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2010 CVPS Cow Power Awards
Farmer's Insurance Coop, Middlebury, Vermont
As you all are hopefully aware by now, Handy Chevrolet has taken a pledge to fight pollution and take part in sculpting a better tomorrow for our Earth. Not only do we carry a full line of fuel efficient, eco-friendly Chevy Chevy Volt's, Chevrolet Cruze sedans, and even used Toyota Prius vehicles, but we opt to pay a slightly higher premium for a program that the Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) power company has dubbed Cow Power.
But what is Cow Power? Simply put, Cow Power is electricity derived from cows, something Vermont has an abundance of. The waste that was once sitting in lagoons, necessitating expensive disposal by farmers is now used to make electricity. What's more, this waste was giving off high levels of methane gas, a gas that is produced when organic matter decomposes, which in turn is released into the atmosphere. Even though Vermont ranks in the lowest percentile of greenhouse gasses, the methane gas released from this waste was a substantial portion of that small percentage. As stated, not only were the farmers responsible for the removal of this waste, they were paying premium price for sawdust to line the cows' beds.
Enter Central Vermont Power Service and Dave Dunn who together started a coalition of sorts named Cow Power. The idea was to take this manure and turn it into electricity. Methane is a highly flammable gas, and under the right circumstances, and a lot of studying, Mr. Dunn was inclined to believe that it could be used as a fuel for our lights, refrigerators, televisions--as stated, for electricity.
Through much development, CVPS developed a process by which they could do just that. Having learned the ins and outs of the process, it can be simplified into the following synopsis:*
But what is Cow Power? Simply put, Cow Power is electricity derived from cows, something Vermont has an abundance of. The waste that was once sitting in lagoons, necessitating expensive disposal by farmers is now used to make electricity. What's more, this waste was giving off high levels of methane gas, a gas that is produced when organic matter decomposes, which in turn is released into the atmosphere. Even though Vermont ranks in the lowest percentile of greenhouse gasses, the methane gas released from this waste was a substantial portion of that small percentage. As stated, not only were the farmers responsible for the removal of this waste, they were paying premium price for sawdust to line the cows' beds.
Enter Central Vermont Power Service and Dave Dunn who together started a coalition of sorts named Cow Power. The idea was to take this manure and turn it into electricity. Methane is a highly flammable gas, and under the right circumstances, and a lot of studying, Mr. Dunn was inclined to believe that it could be used as a fuel for our lights, refrigerators, televisions--as stated, for electricity.
Through much development, CVPS developed a process by which they could do just that. Having learned the ins and outs of the process, it can be simplified into the following synopsis:*
- Cows make manure (obviously, right?)
- The manure is put into an anaerobic digester. The digester can hold up to 21 days worth of waste at around 100 degrees. Bacteria converts the waste to methane, and the gas is built up until it reaches a high enough pressure to be forced through a pipe as a biogas and enters a modified natural gas engine.
- The biogas fuels said engine, spinning a turbine to create electricity. The electricity that is not used for consumer power is recycled to keep the waste at 100 degrees, as above.
- The electricity is fed into power lines for all who pay for the plan to use. One cow can produce enough energy to run a 100-watt light bulb for a full day's time.
- The waste of the waste, so to speak, is then used to line the cow's beds, so virtually all of the previously named waste is used; not exactly waste anymore, one would think. From here, the process begins anew.
On May 20, 2010, the good people at the Farmer's Insurance Cooperative in Middlebury, Vermont, Cow Power advocates in their own right, were nice enough to accommodate an awards ceremony dedicated to the farmers who jumped on board with Cow Power, and Vermont companies that have made use of this amazing energy. Handy Chevrolet was one of those companies honored. We were given an award for the fifth leading contributor to the Cow Power program, with special mention regarding our donations to the program for every Toyota Prius our sister store Handy Toyota sells. Continue viewing for some photos and videos from this occasion.
Photography from the 2010 CVPS Cow Power Awards
*Source: CVPS Cow Power, "How Energy Happens," May 28, 2010.