Manure Growing Energy Algae
Algae Power
Bridport, Vermont - July 13, 2009
The cows at the Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport make more than milk. Their manure also produces power through the digester at the south side of the barns. But for the last nine months some of that liquid manure has also been sent over to a mini greenhouse where it's being investigated as another source of alternative energy.
"Algae's been around from day one of the world," said Gail Busch of Algepower.
That's right-- they're growing algae from manure. Busch is the inventor of Algeponics, a patented photobioreactor-- what she calls a vertical stream. She says it's the only indoor, controlled system in the world.
Here's how it works: Once the liquid manure gets pumped over and diluted with water it runs from top to bottom, the manure serving as the host.
"Half of the volume of that tray runs into the tray below and all the way through. Also, if you look at the system you can see that the bottom trays are much greener than the top. That's because the algae is growing as it moves down through the system," explained Mark Hoffman of Algepower.
"Once it's grown and it's nice and creamy we turn it into separate products such as oil for biodiesel, you could actually eat it if it were not on manure and the paste which can be turned into animal feed, fertilizer," said Busch.
But before they can begin making that energy, they must first fine tune this process. And Central Vermont Public Service is looking to help fund that next step.
"We've always tried to look at renewable energy ideas that were a little off the mainstream and weren't getting a lot of attention from other places-- to put our efforts into," said Steve Costello of Central Vermont Public Service. "Cow power is the perfect example. When we started that people looked at us askew and that we were a little bit out of it and now it's proven to be a very successful program and it's continuing to grow. This has the same type of potential we think."
Algepower expects to expand the algae growing operation here in coming months and begin producing power sometime next year. Another clean energy innovation right here in the Green Mountain State.
Bridget Barry Caswell - WCAX News
Bridport, Vermont - July 13, 2009
The cows at the Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport make more than milk. Their manure also produces power through the digester at the south side of the barns. But for the last nine months some of that liquid manure has also been sent over to a mini greenhouse where it's being investigated as another source of alternative energy.
"Algae's been around from day one of the world," said Gail Busch of Algepower.
That's right-- they're growing algae from manure. Busch is the inventor of Algeponics, a patented photobioreactor-- what she calls a vertical stream. She says it's the only indoor, controlled system in the world.
Here's how it works: Once the liquid manure gets pumped over and diluted with water it runs from top to bottom, the manure serving as the host.
"Half of the volume of that tray runs into the tray below and all the way through. Also, if you look at the system you can see that the bottom trays are much greener than the top. That's because the algae is growing as it moves down through the system," explained Mark Hoffman of Algepower.
"Once it's grown and it's nice and creamy we turn it into separate products such as oil for biodiesel, you could actually eat it if it were not on manure and the paste which can be turned into animal feed, fertilizer," said Busch.
But before they can begin making that energy, they must first fine tune this process. And Central Vermont Public Service is looking to help fund that next step.
"We've always tried to look at renewable energy ideas that were a little off the mainstream and weren't getting a lot of attention from other places-- to put our efforts into," said Steve Costello of Central Vermont Public Service. "Cow power is the perfect example. When we started that people looked at us askew and that we were a little bit out of it and now it's proven to be a very successful program and it's continuing to grow. This has the same type of potential we think."
Algepower expects to expand the algae growing operation here in coming months and begin producing power sometime next year. Another clean energy innovation right here in the Green Mountain State.
Bridget Barry Caswell - WCAX News
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