Landfill Methane Outreach Program
Publications/Tools
LMOP offers a wide array of free technical, promotional, and informational tools as well as services to assist with the development of landfill gas (LFG) energy projects. This page is a compilation of the various publications, brochures, fact sheets, and software tools referenced throughout the site. As with any of the tools and services offered by LMOP, if you have any questions you should feel free to contact one of the LMOP team members.
A number of the documents listed below can be accessed on line for immediate viewing, and some print publications may be ordered from EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), while EPA's digital publications are stored in the National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS) database. There are instructions below for items orderable from NSCEP/NEPIS.
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Technical Documents
Landfill Gas Energy Project Development Handbook
This handbook provides LFG energy project development guidance, with individual chapters about the basics of LFG energy, gas modeling, technology options, economic analysis and financing, contract and permitting considerations, and selection of project partners. The intended audience for this handbook is landfill owners, energy service providers, corporate energy end users, state agencies, local governments, and communities.
Adapting Boilers to Utilize Landfill Gas: An Environmentally and Economically Beneficial Opportunity (PDF) (4 pp, 311K)
Using LFG in a boiler to create power is a common practice that requires minor technical adjustments to the boiler. This fact sheet details the retrofits needed to enable a boiler to operate efficiently using LFG.
Draft Clean Energy Strategies Guide: Landfill Gas to Energy (PDF) (34 pp, 483K)
LMOP teamed with EPA's Local Government Climate and Clean Energy Program to produce a chapter on LFG energy for its larger publication: Local Government Clean Energy Strategies. This document details strategies local governments can use to meet their energy demand in clean, reliable, and low-cost ways.
» Webcast: Landfill Gas to Energy
Combined Heat and Power Applications—Catalogs of Technologies
- Biomass Combined Heat and Power Catalog of Technologies (PDF) (123 pp, 2.3MB)
This document provides characterizations of biomass combined heat and power (CHP) technologies, including information on biomass resources, energy conversion technologies, and power production systems. - Catalog of CHP Technologies (PDF) (150 pp, 2.8MB)
This document provides an overview of how CHP systems work and information about the cost and performance characteristics of five technologies.
Informational Documents
Funding Landfill Gas Energy Projects: State, Federal, and Foundation Resources
This funding guide offers detailed information on innovative state, federal, and foundation funding resources available for LFG energy projects.
Landfill Methane Outreach Program: Creating Partnerships and Power From Landfill Gas | Brochure (PDF) (2 pp, 185K)
This brochure provides basic information about LMOP, including program goals, products and services, Partner success stories, and program achievements.
To order this document from the NSCEP/NEPIS Web site, access it at item number 430F02013. Then add the item to your shopping cart, select the checkbox next to the item, and order the publication. If you would like to order another LMOP document available from NSCEP/NEPIS at the same time without having to re-enter your contact information, come back to this page, select the item number for that document and add it to the NSCEP/NEPIS shopping cart before submitting your order.
Landfill Gas: Creating Green Energy in Your Community (PDF) (2 pp, 310K)
This brochure introduces the layperson to LFG and the benefits of LFG energy. It is a useful tool for marketing LFG energy to communities.
To order this document from the NSCEP/NEPIS Web site, access it at item number 430F08028. Then add the item to your shopping cart, select the checkbox next to the item, and order the publication. If you would like to order another LMOP document available from NSCEP/NEPIS at the same time without having to re-enter your contact information, come back to this page and select the item number for that document and add it to the NSCEP/NEPIS shopping cart before submitting your order.
Corporate End User Resources
LMOP’s Corporate Users page provides information about how LMOP works hands-on with corporations considering using LFG energy. It highlights LMOP products and services that can help meet the needs of a company’s facility and energy managers, marketing and media relations professionals, and other decision-makers.
Toolkit
The LMOP Online Toolkit was designed to help LMOP Partners, Endorsers, and others in communicating LFG energy benefits, highlighting LMOP participation, and developing outreach materials. It features sample tools for outreach—including easy-to-use items such as logos, posters, and press releases—that you can download. The Toolkit can help you share the good news about LFG energy projects with your community, employees, shareholders, customers, the media, and other stakeholders.
Landfill Gas Energy: Fueling the Economy and a Sustainable Energy Future (PDF) (1 pg, 81K)
This one-page fact sheet provides information about the current status of LFG energy projects in the United States and the environmental and economic benefits attributable to these projects.
