With no moving parts, fuel cells also operate very quietly. Around sixty units that operate on natural gas have been sold world-wide. The second project also will reclaim waste heat for use by the facility s anaerobic digester. Using the solid and liquid residues from the AD process can also have very beneficial environmental impacts. Treating commodities to produce another energy yield while recycling nutrients creates a virtuous cycle of sustainability.
AD mitigates a number of other environmental concerns.
The process reduces the potential for odors, destroys pathogens, and displaces fossil fuels. Further, i ncreased atmospheric methane concentrations may have important impacts on global climate change. However, like most renewable energy options, its economic merit relies on conditions dependent on a variety of factors. The importance of selling the energy products produced from biogas at a satisfactory price cannot be overestimated. Generally, this means that AD facilities must negotiate suitable rate structures with an electricity utility, as well as maximize the use of the process heat.