Placeholder Photo

Trickle Down Effect

Start


 

There’s a new renewable energy source in town and it’s coming from a surprising place: our sewage. In April, NovaThermal Energy, a Philadelphia-based company, installed a wastewater geothermal system at the Philadelphia Water Department’s Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant. This is the first facility in the country to have a system of this kind.

Just like traditional geothermal technology, heat is transferred directly from the source (in this case, the sewage channel, not deep water wells) to heat the building.

While wastewater may not be as glamorous as solar or wind, it’s a valuable energy source; the system is expected to provide heat for approximately 50 percent of the current cost, which amounts to $18,100 savings annually. —Liz Pacheco

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Mobile Plan: With help from Greensgrow, a fresh market hits the road

Next Story

Head in the krauts: Food activist promotes fermentation, new book

Latest from #038 June 2012