An engine in a hospital in Wisconsin, U.S., converts the methane gas discharged by a brewery into electricity. The gas, which used to be released to the atmosphere by City Brewing Company, is now renewed by one of the Gundersen Lutheran healthcare system hospitals.
The power obtained is not only used by the hospital, but also by other local consumers. To compensate the costs, the local utility pays the hospital for the energy it produces. Furthermore, the heat emitted by the engine when working is recycled to produce energy for the waste treatment process in the brewery.
This project means a turnaround in energy sustainability. Hospitals consume more than twice as energy as other businesses. Ironically, they are provided with coal can energy, which can hijack health. Burning coal releases mercury and arsenic, which contaminate air and water and can cause heart disease, lung and liver dysfunctions, as well as reproductive problems.
Therefore, in agreement with its healthcare mission, Gundersen Lutheran has started the “Envision” campaign. The renewable energy engine is the first step. Gundersen Lutheran aims to have energy independence by 2014, not only by using renewable energy, but also by improving energy efficiency, recycling waste and achieving a LEED certificate.
Via: Earth911
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