Numbers,Numbers,Numbers

StandardConversionFormulae
1mT(metricton)=1,000kg=2,200lbs
1ft3=0.0283168466m3
1Therm=100ft3=2.83168466m3
1W(watt)=1J/s(joulepersecond)
1kW=1000W=1000J/s
1MW=1000kW=1,000,000J/s
1kWh(kilowatthour)=1kWx3600s=3.6MJ=3414BTU
1MWh=1000kWh
1GWh=1000MWh=1,000,000kWh

Consumption
TheaverageCaliforniahomeconsumesabout580kWhrpermonth
(EIA,2007),orabout6960kWhrperyear.
Approximately27,700householdsinPaloAlto(source:ABAGProjections
2005withUSCensus2000Baseline)
PaloAltoCity,residentsandbusinessesconsumeabout1GWhelectricityper
year(source:UtilitiesDepartment)
PaloAltoCity,residentsandbusinessesconsumeabout94.578millioncubic
metersofnaturalgasperyear(source:utilitiesdepartment)
PaloAltoweightedaveragecostofnaturalgas=$7.74(2011forwardprice1)

Methane
CH4Specificvolume(1.013barand21C(70F)):1.48m3/kg(0.676kg/m3)
MethaneEnergyContent
o 1ft3CH4=1000BTU=1.055MJ(megajoule)
=0.293kWhrat100%efficiency
o 1m3CH4=35,315BTU=35.315MJ=9.8kWhrat100%efficiency
o 1MMBTU=1millionBTU=1000ft3CH4=28.32m3CH4
BiogasMethaneContent:5565%.2
Funfact:3.74m3CH4=energycontentof1USgal.gasoline
Combustionof1m3CH4releases1m3CO2=1.85kgCO2=.00185mTCO2

MethaneProductionfromAnaerobicDigestion
EBMUD2008:
o FoodWaste:75135m3CH4permetricton
o Wastewatersludge:57100m3CH4permetricton(80avg)
Kelleher2007:
o MunicipalOrganicWastes:5195m3CH4permetricton
(85159m3biogas)
Ostrem2004:

1Source:PaloAltoUtilitiesAdvisoryCommission

2Kelleher,2007.BioCycleV.48,No.8,p.51;alsoEBMUDMarch2008;alsoOstrem,2004Greening

Waste:AnaerobicDigestionforTreatingtheOrganicFractionofMunicipalSolidWastes.

o MunicipalOrganicWastes:48120m3CH4permetricton
(80200m3biogas)
KompoGas
o MunicipalOrganicWastes:83m3CH4permetricton
Conservativeestimate:80m3CH4permetrictonfood&greenwaste

ElectricGenerationfromMethane
Production:75m3CH4permetrictonmunicipalorganicwaste
EnergyContent:1m3CH4=35,315BTU=35.315MJ
GeneratorEfficiency(electricityonly)
o KompoGas:30%
o Opra(generatormanufacturer):26%
o Ostrem:38%
o Workingestimate:30%
ElectricityProduction
o Ostrem:3.73kWh/m3CH4
o KompoGas:2.94kWh/m3CH4
o Opra:2.55kWh/m3CH4
o Workingestimate:3.0kWh/m3CH4
PercentElectricityusedbysystem:
o Ostrem:26%
o KompoGas:27%
o Workingestimate:30%

CogenerationHeat:
Ostrem:
o 3.36kWh(th)/m3CH4=11,471BTU/m3CH4
o 35%usedbyprocess
o Exportheat:2.18kWh/m3CH4=7,442BTU/m3CH4
KompoGas:
o 3.48kWh(th)/m3CH4=11,870BTU/m3CH4
o 35%usedbyprocess
o Exportheat:2.26kWh/m3CH4=7,722BTU/m3CH4
WorkingEstimate
o 3.4kWh(th)m3CH4=11,600BTU/m3CH4
o Or,1.13kWh(thermal)forevery1kWh(electricity)
o 35%usedbyprocess
o Exportheat:2.21kWh/m3CH4=7,540BTU/m3CH4
o Exportheat:0.73kWhheatforevery1kWhelectricitygenerated

