 | |  EnergyXchange Renewable Energy Center
| Location | Sugar Grove, North Carolina | | End User(s) | EnergyXchange Renewable Energy Center | | Sector(s) | Heritage crafts, Greenhouse | | Landfill(s) | Yancey-Mitchell County Landfill | | Landfill Size | 385,000 tons waste-in-place (1994) | | Project Type | Boiler and Direct Thermal (furnaces and kilns) | | Project Size | 37.5 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) | | Savings | More than $1 million dollars for artists | | Environmental Benefits | Carbon sequestered annually by 1,000 acres of pine or fir forests, annual greenhouse gas emissions from 800 passenger vehicles, or carbon dioxide emissions from 10,300 barrels of oil consumed. Annual energy savings equate to heating 120 homes. Estimated emissions reductions of 0.0012 million metric tons of carbon equivalents. | | LMOP Partners Involved | Blue Ridge Resource Conservation & Development Council, Natural Power, North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources |
Glass blowing furnaces, a pottery kiln, and greenhouses dedicated to preserving rare and native local flora–all located on a 6-acre landfill and powered by landfill gas (LFG). That’s the EnergyXchange, a community-based organization established to demonstrate the responsible use of LFG as an energy resource, serve artisans, and meet local energy needs.
Water heated by LFG provides heat for the greenhouse, where students learn how to propagate critical components of the local ecosystems. Glass blowers fine tune their craft over flames fueled by LFG, while potters fire their wares in an oversized kiln, also fueled by LFG. In the visitor’s center, citizens learn how LFG energy (LFGE) projects save money and help the environment.
The efforts of EnergyXchange have done much for the landfill gas energy field: proven that landfill gas energy projects at small landfills can be beneficial; shown the power of partnerships; drawn nationwide attention to landfill gas energy; spawned development in neighboring areas; and become a model for other projects. —Stan Steury, former Project Coordinator, Blue Ridge Resource Conservation & Development Council
Blue Ridge is one of three primary project partners, including HandMade in America and Mayland Community College. The savings to the artisans thus far exceeds $1 million, compared to what they would have paid for traditional fuel sources. Artisans pay a nominal studio fee and appreciate an ample gas supply that’s expected to power them for 15 years.
Due to the EnergyXchange’s success, including recognition as LMOP’s Community Partner of the Year in 1999, more projects of this type are being developed in the region. Last Updated: 8/18/2008
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