Green Power From Landfill Gas (PDF) (1 pg, 164K)
This one-page fact sheet provides information about LFG as a renewable energy resource and the inclusion of LFG in green power programs. It also provides summary information, the current status of LFG energy projects in the United States, and the environmental and economic benefits attributable to these projects.
State LFG Primers
These primers, currently available for 12 states, explain state and federal environmental permitting processes, policies, and financial incentive programs for LFG energy projects.
Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program 
The Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program, established by Section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, provides a means for organizations and individuals who have reduced their emissions to record their accomplishments and share their ideas for action. This online brochure provides background information on the program, as well as a link to the home page of the Energy Information Administration’s Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Web site.
Software Tools
LFG Energy Benefits Calculator
This tool can be used to estimate greenhouse gas reductions from an LFG energy project.
Interactive Conversion Tool
This tool can be used to conduct unit conversions, such as standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) to million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) or short tons of methane to million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2E). It can also be used to estimate LFG energy potential from a municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill, including tons of waste-in-place (WIP) to scfm of LFG or megawatt (MW) capacity, and much more.
LFGcost–Web–Landfill Gas Energy Cost Model
Evaluate the economic feasibility and job creation benefits of an LFG energy project using this software model. LFGcost-Web is currently available to LMOP Partners and Endorsers only. For information on becoming a Partner or Endorser, visit Join LMOP.
Landfill Gas Modeling Tools
Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM)
The Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM version 3.02, released May 12, 2005) is an automated tool for estimating emission rates from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The model was developed by the EPA Office of Research and Development-National Risk Management Research Laboratory, and the Clean Air Technology Center. The model can be used to estimate total LFG and methane generation, as well as emissions of carbon dioxide, nonmethane organic compounds, and individual air pollutants from landfills. Model results can be used to estimate the recoverable methane available for a potential LFG energy project. LandGEM can also be used by landfill owners and operators to determine if a landfill is subject to the control requirements of the federal New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) for new MSW landfills, the emission guidelines for existing MSW landfills, or the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for MSW landfills.
Version 3.02 replaced versions 2.01 and 3.01 and is a user-friendly version with a Microsoft Excel interface, greater accuracy, and enhanced capabilities. For example, version 3.02 enables the user to estimate total LFG generation, which can be calibrated with a user-specified methane concentration other than 50 percent. It includes new default values to estimate emissions from wet landfills, such as bioreactors. Users can choose from a wider range of units of measure for inputs and outputs.
In addition to the LandGEM Version 3.02 Excel file, users should also download the "ReadMe First" file and User's Guide, which contain key information necessary to properly operate the model.
Central America Landfill Gas Model
LMOP co-developed the Central America Landfill Gas Model to help landfill owners and operators, end users of LFG, and other interested parties in Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama) evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of collecting and using LFG for energy recovery.
China Landfill Gas Model
LMOP developed the China Landfill Gas Model to estimate LFG generation rates from landfills, and potential LFG recovery rates for landfills that have, or plan to have, gas collection and control systems in China.
Ecuador Landfill Gas Model
LMOP developed the Ecuador Landfill Gas Model to help landfill owners and operators and other interested parties evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of collecting and using LFG for energy recovery in Ecuador.
Mexico Landfill Gas Model 2.0
To develop Mexico Landfill Gas Model Version 2.0, LMOP collected additional field data and applied advanced modeling techniques to update and refine Version 1.0. The Model Version 2.0 incorporates waste composition data from Version 1.0 and expands the data to include information from additional cities and landfills throughout Mexico.
Philippines Landfill Gas Model
LMOP developed the Philippines Landfill Gas Model to help landfill owners and operators, end users of LFG, and other interested parties in the Philippines evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of collecting and using LFG for energy recovery.
Thailand Landfill Gas Model
LMOP developed Thailand Landfill Gas Model to help landfill owners and operators, end users of LFG, and other interested parties in Thailand evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of collecting and using LFG for energy recovery. The model is available in both English and Thai.
Ukraine Landfill Gas Model
LMOP developed the Ukraine Landfill Gas Model to help landfill owners and operators, end users of LFG, and other interested parties in Ukraine evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of collecting and using LFG for energy recovery.