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[Samuel Bosco <sfb42 AT cornell.edu>]

Press Release

                    

Home-scale Biogas Workshop offers a Do-It-Yourself option for Energy Independence

 

When: Saturday March 31 – Sunday April 1, 2012

WHERE: Greenstar’s The Space; 700 W Buffalo St, Ithaca, NY

COST: Sliding scale $300 to 200, scholarships and groups discounts available

Contact: Sam Bosco; samuel.bosco AT gmail.com; (973) 951 0598 (cell)

 

Have you ever wondered or dreamed about turning your discards into an energy resource? Looking to reduce costs or strengthen your environmental resolve by substituting your natural gas, propane, or oil use with a clean burning, biologically based renewable fuel? Excited to help kickstart a new enterprise in the budding green jobs sector? Interested in appropriate technology that you can build to contribute to your community’s energy security and transition to energy independence? The city of Ithaca will be host to a two-day workshop on using food and yard scraps, unmarketable produce, or manure to safely produce a biologically based energy source known as biogas.

 

Biogas is a naturally produced fuel, capable of powering stoves, heaters, lights, refrigerators, and anything that natural gas or propane can power. It is a gas composed almost entirely of carbon dioxide and methane produced by anaerobic digestion (a composting process where air is excluded). Almost any plant or animal material can be anaerobically digested to produce biogas. In NY, biogas is commonly found on large dairy farms, however this workshop is specifically designed for small-farm and home scale production of biogas.

 

Taught and facilitated by David House author of The Complete Biogas Handbook (www.completebiogas.com). Mr. House has 10 years experience in bioenergy consultating, is the principle of Vahid Biogas (www.vahidbiogas.com), and has led biogas workshops from Hawaii to Maine and in 20 countries worldwide.

 

Day one (3/31/12) of the workshop will provide comprehensive information on understanding the anaerobic digestion process to confidently and safely produce biogas at home. Day two (4/1/12) will be a hands-on workshop where participants will actually build their own small-scale digester. According to Mr. House, "The class takes participants from zero to practical in a handful of hours.”

 

Everyone who attends this class will leave with a small, 200 gallon, (0.75 cubic meter) digester kit, a copy of The Complete Biogas Handbook (which offers a much-praised view of everything concerning biogas), and a CD with a heap of wonderful information. The participant will be ready to go home and set up their small digester kit. Note: because of the temperature sensitivity of anaerobic microbes, the digester will only operate in warmer months, or will need to be set up in a semi-heated space like a greenhouse or shed.

This event is funded in part by the Sustainable Tompkins Mini-grant program (for more information please visit http://sustainabletompkins.org/programs/mini-grants/. If your organization is interested in co-sponsoring, please contact Sam Bosco

 

For additional information and registration details please visit www.ithacabiogas.wordpress.com