GPP Webinar: On-site Use of Biomass and Biogas

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
1 to 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)
EPA's Green Power Partnership (GPP)

The free webinar discussed the on-site use of biomass and biogas renewable energy resources. Participants learned about the different types of biomass and biogas generation technologies, their associated benefits, financing strategies, and challenges to project development. Jack Byrne of Middlebury College, Ferman Milster of the University of Iowa, and Paul Chamberlin of the University of New Hampshire presented case studies of their organization's projects and the lessons learned:

Middlebury College's new, $12 million biomass gasification boiler, fueled by wood chips harvested within 75 miles of the college. The biomass plant is anticipated to reduce the college's carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent.

University of Iowa's innovative coal boiler conversion to co-fire biomass. The university power plant circulating fluidized bed boiler has been retrofitted to co-fire light-weight biomass material, and new fuel unloading and handling systems were designed and installed. The University of Iowa also joined the Chicago Climate Exchange and has significantly reduced its emissions of greenhouse gases as a result of this project.

University of New Hampshire's ECOLine project is a landfill gas-to-energy project that uses methane gas from a nearby landfill to produce heat and electricity equal to up to 85 percent of the campus' energy needs. The University is selling the renewable energy certificates (RECs) associated with the project to assist with project financing and fund energy efficiency efforts on campus.

Click on the links below to access the presentation slides:

• Blaine Collison, U.S. EPA, Introductory Remarks (pdf) (301.71 KB)
• Jack Byrne, Middlebury College, What gives a college power? (pdf) (2.3 MB)
• Ferman Milster, University of Iowa, University of Iowa Biomass Fuel Project Chicago Climate Exchange (pdf) (2.59 MB)
• Paul Chamberlin, University of New Hampshire, UNH Energy Project: EcoLine Landfill Gas Project (pdf) (1.67 MB)