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Generating Ideas: Discover the art of creating alternative fuels at the EnergyXchange
Tucked away in a corner of Yancey County, The EnergyXchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the artistic and horticultural community. The campus is designed to provide studios and training for developing artists. The location offers a pottery studio, a glass blowing studio, a gallery, and four greenhouses as well as a visitor center. The Exchange uses reclaimed, landfill-generated methane gas to power many of the studios on their campus of high-energy-demand facilities. Artists are then given a unique opportunity to hone their skills through the residency program.
The studios and greenhouses are located on the site of a six-acre landfill in Yancey County. In September 1999, the Exchange installed a gas-reclamation system and two studios at the site. These studios are the first small rural landfill gas project in the United States. They have been an inspiration for similar projects at other North Carolina locations, including several pioneered by universities such as Appalachian State University, UNC Asheville, and Western Carolina University.
Bacteria generate landfill gas during the decomposition of garbage and waste. The gas is composed of 50% methane, 45% carbon dioxide, and 5% other gases. The major component, methane, is flammable and is used to heat the studios and greenhouses. With about 500 Btu’s per cubic foot, it is equivalent to one half-strength natural gas.
Burning this landfill gas generated by decomposing garbage has some beneficial environmental effects. Landfill gas such as methane is normally an atmospheric pollutant. However, the positive use of the gas at the Yancey-Mitchell County landfill site is the equivalent of planting 14 acres of trees, or removing 21,000 pollutant-spewing cars from the road. A feasibility study estimated that the site would produce enough methane to heat 2.5 acres of greenhouse for up to 15 years of operation.
The Visitor and Business center on the campus offers classroom space, restrooms and office space. Information on landfill gas and the EnergyXchange’s partner groups are provided as well. Numerous posters contain information on the effects of greenhouse gases and the positive impact of burning landfill gas on the environment.
The residency program is designed to give artists a taste of what owning and operating their own studios would be like, without some of the financial risks. Many of these crafts such as glassblowing and pottery require large amounts of fuel to operate. With the landfill gas system operating the kilns, furnaces, and some of the heating needs costs are minimal to the residents involved. Mayland Community College and Handmade in America have also partnered with the Exchange and offer business classes in economics as well as other courses to enrich the resident artists. Residents use this opportunity to develop product lines, markets, and a business plan for eventually operating their own studios.
Specific media committees select artists for these residencies through a juried application process. The ultimate goal of the residency program is to prepare artists to operate on their own. As potter Kelly O’Briant put it, “The program has given me a chance to test the water without a large investment or risk.”
In 2001, the first resident artists were selected. As the first round of resident artists has recently graduated, the next four have taken up residence in the fall of 2004. Some of these artists are Kelly O’Briant, Mark Norwood, Pablo Soto, Anthony Shafermeyer, and Claire Kelly.
The Pottery and Glassblowing studios are also fueled by landfill gas. Kilns in the pottery studio are fired at periodic intervals while the furnaces and glory holes burn constantly in the glassblowing studio. Landfill gas is also used to heat a boiler that provides heat for the pottery studio through an in-floor radiant heat system. The studios have the capacity for two glassblowers and four pottery artists. Pottery and glass works are then sold throughout local galleries and at trade shows. The North Carolina Technological Development Authority funds both of these studios.
A unique program at the site is the Aquaponics program. Funded by the Cannon foundation, the Aquaponics greenhouse uses a system where hydroponics and aquaculture operate in unison. Tilapia fish are grown in thousand gallon tanks. The water from the fish tanks that contains nitrogen fish waste is then circulated through raised gravel beds where various plants are grown. The fish waste provides fertilizer for the plants, and in turn the plants and bacteria on the gravel help filter the water. The water is then recirculated through a final filter and back into the fish tanks. The Penland School donated solar panels that provide the power for additional heat in the fish tanks, and the landfill gas provides heat for the greenhouse. This system produces Tilapia fish, herbs, and vegetables for human consumption.
Yancey County has a strong local tradition of agriculture. With impending tobacco buyouts looming on the horizon, many local growers are interested in diversifying with other crops. Support is provided at the Exchange, with apprenticeships available for local students at the greenhouses. The greenhouses at the EnergyXchange focus primarily on native species such as rhododendrons and azaleas. The native plants are propagated from seed collected in the wild and then grown to a salable size. These plants are sold to local growers, greenhouses, wholesalers, and retail garden shops. Profits from the sales are funneled back into operational costs such as lighting, electric power, and more stock. Golden LEAF and the Community Foundation of Western NC also provide funding for this program.
Another interesting aspect of the campus is a wetlands/wastewater reclamation area. Water from the bathrooms and the transfer station is first pumped through a bead filter for pretreatment. The water then goes to a pond area where plant material and bacteria filter it a second time. Methane gas generation requires water, so in times of drought, water from this reclamation pond is used to irrigate the gas generation areas. This system was made possible with assistance from the NC Cooperative Extension group.
And finally, a gallery exists on-site at the campus. This gallery displays works from the resident artists. Pieces from these artisans are also offered for sale. Major portions of the sales go directly to the artists, with a commission given to the EnergyXchange to help fund the studios. This supports both the artists and the entire campus.
The EnergyXchange is a fine addition to the artistic and horticultural community in the area. With the generation of heat by burning landfill gas, the campus is a model facility that produces great works of art, artists, plants, and fish. The facility has a positive impact on the lives of young artists as well as the environment. The Exchange can be contacted at 66 EnergyXchange Dr., Burnsville, NC. Ph: (828) 675-5541 or www.energyxchange.org on the worldwide web. The public is always welcome!
by C.W. Allen
