Craig: Focus from the GreenEnergyTV Team

The University of New Hampshire is definitely one of the top green universities in the US. In 2009, the campus will be the first to use landfill gas as its primary energy source, providing 80 percent or more of its own power needs. 

Starting in spring 2009, UNH will receive up to 85% of the energy used by the campus from the ECOLine project, a landfill gas-to-energy project that uses methane gas from a nearby landfill. UNH is the first campus in the country to use landfill gas as its primary fuel source.

In partnership with Waste Management of New Hampshire, Inc., UNH launched ECOLine to pipe enriched and purified gas from Waste Management’s landfill in Rochester to the Durham campus. Coming from Waste Management’s Turnkey Recycling and Environmental Enterprise (TREE) facility in Rochester, NH, the landfill gas will replace commercial natural gas as the primary fuel in UNH’s co-generation plant. Construction began in 2007 on the landfill gas processing plant in Rochester that will purify the gas and on the 12.7 mile underground pipeline that will transport the gas from the plant to the UNH Durham campus.

How much $$$ will this save the University? UNH's landfill gas project cost an estimated $49 million - all internally-funded - with an anticipated payback within 10 years of the project. Both the co-generation plant and the landfill gas projects were financed by the campus through borrowing. No student fees or state funding is being used. The analysis done as part of the due diligence process showed that the total cost of energy delivered to the campus was lower if the project was accomplished (assuming all costs for the new systems including repayment of the financing) than the "do nothing" alternative.

Renewable energy credits: Starting in 2009, UNH will sell the renewable energy certificates (REC's) associated with ECOLine's electricity generation to help finance the capital costs of the project and to invest in additional energy efficiency projects on campus. By selling RECs, UNH demonstrates fiscal as well as environmental responsibility. 

Emissions savings: When combined with the COGEN plant, ECOLine will stabilize energy costs, provide energy security, and demonstrate environmental responsibility. ECOLine and selling RECs are part of UNH’s aggressive climate action plan called “WildCAP,” which will outline how the university will lower its emissions to basically zero and secure its leadership position in climate protection as part of its broader sustainability commitment. Under WildCAP, UNH will cut its greenhouse gas emissions: 50% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 on the road to carbon neutrality by 2100. To ensure we meet these targets, UNH commits to an average reduction of 3% per year.

This is a major accomplishment that most schools, businesses and companies throughout the country are not aware of. Many people including President Obama talk about energy innovation, and re-inventing ourselves. The University of New Hampshire serves as one hell of a model for all the above. Keep up the great work UNH, and we will continue to discuss energy innovation, green jobs, green campuses, schools going green, sustainable schools, Obama alternative energy, sustainability programs, hybrid cars, alternative energy videos, top green colleges and more!
 

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