Oct 29 2010
Texas, well-known for it oil deposits, is in the forefront in wind power energy and is currently focusing on solar and biomass energy along with green job opportunities. San Antonio takes credit for becoming the premier water district, to connect a biogas plant to a commercial gas pipeline.
Methane, a greenhouse gas, is a potent byproduct of the sewage treatment process. Normally, it is eliminated by burning, but the current practice is to have machinery to collect the gas, and reuse it as a source of power, thereby reducing greenhouse emissions. This has already been done in Washington State where a novel biogas machine is installed along with an efficiency overhaul, which saved power to light 210 homes on a yearly basis.
Facilities such as diary farms, that manage animal waste, are also installing biogas equipment, to decrease waste disposal and utility expenses, and also conduct their business and grow without ignoring environmental protection rules. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s AgStar biogas program facilitates biogas recycling. Food processing plants could also be used for biogas recovery; to aid industrial-sized processors circumventing fines because of erroneous waste disposal techniques, an added benefit being the reduction in utility costs.
The Dos Rios Water Recycling Center was fitted with a new biogas system of Ameresco. The biogas recovered from this center is put up for sale, fetching an annual $200,000 via a gas pipeline. For Dos Rios, the benefits are threefold with the recovery of not only biogas, but also biosolids, which could be used as fertilizers and high quality water which is used for irrigating San Antonio’s well-known landmark, the Riverwalk, and also other commercial and recreation facilities.
Source: http://www.saws.org/