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Landfill Gas Energy Cost Model Version 3.0 (LFGcost-Web V3.0)
Citation:
Landfill Gas Energy Cost Model Version 3.0 (LFGcost-Web V3.0).
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of peer review by qualified and objective experts is to obtain an independent assessment of the methods, functionality, and documentation of the LFGcost-Web model to ensure that it is based on sound technical and cost information. In addition, because select cost equations from LFGcost-Web were used to assess the potential costs of the Landfill Rules, the peer review will also provide an independent assessment of EPA’s approach of using those equations in regulatory benefit-cost analysis.
Description:
To help stakeholders estimate the costs of a landfill gas (LFG) energy project, in 2002, LMOP developed a cost tool (LFGcost). Since then, LMOP has routinely updated the tool to reflect changes in the LFG energy industry. Initially the model was designed for EPA to assist landfills in evaluating the economic and financial feasibility of LFG energy project development. In 2014, LMOP developed a public version of the model, LFGcost-Web (Version 3.0), to allow landfill and industry stakeholders to evaluate project feasibility on their own. LFGcost-Web can analyze costs for 12 energy recovery project types. These project costs can be estimated with or without the costs of a gas collection and control system (GCCS). The EPA used select equations from LFGcost-Web to estimate costs of the regulatory options in the 2015 proposed revisions to the MSW Landfills Standards of Performance (also known as New Source Performance Standards) and the Emission Guidelines (herein thereafter referred to collectively as the Landfill Rules). More specifically, equations derived from LFGcost-Web were applied to each landfill expected to be impacted by the Landfill Rules to estimate annualized installed capital costs and annual O&M costs of a gas collection and control system. In addition, after applying the LFGcost-Web equations to the list of landfills expected to require a GCCS in year 2025 as a result of the proposed Landfill Rules, the regulatory analysis evaluated whether electricity generation (using a standard reciprocating engine) would be profitable. Where profitable, annualized installed capital costs, annual O&M costs, and annual revenue from electricity sales were also derived using equations from LFGcost-Web for standard reciprocating engine-generator sets. The resulting equations were used to calculate estimated costs in the regulatory impacts analysis (RIA).
URLs/Downloads:
Appendix A (PDF, NA pp, 122 KB, about PDF)FINAL_Memo_LFGcost_Peer_Review_07-11-16 (PDF, NA pp, 42 KB, about PDF)
Appendix F (PDF, NA pp, 157 KB, about PDF)
Appendix E (PDF, NA pp, 1372 KB, about PDF)
Appendix D (PDF, NA pp, 1022 KB, about PDF)
Appendix C (PDF, NA pp, 50 KB, about PDF)
Appendix B (PDF, NA pp, 6820 KB, about PDF)