Compost:
KompoGas:
o 0.36mTmaturecompostper1.0mTMSWcompostables
WorkingEstimate
o 0.35mTmaturecompostper1.0mTMSWcompostables

PaloAltoWastetoEnergy

Sewage:
Sludge:24,000mTannually

Methane:(80m3CH4/mT)x(24,000mT)=1,920,000m3CH4annually
Electricity:(3.0kWh/m3CH4)x(1,920,000m3CH4)=5,760,000kWh
Electricityusedbysystem(30%)=1,728,000kWh
Saleableelectricity=4,032,000kWh
=enoughfor521CAhomesafter10%transmissionloss
Heat:6,528,000kWh(thermal)
Heatusedbysystem(35%):2,284,800kWh(t)
Heatexported:4,243,200kWh(t)
Incinerationavoidance:
o 2,830,000m3CH4=99,929MMBTUs
o At$7.74MMBTUmarketrate,worth$773,450
Compostquantity:unknown.Compostvalue:lowbutpositive

Yardclippings,food,andothercompostableorganics(currentcollections)
Yardclippings(greenbins+selfhaul):21,000mT
Foodandothercompostables:9000mT
Methane:(30,000mT)x(80m3CH4/mT)=2,400,000m3CH4annually
Electricity:(3.0kWh/m3CH4)x(2,400,000m3CH4)=7,200,000kWh
Electricityusedbysystem=2,160,000kWh
Saleableelectricity=5,040,000kWh
=enoughfor651CAhomesafter10%transmissionloss
Heat:8,136,000kWh(thermal)
Heatusedbysystem:2,847,600kWh(t)
Heatexported:5,288,400kWh(t)
Compost:0.35x30,000mT=10,500mTannually

SingleFamilyResidentialFood,andothercompostableorganics
Foodandothercompostables,50%collectionrate:2910mT
Methane:(2910mT)x(80m3CH4/mT)=232,800m3CH4annually
Electricity:(3.0kWh/m3CH4)x(232,800m3CH4)=698,450kWh
Saleablesurpluselectricity=489,000kWh
Compost:0.35x2910mT=1,018mTannually

SewageandCompostablesCombined,excludingsinglefamilyresidences:
NaturalGasconsumptionavoidedbyeliminatingincineration:
o 2,830,000m3CH4=99,929MMBTUs
o At$7.74MMBTUmarketrate,worth$773,450
o 3%ofPaloAltonaturalgasconsumption
NaturalGasproduction:
o 4,320,000m3CH4annually
o Approximately35%requiredtorunsystem
o Remainderis2,808,000m3CH4annually
o Energycontentequivalentto750,800gallonsofgasoline
o 2,808,000m3=99,153MMBTU
o At$7.74perMMBTU,worth$767,444
o 3%oftotalPaloAltonaturalgasconsumption
Or,convertsurplusnaturalgastogreenelectricity=9,072,000kWh
o 1%oftotalPaloAltoelectricityconsumption
o enoughfor1,173CAhomesafter10%transmissionloss

o at$0.11perkWh,worth$997,920
Heatexported:9,531,400kWh(t)usefulfor
o OtherRWQCPprocesses
o Nearbycommercialbuildings
o Demonstrationgreenhouses??
Compost:
o 10,500mThighquality??
@$27/mT=$283,500peryear3
o 4,800(est)fornonfoodcropuse.Valueunknown.
Ashdisposalcostavoided:$234,000(source???)

