List of Tools Related to Landfill Gas and Waste Management
LMOP LFG Energy Tools
Toolkit for Expiring Landfill Gas Electricity Power Purchase Agreements (February 2022) – Provides information on options that landfill gas (LFG) electricity project owners may have when their power purchase agreement (PPA) is nearing expiration. This web-based tool offers specific criteria, pros and cons, economic considerations and other information to help guide the decision-making process.
LFGcost-Web (September 2023) – Evaluates the initial economic feasibility and environmental and job creation benefits of an LFG energy project through a user-friendly Microsoft® Excel platform. Analyses performed using LFGcost-Web are considered estimates and should be used for guidance only.
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Flow Rate Estimation Tool (RNG Flow Tool) (January 2023) – Calculates the adjusted flow rate and heat content value of LFG after a wellfield is adjusted to meet an inlet nitrogen specification for RNG treatment or processing. The Tool serves as a screening guide to help landfills quickly estimate normalized gas flows for RNG projects.
LFG Energy Benefits Calculator (December 2024) – Estimates direct methane reductions and avoided carbon dioxide emissions attributable to an LFG energy project for the current year, calculated from data entered by the user. Based on the estimated emission reductions, the tool provides environmental equivalency values to describe the reductions in more relatable terms, such as carbon sequestered by acres of U.S. forests or CO2 emissions from gallons of gasoline consumed. Based on the entered data, it also estimates an energy benefit value in terms of homes powered or homes heated.
Interactive Conversion Tool (xls) (February 2023) – Conducts unit conversions, such as standard cubic feet per minute to million standard cubic feet per day or short tons of methane to million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. Also estimates LFG energy potential from an MSW landfill, for example, megawatt capacity from tons of waste-in-place.
Excel files can be viewed with the Free Microsoft Excel Viewer.
International LFG Models – Several country-specific LFG generation models were created to help landfill owners and operators and other interested parties evaluate the feasibility and potential benefits of collecting and using LFG for energy recovery in international locales.
Other EPA LFG Tools
Biogas Toolkit (Periodic) – EPA’s Biogas Toolkit serves as a centralized knowledge hub for biogas project stakeholders. The toolkit is designed to allow stakeholders to search and browse for information and resources that meet their specific project needs. It includes tools and resources compiled from several EPA programs, including AgSTAR, LMOP and the Global Methane Initiative.
Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LandGEM), version 3.03 (June 2020) – This model was developed by the EPA Office of Research and Development-National Risk Management Research Laboratory, and the Clean Air Technology Center. It estimates total LFG and methane generation, as well as emissions of carbon dioxide, non-methane organic compounds, and individual air pollutants from MSW landfills. Model results can be used to estimate the recoverable methane available for a potential LFG energy project. LandGEM can also be used to determine if a landfill is subject to the control requirements of the federal New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for MSW landfills, the emission guidelines for MSW landfills, or the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for MSW landfills. In addition to the LandGEM version 3.03 Excel file, users should also download the User’s Guide, which contains key information necessary to properly operate the model.
EPA Integrated Solid Waste Management Tools
Waste Reduction Model (WARM) – EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery created WARM to help solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report GHG emission reductions from several different waste management practices. WARM calculates and totals GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste management practices – source reduction, recycling, anaerobic digestion, combustion, composting and landfilling.
Municipal Solid Waste Decision Support Tool (MSW DST) – EPA's Office of Research and Development-National Risk Management Research Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy developed this comprehensive tool to aid solid waste planners in evaluating the cost and environmental aspects of integrated MSW management strategies. The tool enables users to simulate existing MSW management practices and conduct scenario analyses of new strategies based on cost and environmental objectives. MSW DST includes multiple design options for waste collection, transfer, materials recovery, composting, waste-to-energy, and landfilling.
Excess Food Opportunities Map – EPA developed this resource with the goal of diverting excess food away from landfilling and toward beneficial use. The map helps bridge the gap between potential generators of excess food and potential recipients who can use it. It displays the locations of nearly 950,000 potential excess food generators and about 6,500 potential recipients, as well as communities with source separated organics programs.
Model Recycling Program Toolkit – This toolkit is an interactive repository of materials from EPA and others that can help states, territories, local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and companies effectively design and implement programs related to anaerobic digestion, composting, recycling, reduction and reuse.
Managing and Transforming Waste Streams: A Tool for Communities – EPA Region 9 developed this planning tool that features a table of 100 measures communities can employ to reduce waste and recover materials. The tool can help local and tribal governments learn how to shift their community’s solid waste stream away from disposal and toward waste reduction, materials reuse and recovery. Planners can learn about measures such as ordinances, incentives and outreach and discover more than 300 real implementation examples from several U.S. communities. The tool is available in both web and spreadsheet format.