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Biodigesters and Benefits of the IRA

September 24, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Biodigesters reduce waste, produce energy and help regenerate soil. They can work at the household level, farm and community level with manifold benefits, but the design determines those benefits. Learn about the many possible applications of biodigesters and how the Inflation Reduction Act is helping one very significant prototype at Dickinson College.

The program includes demonstration and presentations to learn about the opportunities of Biodigesters from Grassroots to Grid-tied presented at the Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) headquarters at 4250 Independence Drive, Schnecksville (Route 309 North of Route 22 near Allentown).

Portions of this program were videotaped and can be viewed below:

Video of the first half of the program – biogas demonstration and biodigesting project at Dickinson
Video of the SEF’s role, incentive for a non-profit to transition to net-zero, IRA incentives, and net-zero including embodied energy

Following the groundwork laid from last year’s September MAREA / SEF Sustainability presentation, SEF provides tangible examples of how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) benefits can be applied. Starting with a hands-on demonstration of a family-scale biogas generation, Matt Steiman then presents Dickinson College’s latest biodigester/biogas system project designed as a model for small Pennsylvania Farms. Larry Eighmy, SEF CEO provides a roadmap and inspiration for how MAREA members can access the IRA’s financial benefits too.

Agenda: 

5:30 PM to 6:00 PM – Refreshments and Self-guided tour of this innovative green building

6:00 PM to 6:30 PM – Hands-on Biodigester/Biogas Introduction and Demonstrations. Matt will use a small anaerobic digester model to discuss the practical science of small systems and demonstrate biogas utilization in the kitchen and easy starter projects for the home practitioner.

6:30 PM to 7:15 PM – Presentation of Dickinson College’s innovative Anaerobic Biodigester, which handles a variety of organic waste sources, including college dining food waste, wood shavings and now, in partnership with LLL Farm, cow manure, making this a model system for the smaller Pennsylvania farms formerly considered too small for current biodigesters

7:15 PM to 8:00 PM – Larry Eighmy, SEF – Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and how SEF used it to help fund the Biodigester

To learn more about Matt Steiman, who runs Dickinson College’s farm and has biodigester/biogas systems, click here

A virtual tour of the project is available below:

https://psu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/1_z8o4wzbv

Cooking with biogas, reducing waste and natural gas
A small scale biodigester generating safe cooking gas
Dickinson College Biodigester which generates electricity, heat and compost while reducing food and cow waste
Free