Renewable Natural Gas Applications
Leave a CommentRenewable natural gas (RNG) initiatives can answer growing concerns about climate change and rising CO2 levels while also powering the domestic economy with new jobs and revenue sources. By using upgraded biogas instead of conventional natural gas from fossils, organizations can reduce pollutant levels without sacrificing output or performance. Biogas upgrading systems can treat recovered biogas from landfills, upgrade it by removing unwanted elements, and produce a cleaner, renewable fuel source.
Learn more about the growing applications of renewable natural gas and the benefits it offers.
Applications of Renewable Natural Gas
Renewable natural gas is biogas that has been upgraded to replace fossil natural gas. RNG is made up of biogases recovered from landfills, farms, industrial facilities, food production plants, and wastewater treatment sites. Instead of allowing this gas to go to waste or become an environmental hazard, RNG systems can repurpose the gas for a wide variety of applications, including:
- Heating: RNG can be a versatile heat source for existing buildings, new constructions, and industrial processing systems. This is one of the most popular use cases currently being explored in more depth.
- Power: RNG can be used to produce electricity.
- Fuel: RNG can power vehicles and machinery in lieu of diesel or fossil natural gas.
- Bioproduct feedstock: Produced from renewable biomatter, RNG can be made into bioproduct feedstock.
Turning to RNG instead of natural gas in these and other applications can reduce the demand for fossil fuels, especially in the industrial and transportation sectors. Repurposing biogas also removes it from conventional waste management processes and uncovered lagoons, where it often continues to emit greenhouse gases.
Benefits of Using Renewable Natural Gas
RNG is full of exciting new possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, diversifying energy sources, and strengthening domestic energy production efforts. Here are some specific benefits of switching to RNG.
Create New Domestic Jobs
RNG facilities will need a trained staff of technicians and green technology professionals. With the growth of RNG, there will be an increased supply of domestic jobs that cannot be outsourced.
Generate New Streams of Revenue for U.S. Farmers
Farms represent a significant source of usable biogas. Diary, hog, and poultry farmers can convert unwanted biogas from hazardous waste to an in-demand energy source. This new revenue source can supplement their primary income.
Improve Waste Management Processes
Agricultural waste management processes across the United States are often unable to handle the influx of waste, so it accumulates in landfills and local bodies of water. By using the waste for RNG production, there’s a lower risk of runoff and groundwater contamination.
Increase Domestic Energy Production
The United States relies on foreign sources of oil and fuel. Using RNG can protect national security interests because local producers can supply vehicle fuel. The U.S. can reduce dependence on foreign-produced transportation fuel while also diversifying its energy sources, improving domestic energy security.
Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Uncontained biomass releases methane and high levels of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But by repurposing those waste products for RNG, those byproducts are combusted instead of released, resulting in a 21% decrease in potency. Also, because RNG is replacing natural gas, it further reduces the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere. RNG itself doesn’t contain much carbon, and the biogenic CO2 it releases during combustion won’t increase levels of carbon in the natural carbon cycle. This results in dramatic reductions of greenhouse gases and methane through two avenues at once.
Renewable Natural Gas Solutions From Nova Analytical Systems
Renewable natural gas is a viable alternative to reliance on conventional natural gas. At Nova Analytical Systems, we specialize in creating gas analyzers and sample conditioning equipment for gas production and distribution organizations. Our products that support RNG include these landfill and biogas analyzers:
- Nova 910 Series: This series is designed to monitor processed, recovered gases from landfills. These analyzers continuously remove moisture from moisture-laden sample gas-without requiring compressed air or cooling water.
- Nova 920 Series: This series is designed to monitor processed, recovered gases from biogas applications. These analyzers also remove moisture from wet sample gas without needing compressed air, cooling water, or thermoelectric elements prone to failure.Request a quote to learn more about how Nova gas analyzers can support the production of renewable natural gas.