Module 9 introduces anaerobic digestion, the first form of bioenergy that we will cover in detail. Lecture material touches on the science, technology, current state of AD and policy.
Module 9: Intro to anaerobic digestion topics 9.1: What is anaerobic digestion? 9.2: How is AD applied? 9.3: Snapshot of AD in Vermont (2015) 9.4: Energy products & co-products of AD 9.5: Environmental impacts of AD: benefits & concerns Additional links & items of interest:
On-farm AD > Farmers are generating renewable energy and making money - thanks to cow poop (Erbentraut, Huffpost, 11 Aug 2015) > Farm digester evolution in Vermont (Goldstein, Biocycle, Feb 2013) > AgSTAR's Livestock anaerobic digester database (EPA, Dec 2019 update) > AgSTAR Data and trends (EPA, Dec 2019 update) University and on-farm AD video tours
> Cayuga County manure digester virtual tour (Farm Energy Extension (Apr 2019) > Anaerobic digester tour - organic waste collection and solids (Aug 2013) > The anaerobic digester at MSU (MSU Infrastructure Planning and Facilities, Jun 2013) > AD: Beyond waste management (WSU CAHNRS, May 2013) > Anaerobic digester: Bellingham Technical College (Jun 2012) > AD videos (DVO) Innovative off-farm application of AD
> Breweries are incorporating AD into their plants & business plans (Thiel, Chicago Reader, 14 Jul 2011) AD economics
> New bill by Reps. Stafanik and Peters boosts baseload renewable power: bill extends tax credit for biomass, hydropower, biogas and waste-to-energy—the only expired renewable energy technologies (American Biogas Council, 14 Aug 2019) AD: environmental benefits and concerns
> Morally questionable - is anaerobic digestion really working? (Linehan, Guardian, 14 Mar 2014) > Climate change policy and adoption of methane digesters on livestock operations (USDA, Feb 2011) > Sierra Club guidance: methane digesters and CAFO waste (Sierra Club, 26 Oct 2004) AD policy, incentives and RNG (2018 onwards):
> Align renewable natural gas > Big companies bet on cleaner power from pig poop ponds (Charles, NPR, 23 Nov 2019) > The real reason behind Shuanghui's puchase of Smithfields (Pei, Forbes, 4 Jun 2013) > Who's behind the Chinese takeover of the worlds' biggest pork producer (PBS Newshour, 12 Sep 2014) |