Plan for Milorganite processing calls for solar panels

subscribe

Solar energy would provide nearly all of the electrical power needed to transform sewage sludge into Milorganite fertilizer at the Jones Island wastewater treatment plant, under a proposal by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.

Four rows of photovoltaic panels would be installed atop the roof of the Milorganite plant this year at a cost of $198,000 if the proposal is approved by the sewerage commission. The south-facing panels would be visible to motorists on I-794 crossing the Hoan Bridge. Grants of $72,500 from We Energies and $35,000 from the state Focus on Energy program would pay 54% of project costs, sewerage district Executive Director Kevin Shafer said at a meeting of the commission's operations committee.

The committee recommended approval. The Milorganite plant would become nearly 100% self-sufficient for electrical needs, depending on cloud cover, if the solar panels are installed, Shafer said. By eliminating the need to buy electricity from We Energies, the project would pay for itself in 18 years, well within the expected 30- to 40-year useful life of the equipment, a preliminary analysis found.

Most of the energy consumed at the plant, however, comes from natural gas, which is burned to dry sludge in Milorganite production. Photovoltaic panels contain semiconductors that convert sunlight to electricity. The proposed 20-kilowatt system would generate about 24,130 kilowatt hours of electricity in a year, according to the preliminary analysis.

One kilowatt is 1,000 watts of electricity.The sewerage district already produces much of the electrical power needed to operate its South Shore wastewater treatment plant in Oak Creek. Methane released by microbes digesting sewage sludge is burned to generate electricity there.

Related News

787 dreamliner

How the 787 uses electricity to maximise efficiency

LONDON - The 787 Dreamliner is different to most commercial aircraft flying the skies today. On the surface it may seem pretty similar to the likes of the 777 and A350, but get under the skin and it’s a whole different aircraft.

When Boeing designed the 787, in order to make it as fuel efficient as possible, it had to completely shake up the way some of the normal aircraft systems operated. Traditionally, systems such as the pressurization, engine start and wing anti-ice were powered by pneumatics. The wheel brakes were powered by the hydraulics. These essential systems required a lot…

READ MORE
power tower

California Considers Revamping Electricity Rates in Bid to Clean the Grid

READ MORE

why-atomic-energy-is-heating-up-again

Why Atomic Energy Is Heating Up Again

READ MORE

rolls royce nuclear

Rolls-Royce expecting UK approval for mini nuclear reactor by mid-2024

READ MORE

california-gets-500m-to-upgrade-power-grid

California Gets $500M to Upgrade Power Grid

READ MORE