University of New Hampshire is First School in US to Run Off Landfill Gas

Science & Technology (alternative energy)

landfill gas plant photo
Where the landfill gas is purified and pressurized, before being sent to the school. Photo: UNH

A few months back we heard about Middlebury College's efforts to green their electricity and heating. Well, over at the University of New Hampshire they're getting in on the green power act too, and one-upping Middlebury in the process:

The project just completed is known as EcoLine and uses purified methane gas from a nearby landfill. Nothing particularly new in that, but the big deal is that UNH's five million square foot campus will get 85% of its electricity and heat from the project. This means that UNH has become the first university in the nation to use landfill gas as its primary energy source.

The whole thing (including construction of a pipeline to get the gas from the landfill to the school) cost $49 million, with an expected payback time of 10 years. Any excess electricity produced by the system will be fed back in to the electric grid.

It's estimated that this project will reduce University of New Hampshire's carbon emissions to 57% below 1990 levels.

More: UNH Cogeneration & Landfill Gas Pipeline

via: Renewable Energy World

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