Q&A: Can We Greatly Improve Methane Measure and Capture?

The Intelligentsia is a weekly column featuring industry thought leaders.

The following is a Q&A with Peter Quigley, CEO and Chairman of LoCI Controls, which has commercialized technology to optimize methane capture and emission reduction from landfills.    

JOE GILLARD: What are some challenges landfill operators have in measuring and capturing methane? 

PETER QUIGLEY: The main challenge for landfill gas collection is that there is no data available in real-time that can help optimize methane capture and minimize harmful landfill emissions. With landfill gas collection managed manually, even the best operators face challenges with maximizing gas collection system efficiency. Current regulations require technician measurements and valve adjustments be carried out only once-per-month — yet, these infrequent adjustments often fail to account for frequently changing site conditions that impact gas collection. Factors like temperature and barometric pressure can quickly affect gas collection, and only real-time data gives technicians the granular visibility into their landfill gas collection system to make necessary and more immediate adjustments.

Real-time measurement of key process parameters along with remote and automated control of the collection process can — and should — be leveraged in landfill gas collection systems to maximize methane recovery and minimize emissions. 

JOE: What does LoCI’s system make easier or better for landfill managers and technicians?

PETER: LoCI’s real-time data and control platform offers landfill owners, operators, and technicians the ability to act on information via their phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop — 24/7/365 — enabling immediate troubleshooting and better use of resources at their site. Our automated alerts, which are sent to on-site technicians when any part of the collection system is outside of normal operating parameters, mean better time efficiency for technicians and increased control of every collection well, as well as the collection system as a whole. Adjustments are made to valve positions based on real-time data, in response to the constantly changing site conditions.

Our automation, remote well tuning, and alerting features can also lead to better safety records for the sites, with fewer manhours needed to operate the system manually and less time spent looking for problems in the collection system. 

JOE: Do you anticipate the possibility that regulatory bodies will require more accurate methane data in the future? 

PETER: Yes — there is an increasing focus on landfill methane (and other harmful) emissions not only from regulators, but also the public, financial communities and shareholders, as well as international climate and policy experts. There is an emerging industry focused exclusively on methane emission measurement and monitoring via satellites, planes, drones, and mobile- and ground-based systems. California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been a leader in trying to measure methane emissions, initially conducting a multi-year aerial survey of methane emissions in California with the help of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and more recently by hosting a public webinar in December 2022 focused exclusively on landfill methane emissions. CARB’s findings, in summary, show that actual emissions from landfills are likely 20% to nearly 50% higher than had been estimated previously. Higher methane emissions from landfills have a significant negative impact on overall plans to reduce statewide, national, and global carbon emissions. Keeping that in mind, I am quite certain that we will see an even greater focus on landfill gas collection and landfill emissions from many stakeholders, including regulators.

JOE: What kind of feedback are you hearing from landfills currently using your technology? 

PETER: LoCI systems are operating on over 30 large landfills in the U.S., with well over 2,000 collection points at these landfills. At many of these projects, LoCI is now contracted to support gas collection operations on a multi-year basis — after initially operating on a month-to-month basis. This is perhaps the strongest evidence that our customers see significant benefit from working with LoCI.  Moreover, an independent peer-reviewed study found that our real-time data and control increased methane capture by 13 - 24% at four landfills with at least six months of operating history with LoCI. Three of the landfills had Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) projects, while the fourth site had a landfill gas to electricity project. Increased methane capture results in increased revenue at projects, in addition to reduced emissions.

Several of our customers have seen surface emission exceedances reduced when measured quarterly, the frequency required by regulations. Our customers have also experienced increased productivity among on-site personnel, increased plant uptimes, and much faster remediation response times.

We also are seeing a very positive response to LoCI’s ability to generate — for the first time in the industry — voluntary carbon credits at federally regulated landfills through the American Carbon Registry standard, or Methodology for the Quantification Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions and Removals from Landfill Gas Destruction and Beneficial Use Projects, version 2.0, which LoCI helped create. The new methodology allows LoCI to offer our system at no cost to landfills, in return for gainsharing of the third party-validated emission reductions that result from the installation and operation of LoCI’s system. We’re able to offer landfills the benefit of improved gas collection operations and reduced emissions with no additional capital or operating costs. This new opportunity creates additional revenue through not only the increased RNG or electricity produced from the captured landfill gas, but also monetizes the reduction in landfill emissions above and beyond what has been possible with manual landfill gas collection operations.

JOE: Can LoCI’s system be integrated into existing landfill software? 

PETER: LoCI’s system — our WellWatcher® platform and the physical Controller, Sentry, and Liquid Level Measurement components — can be integrated into existing landfill gas collection systems or operated as a standalone data and control platform. Our measurement products are mounted on existing collection wells, while the data and operator interface are accessed via LoCI’s cloud-connected WellWatcher® user interface. The LoCI system leverages automation and alerts to create actionable insights for the technicians, while also offering spatial visualizations and on-demand response and project support.

JOE: If you could say one thing to all the landfill managers and operators out there, what would you say? 

PETER: LoCI’s technology and our team are really extensions of the existing landfill operations team, providing real-time data to enhance your own expertise and capabilities. With an increasing focus on methane capture and emissions reduction in today’s environment, we’re here to make it even easier for sites to meet changing regulations and help incentivize landfills to capture more LFG and decrease emissions.

Are you a thought leader and would like to be considered for The Intelligentsia? Email the Editor at jgillard@endeavorb2b.com