early form of digester.

The biogas digester (anaerobic digestion plant -AD plant ) also, of course, has a big part to play in farming. An AD plant captures naturally occurring gas from manure and converts it into electricity. One recently publisher US News item declares that with their new AD system, they are generating up to 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year fo their farm. That is an value in power of about $40,000 a year!

The farming industry is developing a variety of AD Plant systems using differnet technologies. Placing a tarpaulin over manure ponds can provide a very basic biogas digester. Doing it eliminates the release of methane (a natural byproduct of manure) into the air. The amount that can be removed is small in overall emissions terms but could be significant. According to the 2003 U.S. Department of Energy Report on Greenhouse Gases, agricultural sources, primarily animal waste, account for approximately three percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The same source reports that a dairy cow can generate 120 lbs. of waste each day, totaling about 40,000 lbs. per year. Furthermore, using a digester wastes nothing as the solids separated from the waste are composted and reused as fertilizer, providing additional, and highly sustainable benefits.

The Original Post is Located Here: Biogas Digester Development And Increasing Adoption

Biogas is a mixture of about 60-70% methane (natural gas), 30-40% carbon dioxide and other trace gases, such as hydrogen sulfide. The heat content of this gas is based on the amount of methane it contains and is about 600 BTUs per cubic foot.

Anaerobic digesters produce biomethane along with electricity generation and saleable end product biosolids which allows animal production enterprises to become neighborhood and environment friendly, as well as producing another revenue flow for themselves.

Running a biogas plant on a dairy farm works best for farms which hold at least 800 cows. Economically viable ystems for dairies under 800 cow level are possible, but need evaluation on a farm by farm basis to decide whther there will be adequate cost effectiveness. No farm or combinations of farms is ever likely to be too large for such a system.

Whether a particular farm, your farm perhaps, would be suitable for a biogas plant depends on assessing the budget costs of the investment, against the potential earnings from generated electricity sales and from end product bio-solid sales. The economic return period for any farm can be estimated this way. If the return period is short enough and an investor can be found there is a lot to be said for going ahead.

Many people will ask you to demonstrate that the new plant does not have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. Let us assure you that a well designed and run biogas plant improves the environment significantly and is neither odorous nor dangerous. Such plants can be placed near production facilities which will often be the best customers for the power and heat produced.

Equipment is fitted to the digester plants to suit climate conditions. The bioreactors have thermal insulation and are heated by heating and also have a cooling system for summer use. In cold winters a biogas plant can consume up to 50% of its produced heat power.

The liquid that results from the anaerobic digestion process has solids which are separated out, composted, and sold to local gardeners, landscapers and farmers. Some farmers use the solids as bedding for their cows and sell it as bedding to neighbors. The liquids are returned to the farmer as nutrient rich natural fertilizer, which replaces imported nutrients and thereby cuts costs.

There is an issue, and it is a fallacy, going around that Anaerobic Diesters always smell. We would contest this. Anaerobic digesters actually tend to alleviate odor problems when on a well run, especially as suburban growth surrounds farms and introduces neighbors who complain about manure smells most often due to nearby farming activities and not the AD plant at all.

By installing an anaerobic digester, the conscientious farmer can actually solve odor issues to everyone’s satisfaction. Since the digesters are airtight, the smell stays within, and the liquids and solids coming out of the digester have only a very slight odor compared to the raw slurry.

The Original Post is Located Here: Biogas And Issues Which Arise In Its Production