Craft Campus Environmental Benefits
The Use of Methane
UNC Asheville's Craft Campus is
using Energy Xchange, a craft residency program using methane from the Yancey County landfill,
as the technical model. UNC Asheville will be the first university to utilize landfill generated methane for craft studios in an institutional setting.
Methane is a strong greenhouse gas. Methane released directly into the atmosphere is about 21 times more effective as a greenhouse gas
than its byproducts when burned in a flare. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency estimates the use of methane at the Craft Campus
is equivalent to planting 19,394 acres of forest per year or removing the annual carbon dioxide emissions from over 14,351 cars. The amount of annual energy potentially produced would offset the use of 322 railcars of coal or prevent the use of almost 152,675 barrels of oil
for heating 4,477 homes.
Source: US Emissions Inventory 2003: Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2001
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Craft Campus
anemometer tower |
The
Use of Wind
The
former Buncombe County landfill site lies high over the French Broad River with a remarkable line of site, creating a natural wind tunnel, making wind energy another promising renewable energy resource for the project. A 100-foot anemometer tower is now on-site assessing the potential wind resource.
Craft campus planners expect landfill gas to cover the bulk of the energy needs for the campus. Buildings will incorporate passive solar and other green building design components to minimize the energy needs of the campus buildings. Discussions also include demonstration-scale hydropower, photovoltaic, and wind power projects.
Online Environmental Resources
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