It seems the California Public Utility Commission, has unveiled a plan to create solar power plants with cow based methane as a backup fuel. While this is not the first time we have covered the awesome power generation capacity of the lowly cow patty, it is the first time to my knowledge that is has been combined with a solar plant to produce round the clock power. Sort of reminds me of the natural gas/wind plant going up in the UK.
As more and more duel source power plants like this come online, as well as creative storage options become available, solar and wind plants will no longer be thought of as an intermittent power supply.
How’s this for green energy: The California Public Utilities Commission yesterday approved contracts for two 49.4-megawatt solar power plants that will use biogas made from cow manure as a backup fuel source. The plants will be located on 640 acres of alfalfa farmland in Southern California’s Imperial Valley and will provide electricity to San Diego Gas & Electric (SRE).(via)
I was looking at the contest by Specialized, I built a bike to generate electricity…does that count? I dismantled it to get my bike back (im low teens still) but it could easily be re-esembled? Does it count, it’s not so original, but it won me 2nd prize provincial
PS
Canada should consider this idea, all we got is hydro and nuclear
I say go for it, and if you wanted to send me some pictures I would be happy to highlight it on this site :) good luck.
I am auditing and taking classes on this technology at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The biggest challenge is the government and big corporate roadblocks that exist. Capturing manure is feasible, and digesting it in concrete tanks to produce methane is also a solution.
The grid tie and the various regulations by agencies that don’t really understand the processes leaves a path of stumbling blocks and walls that the dairy farmers face. They are not the ultimate polluters in any location except their farms. And they actually do want to clean up the problem and use the methane, as farmers want to recover the resources.
This idea is one of Many resource recovery issues that stand to take waste management in to the resource recovery stream.