Agrilab Technologies Expands Compost-Powered Energy

Agrilab Technologies LLC, Enosburg Falls, Vt., which is involved in providing compost heat-recovery technology, has launched a containerized compost heat recovery system that has been designed to help compost producers and farmers with creating high-value compost while capturing predictable combustion-free heat.

Agrilab installed its first compost heat recovery system in Vermont eight years ago. More recently, the company has installed systems at the Jasper Hill Creamery and at the University of New Hampshire.

The new mobile version of Agrilab’s compost heat recovery system can produce up to 200,000 Btu per hour

continuously depending on the amount of compost in production, by pulling heat out of compost, according to the company. According to Agrilab, the energy extracted is worth up to $50,000 per year at current fossil fuel costs. The technology works by pulling air down and through the compost, actively aerating the material and eliminating the need for tumbling or turning to keep the compost process going. The hot vapor that is pulled out of the compost is run through a patented Isobar heat exchanger generating reliable amounts of hot water for space heating and washing.

Agrilab adds that the Containerized Isobar Unit, (CIU) comes with a bank financed lease-to-own option that enables customers to have positive cash flow in the first year with minimal up-front investment required.
“We are excited to bring innovations of combustion-free compost-powered energy to Vermont and the rest of the world,” says Brian Jerose, owner of AGT. “We’ve proven that compost heat recovery can be a cost effective and reliable form of renewable energy that also supports sustainable agriculture by producing high value compost.”