Cornell University
IN-26: Innovation C

The College of Veterinary Medicine designed and successfully implemented an innovative waste and energy reclamation system on campus which successfully separates cow manure from their sand bedding, significantly reducing waste and adding a new energy capture stream. This “Poop to Power” System results in clean bedding and a liquid waste that can be used for electricity and heat. Sand bedding in manure can be hard to deal with because the sand settles in holding tanks and can be abrasive to pipes. The new system avoids this problem by separating 95% of the sand from the waste and produces clean sand that can be reused for bedding, which eliminates the need to import 30 tons of sand weekly. The captured liquid waste is sent to Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility where it is processed by an anaerobic digester that produces methane. The methane is used turn microturbines to generate electricity and create heat. The heat and electricity are used to power the Wastewater Treatment facility. The manure is mixed with other wastes digested at Wastewater Treatment facility, however, approximately 60,000 gallons per week of manure is hauled to the Wastewater Treatment facility.