SingleFamilyResidenceCollectionsAdditionalRevenues
Surplussoldasgreennaturalgas:approx.$63,000
Surplussoldasgreenelectricity:approx.$82,000

GreenhouseGasNumbers
TotalCommunity+CityEmissions,perCPP:793,621mTCO2E
LandfilledAnnualWasteRelatedEmissions,perCPP:24,823mTCO2E
CaliforniaElectricalGeneration:0.275mTCO2perMWh
CoalElectricalGeneration:0.8mTCO2perMWh

WastewaterSludgeIncinerationAvoidance
CO2equivalentsreportedfortheIncineratorfor2007:
o FromburningNaturalGas2,712mT/yearCO2E
=1.47Mm3CH4(calculated)
o FromburningLandfillGas2,522mT/yearCO2E
=1.36Mm3CH4(calculated)
Couldbeusedelsewheretooffsetconsumption
o Totalavoidable:5234mT/yearCO2E

AnaerobicDigestionCO2Offsets(currentcollections)
Greennaturalgasproductionfromanaerobicdigestion
o Surplus2,808,000m3CH4annually
5195mTCO2Ecreditifsoldasgreennaturalgas
o Or,9,072,000kWhofgreenelectricity
2,495mTCO2Ecredit(offsettingaveragemix)
7258mTCO2Ecredit(offsettingcoal)

AnaerobicDigestionCO2Offsets(Residentialfoodwasteprogram)
Greennaturalgasproductionfromanaerobicdigestion
o Surplus232,800m3CH4annually
428mTCO2Ecreditifsoldasgreennaturalgas
o Or,489,000kWhofgreenelectricity
134mTCO2Ecredit(offsettingaveragemix)
391mTCO2Ecredit(offsettingcoal)
Avoidedmethanereleasefromlandfill
o 2914CO2Ecredit

3Basedon$27.30permTfinishedcompostpricefromPaloAltocomposting
operationsin2007(CompostFeasibilityReport).


GHGEmissionReductionsSummary:
AvoidingIncineration:

5234CO2Ecredit
AADcurrentcollections:
24955195CO2Ecredit
AADResidentialFoodwaste
30483342CO2Ecredit

TOTAL

10,77713,771CO2Ecredit

1.5%reductionofCityEmissionsfromCPPbaseline.

ForReference:ExistingCommercialFoodWasteProgram:
9,013mTCO2Ereduction,basedonavoidedmethanerelease
Approximately1000mTCO2Ereductionforeachadditionaltoncollected.

From a GHG perspective, one of the most important things we can do is to get
wet organic materials out of the landfill. Moisture-rich organic materials,
particularly food scraps, leaves and grass clippings, quickly begin to decompose
in the landfill and generate methane. Within 120 days, food waste and grass
clippings may be nearly fully decomposed, with substantial methane generation.4
Thus the majority of methane release from wet organics occurs long before any
methane recovery systems are put in place at the landfill (usually 2-5 years after
disposal).
The EPAs WARM model can be run on just the food waste, grass and leaves
portion of our landfill waste stream under the assumption of no methane
recovery to get a conservative5 estimate of 9,013 mT of CO2e that would be
avoided if we could divert the target 9000 tons of commercial and multifamily
compostable organics. If we could achieve a 50% diversion of all the residential
and commercial compostables, we would avoid 11,427 mT of CO2e.

4Eleazer,W.E.,W.S.Odle,Y.Wang,andM.A.Barlaz.1997.Biodegradabilityofmunicipalsolidwaste

componentsinlaboratoryscalelandfills.Environ.Sci.Technol.31:911918.Brown,etal,2008.J.
Environ.Qual.37:13961410Landfilloperations,design,climate,andwastecompositionwillaffect
thetiminganddegreeofwetorganicsdecomposition,butspecificdatafortheKirbyCanyonlandfill
wasnotavailableforthisanalysis.Intheabsenceofactualsitespecificdata,itisbestnottomake
anyoptimisticassumptions.
5Forthisestimate,theWARMmodelwasrunonlyonthefoodscrapsandgreenplantmaterialinour
landfillwastestream.Othermaterialssuchaspaperandcardboardalsogeneratemethaneovera
longperiodoftime,butthiswasexcludedundertheassumptionthatmuchofthedecaywouldoccur
aftermethanerecoverywasputinplace.