Gundersen Lutheran Health System And City Brewery Form Unusual Partnership

Beer and health care may sound like an odd mix. In one case however, the two have formed an unlikely partnership to get creative with renewable energy.

City Brewery in La Crosse, Wisconsin is using all of its biogas byproduct from the brewing process to create three million kilowatt hours per year of electricity by employing a capturing, cleaning and burning process through an engine called a jenbacher.

Down the road from the brewery is Gundersen Lutheran Health System which is credited for the electricity produced by City Brewery. And while this only accounts for 10-13 percent of their total needs, it means they are on their way to meeting complete energy independence by 2014.

As well as benefiting the hospital, the heat produced from the jenmacher feeds into the brewery's waste water treatment process, making the system more efficient.

According to Gundersen Lutheran's website, the energy the hospital is receiving is enough to provide electricity to 299 homes and is the equivalent of removing 395 cars from the road.

Gundersen Lutheren also incorporates wind power as a renewable energy source. In reaching its 2014 renewable energy goals, the hospital stands to make around $180,000 from the energy it sells back to the power company, according to WaterWorld.com.

The move not only saves money but contributes to the broader goal of slowing climate change. Based on an IEA climate change report, The Guardian said "The central problem is that most industrial infrastructure currently in existence – the fossil-fuelled power stations, the emissions-spewing factories, the inefficient transport and buildings – is already contributing to the high level of emissions, and will do so for decades."

However, the Renewable Energy Markets Association kicked off a new nationwide program on Friday to encourage organizations to purchase renewable energy for at least the next five years, according to EarthTechling. The association has already found success with Austin, Texas committing to the pledge, and the area is the largest city government in the U.S. to switch to 100 percent renewable energy.

Comments

[ItsGettingWeird]

01:48 PM on 11/14/2011

Are there any shills for the nuclear power industry who would like to leave a comment?

[netdr]

11:25 AM on 11/14/2011

The bad news is that fermenting beer produces CO2 and burning it puts it in the atmosphere.

There are many "renewable" energy sources that the alarmists will never allow to be utilized.

To me being in need of mid east oil is the big threat not global warming.

I even prefer the use of clean coal and natural gas and every city has a landfill producing methane gas by the ton. There are many ways that American could be made energy independent but the alarmists have blocked them for a non problem.

[THE LAST REAL HIPPIE]

04:51 PM on 11/16/2011

Absolutely every biological process produces CO2!!! It's created by plants in photosynthesys and then re-absorbed again! Live without CO2 is not possible!!!! Yet these lunatics even try to create artifical food for cows so that they fart less... No that is no joke! They spend millons on that to decieve the public. Both the "war against global warming" and the "war against terrorism" can never be won! That's why they use these two propaganda technics. With this they can kill billions of people while these participate in their own slaughter! There is a renewable source of energy that can solve all problems and make us completely independend of crude oil: Cannabis, the most versatile plant on earth! That's why the U.S.A. has bullied the whole world into banning it! Cannabis grows very fast, does not erode the soil and enhances the outputs of agriculture. The oil can be refined like crude oil delivering a much higher octane fuel which burns much cleaner. Plastic products can be made from it that are biodegradebale and do not need toxic hardeners and softeners. There a millions of superior products that can be made from Cannabis while enhancing plant, animal and human life on this planet! The idea of using methan that you mentioned is equally great, in China a whole province was independend from fossile fuels by using methane from agriculture for 40 years untill they banned it in the name of "progress".

[collectsrocks]

07:10 PM on 11/13/2011

Wow, something like can this will sure make the long waits to see a doctor a bit more refreshing. Cheers and bottoms up.

[meat-a-saur-us]

02:59 PM on 11/13/2011

So I can expect a tall frosty one when I go in for my labwork, yes??!!

[FEsrigoHL]

12:12 PM on 11/13/2011

The electricity to light a dog park in NE is made from the bio gas produced from the scooped up doroppings !! The solid leftovers are excellent fertilizer for non fod plants. India has been using cattle droppings to produce cooking gas for decades. Green energy can be produced in MANY ways. Those that say nuclear is necessary are full of ** IT !!

[pjgm]

02:46 AM on 11/14/2011

If my dog had "doroppings" I would consider switching dog foods. :-) :-) :-)

[Brewerpaul]

10:52 AM on 11/13/2011

I'm all in favor of a beer powered hospital, but from my home brewing days, I know that the gas produced is CO2, which doesn't burn. In fact, it smothers combustion. What's with that?
(maybe some alcohol evaporates and gets recaptured?)

[lightningbolt]

10:25 AM on 11/13/2011

Clean renewable energy can power an ENTIRE HOSPITAL. If it can power such a large building that demands so much power, it means it's a viable energy source. Right wing talking points continue to be debunked by science and knowledge.

[skybar]

08:50 AM on 11/13/2011

I KNEW beer was healthy ...

[bigfrog]

03:26 AM on 11/13/2011

Ever since being a young man I knew my relationship with beer would be long and happy. Now they've figured out how to get energy from beer, it just keeps getting better and better.

[AndyPhx]

11:59 PM on 11/12/2011

An energy company will buy the hospital and then put it back on their dirty product.

[bbriani3842]

11:12 PM on 11/12/2011

How is drinking Coors like having sex in a canoe?

F**king close to water ....

[meat-a-saur-us]

03:00 PM on 11/13/2011

LMAOOOOO!!!

[bbriani3842]

11:12 PM on 11/12/2011

How do you make Budweiser?

Give Coors to a clydesdale ....

[bbriani3842]

11:09 PM on 11/12/2011

(sigh) Is there anything beer can't do?

[taiwanjohn]

08:31 AM on 11/13/2011

I believe it was Ben Franklin who said, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

[beerbagger]

10:10 PM on 11/12/2011

A priest, a surgeon and a brew-master walk into a bar....

[monrose]

07:45 PM on 11/12/2011

Brilliant. Way to go beer!