• how offsets work
  • why carbon offsets
  • how we are different
  • Your Choices
  • FAQ's
  • Additionality
  • How We Calculate
  • more you can do
  • Terms and Conditions
  • 
• our carbon projects
  • Renewable Energy
    • Greensburg Wind Farm Project
    • St. Leon Wind Power Project
    • Wray School District Wind Turbine
    • Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine
    • Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation Demonstration Wind Turbine Project
    • Toksook Bay Alaska Native Village Wind Turbines
    • Kasigluk Alaska Native Village Wind Turbines
    • Essex Junction Municipal Biogas Generator
    • The Boulder Creek Hydro Project
    • Farmer Distributed Wind
    • 
  • Farm Methane Power
    • Noblehurst Family Farm Methane Project
    • Mains Family Dairy Farm
    • Brubaker Family Dairy Farm Methane Project
    • Wanner Family Dairy Farm Methane Project
    • Hillcrest Saylor Family Dairy Farm Methane Project
    • Schrack Family Farm Methane Project
    • Dovan Family Farm Methane Project
    • Penn England Family Dairy Farm Methane Project
    • 
  • Solar
    • Stonyfield Farm Solar Array, the largest in New Hampshire
    • 
  • Biomass
    • Trellis Biomass Conversion Project
    • 
  • Transportation Efficiency
    • Cascade Sierra Solutions Trucking Efficiency Project
    • 
  • 
• in the news
• about global warming
• more from NativeEnergy
  • Vintage Carbon Offsets
  • CoolWatts
  • NEW! Climate Solutions Group
  • Our Green Products
  • 
• our blog

Noblehurst Family Farm Methane Project

Noblehurst Dairy in Linwood, NY has constructed an anaerobic digester for manure conversion and on-farm electricity generation. The project is currently in operation mode.  Noblehurst is a family-owned farm, operated by Rob Noble and Noblehurst Farms, Inc.  The Noblehurst farm has a herd of approximately 1,450 milk cows.

The digester generates approximately 1500 kWh/day, all of which is used to power farm operations. The project also includes mechanical separation and utilization of digested manure solids and capture of generator waste heat for heating purposes. This methane digester avoids emissions of carbon dioxide and methane in two ways.  The project displaces local grid-based electricity with renewable energy and it avoids methane emissions from manure that otherwise would have been stored in a lagoon by “digesting” the slurry to generate electricity.

Project Participants:   The project is a collaborative effort between the Noblehurst Farms, Inc., Environmental Credit Corp, and NativeEnergy.  NativeEnergy is aiding the Noblehurst Farm’s commitment to environmental stewardship and economic innovation by purchasing, in advance, a four-year strip of the carbon offsets associated with the methane lagoon.  This forward stream purchase will bring upfront funding for the capital costs for the biogas collection system.

Offset Type: Forward Stream offsets over 4 years for the avoided lagoon emissions.
Approximately 12,000 metric tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions reductions will be generated compared to business-as usual (BAU) operations.  These emissions reductions (or Climate Reserve Tonnes) will be issued under CAR annually.

Verification/Monitoring: Estimation and monitoring methodology is conducted using CCAR Livestock Protocol developed by the California Climate Action Registry and is available at www.climateregistry.org.  Annual performance data is monitored.

Additionality:  The project demonstrates financial additionality according to UNFCCC definitions since the revenues from the offset purchases contribute a necessary portion of the overall project funding. Technical additionality is demonstrated since the technology is not considered business as usual on U.S. dairy farms and requires developing special technical skills. 

Sustainable Development Benefits: Reduced operation costs allow the family farm to afford to continue to farm and keep open space.  Improved manure management has significantly reduced farm runoffs, odor and pathogens, and is creating safer organic fertilizer to apply to the fields and bedding material for the cows in place of purchasing wood shavings.