BIOFerm™ Energy Systems » Waste-to-Energy

BES Exhibiting at World Ag Expo, Feb 14-16, 2012

C. Chappell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:20:31 +0000

BIOFerm Energy Systems will be exhibiting at the upcoming World Ag Expo in Tulare, California on February 14-16, 2012. Our booth will be in Pavilion D, #4202. We are looking forward to connecting with farmers and other players in the agriculture industry who may have an interest in anaerobic digestion. If you are planning on attending the expo and would like to connect with our team, please feel free to stop by our booth and/or send us an email to set up an appointment.

US Composting Council Show

C. Chappell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:53:44 +0000

Thanks to all who visited our booth at last week’s US Composting Council Conference, as well as those who attended Steven Sell’s presentation on combining anaerobic digestion with composting. We hope everyone learned a lot and made some good contacts. If anyone has additional questions on BIOFerm’s technology, please feel free to email Caroline.

We enjoyed Friday’s session of equipment demonstrations held at the Texas Disposal Systems Composting Facility as well. There were many grinders, shredders, screeners, and windrow turners in action for all to observe. Caroline Chappell took a minute to catch up with USCC’s new Executive Director Michael Virga during the demos.

Virgin Islands Set Fossil Fuel Reduction Goals

C. Chappell — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:29:03 +0000

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is helping the US Virgin Islands come up with strategies to achieve an agressive goal of reducing their fossil fuel use by 60% over the next 15 years. Like most islands, the USVI are almost completely reliant on imported oil for electricity and therefore pay astronomical rates close to 50 cents per kWh. To meet these goals and become more energy independent, they plan to “integrate every large portion of renewable energy into our system” according to Karl Knight, director of USVI’s energy office. This may include technologies such as solar, wind, biomass, waste-to-energy, and a large rollout of energy efficiency measures.

The article in Renewable Energy World emphasizes the need to employ several different solutions as well as to get everyone on board. Knight further states, “we’ve been able to secure some good partnerships that have really put some effort into helping us achieve the goal. Through the assistance of NREL, we’ve established local working groups, both public sector and private sector and the participation of non-government organizations.”

It will be interesting to see how the USVI’s renewable energy portfolio eases its dependence on foreign oil, and if anaerobic digestion will be one of the technologies considered to meet the targets. Hopefully they will succeed in their efforts, and as the article states, “assist other small island nations to curb their appetites for fossil-fuel derived energy and provide a model on the cost and investment return on the latest technologies.”

UWO Biodigester is Finalist for Excellence in Renewable Energy Award

C. Chappell — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:24:43 +0000

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Anaerobic Biodigester has been selected as a finalist for the 3rd Annual Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards, as decided upon by the editors of Renewable Energy World publications. According to their website, “the nominations reflect the highest caliber projects, the most striking innovations and the most influential leaders from North America’s renewable energy industry.” REW is accepting votes through January 20th for the Readers’ Choice Award, so if you would like to support the UWO project, please follow the link in this article to vote!

AD Resources from American Biogas Council

C. Chappell — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:01:11 +0000

The American Biogas Council, of which BIOFerm Energy Systems is a founding member, provides many great resources on their website. The mission of the American Biogas Council is to create jobs, environmental sustainability and energy independence by growing the American biogas industry. There is an entire “About Biogas” section including benefits, FAQs, and useful links. If you’re interested in staying updated with news from across the biogas industry, you can sign up for their free newsletter here.

US Composting Council’s 20th Annual Conference & Tradeshow

C. Chappell — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:45:18 +0000

BIOFerm Energy Systems will be participating in the US Composting Council’s 20th Annual Conference & Tradeshow coming up January 17-20, 2012 in Austin, Texas. In addition to exhibiting, a presentation will be given on incorporating anaerobic digestion with existing composting operations. For more information and details on registration, please see the USCC’s website. If you’re making plans to attend, please let us know if you’d like to arrange a meeting with our team!

MJS Talks Manure Digesters

C. Chappell — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:16:31 +0000

A recent article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on a study from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs which indicates the Midwest could take advantage of its abundant farmland to produce more energy from waste streams. The article quotes Rachel Bronson of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs – “the Midwest has an opportunity to harness the biomass residuals as a new source of energy and, in so doing, set an example for future energy initiatives that will hopefully someday be a feature of broader US energy policy discussions.”

While many people in the anaerobic digestion industry are aware of this opportunity, it is great to articles like this one in the mainstream newspapers such as the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The article also points out that Wisconsin is the national leader in number of installed manure digesters.

BioCycle Conference Participants Tour UW Oshkosh Digester

C. Chappell — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:11:48 +0000

Earlier this month, over 50 participants from BioCycle’s 11th Annual Conference on Renewable Energy from Organics Recycling toured the anaerobic biodigester facility at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. After the groups toured the innovative dry fermentation facility, a welcome address was given by University Chancellor Richard Wells. Chancellor Wells explained the extensive sustainability goals and how the biodigester helps to fulfill their mission. There was a question & answer session as well. Curious about the project? Read more info here, or email Caroline with any questions.

UWO Digester Tour on Thursday, October 13th

C. Chappell — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:34:01 +0000

BIOFerm Energy Systems is offering an open tour of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh biodigester this Thursday, October 13th at 10 AM to any interested parties. For more information, please email Caroline at info@biofermenergy.com

Call to Action: Help Extend Sect 1603

C. Chappell — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:06:21 +0000

The American Biogas Council, of which BIOFerm is a founding member, is circulating a petition to seek government support on extending the deadling for Section 1603, a grant program which helps to fund renewable energy projects. The 1603 Treasury Program allows owners of property, like biogas producing digesters, that would otherwise qualify for Internal Revenue Code Section 45 or 48 to receive a cash grant from the U.S. Treasury in lieu of the credit and in the amount of a 30% investment tax credit.

The deadline for qualifying projects to apply is set for December 31, 2011. The aim of this petition is to extend that deadline to allow more projects to benefit from this important opportunity and produce more homegrown renewable energy in this country.

To sign the petition, please click here. Want to learn more about Section 1603? Check out the ABC’s webinar on Thursday, September 29 from noon to 1:30 PM EDT.