LANDFILL GAS TO ENERGY SYSTEM

In, 1991 Outagamie County began operating a full scale cogeneration system that produced electricity and recovered waste heat.  This was one of the first such landfill gas cogeneration systems in the United States.

The old 2.5 megawatt system did not have sufficient capacity for present and future conditions so a nationwide request for proposals began in September 2005 to seek long-term solutions from private landfill gas developers.

The public-private partnership for landfill gas beneficial use is now under development.  Electric power production, with an initial system capacity of 4.8 megawatts and possible expansion to 8 megawatts will be the basic means of energy conversion.  In addition, waste heat will be recovered and utilized onsite to heat County buildings.  Because there will be two modes of energy conversion to maximize beneficial use, the new system like the old system constitutes to cogeneration.