Gravity is underrated in our world. It is taken for granted in residential energy systems. As an agricultural systems analyst we design our systems using gravity whenever possible. In, Grain and feed handling Liquid and dry manure handling Barging grain … Continue reading →
New market demand for renewable natural gas (RNG), or biogenic methane, is growing. First, the EPA AgStar historical farm digester data was charted to illustrate the rapid recent growth in farm digesters. Next, the EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) … Continue reading →
This fun map from EPA, AgStar farm digester website gives a striking visual of the distribution of US farm digesters. The largest digesters are fewer than ten years old. This dataset was last updated in 2024. At that time there … Continue reading →
Revenue-generating renewable methane is real and a growing industry. My encounter with MAAS Energy Works at Simpson University in Redding, California earlier this month, was a homecoming for Biomass Rules. The importance of this topic was reenforced with the American … Continue reading →
While at visiting Simpson University’s Operation Management’s class last week, I received a welcomed education! The day I was visiting Simpson University’s Business Department, so was MAAS Energy Works. Wow! Such a happy convergence. Twenty years ago, through Biomass Rules, … Continue reading →
The Big Beautiful Bill has passed. I am trying to keep up as best as a multi-value chain, policy-adjacent economist can. I am a professional skeptic, and therefore, am pretty sure that regardless of the new policy, we will forge … Continue reading →
On a total energy consumption basis, the United States hovers just above 10 percent that is sourced from renewable fuels; wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric, and geothermal feedstocks. On a recent road trip, it was clear that the Midwest States were … Continue reading →
Ben Laine, Terrainag.com wrote an interesting report dairy digester sustainability. One graphic message in an animated version of this map shows US dairy digester growth since 2001. Dairy digesters keep growing in size. The most recent digesters dwarf the earlier … Continue reading →
After all is said and done, this residential solar array in the non-winter months offset 67 percent of home power production. This chart is monthly solar production and household consumption in kilowatt hours (kWh). While it required both the solar … Continue reading →
The joy of finding a new dataset to explore enflamed my modeling focus more than was justified. IT WAS GREAT TO BE LOOKING FOR STORIES IN A BRAND NEW DATASET! Challenge #1: Monthly data from the power utility was too … Continue reading →
