At the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, campus food services feed a lot of students. And the food waste feeds the power grid. Through a $339,000 grant from Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Energy Innovation Program, the campus has installed a dry bio-digester to break down food waste and grass clippings. The methane produced will be burned to make hot water to heat the Campus Services Building, a 55,000 ft2 office space.
The campus currently digests most of its food and plant-based waste. Other facilities on campus not only generate hot water for heating, but also electric power in gas turbines. UW-Oshkosh estimates that about 8% of the power used on campus is currently generated with wastes. Using the gas reduces carbon emissions because the energy serves a useful purpose and is converted to CO2 in any case.
More projects are planned because there still is excess gas that is currently flared. The project also provides a living laboratory for students in the Renewable Energy curriculum. – Steve Terry, DTC HVAC & Refrigeration Instructor
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