- What if I aggregate my calculations more frequently than daily, as specified in the protocol?
- How should I calculate emissions from supplemental fuel if it is not natural gas?
- The project is on a landfill that is subject to New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) because of its size, but it has not triggered the non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) threshold. Is it eligible?
- The project is an electricity generation project. Can renewable energy certificates (RECs) as well as carbon credits be sought for this project?
- The project sends landfill gas offsite through a pipeline to an industrial user. Must the project developer monitor the offsite destruction?
- A project is being developed on a landfill by a third party. Who is eligible to claim credits as the project developer in the Reserve?
- Destruction took place at a landfill several years ago, but the landfill gas destruction device has been unused for some time, and the well-field is in need of repair. If the system is refurbished and put into use, may credit be claimed?
- There have been instances of non-compliance with pertinent regulations during our project’s reporting period, but all have been addressed and there are no open issues of non-compliance; must we report solved issues of non-compliance to the verification body?
- When it comes to regulatory compliance, what could be considered an immaterial non-compliance event, as opposed to a material non-compliance event?
- The protocol requires that the gas flow meters and continuous methane analyzers are field checked for calibration accuracy by a third-party technician every reporting period. Who would be considered a third party?
- What is the definition for continuous monitoring of landfill gas and methane concentration?
- For landfills in Mexico, what is the purpose of the NOMdiscount?
- Q: What if I aggregate my calculations more frequently than daily, as specified in the protocol?
A: The Reserve allows the calculations to be aggregated on a more frequent basis. For example, if both flow and methane concentration are being measured on a continuous basis (every 15 minutes), then Qi (Equation 5.4) may be calculated in 15 minute intervals, rather than daily. However, the baseline destruction value calculated as Destbase is not to be aggregated more frequently than weekly. - Q: How should I calculate emissions from supplemental fuel if it is not natural gas?
A: For other fossil fuels, use Equation 5.10: “Calculating Project Emissions from Fossil Fuel Use.” - Q: The project is on a landfill that is subject to New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) because of its size, but it has not triggered the non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) threshold. Is it eligible?
A: Yes, projects are eligible to receive emission reduction credits from the Reserve up to the time they are required by law to destroy landfill gas. - Q: The project is an electricity generation project. Can renewable energy certificates (RECs) as well as carbon credits be sought for this project?
A: The Reserve considers RECs to represent a separate environmental benefit, and therefore does not restrict projects from receiving RECs in tandem with carbon credits. The Reserve does not issue RECs, and these must be credited through an appropriate entity. There may be some REC programs whose rules preclude the project from also earning offsets related to methane destruction. - Q: The project sends landfill gas offsite through a pipeline to an industrial user. Must the project developer monitor the offsite destruction?
A: Yes. For projects where the gas is inserted into the natural gas transmission and distribution system for destruction by an unknown end-user, the project developer is instructed to use the destruction efficiency (DE) value for pipeline projects. For projects where the gas is piped directly to one known end-user (referred to as a “direct use” project), the project developer is instructed to use the DE value corresponding to the method of destruction at the end-user. If this method of destruction is not known, or if access to the end-user’s facility for verification is not possible, the project developer shall use the lowest value for DE provided in Table C.3. - Q: A project is being developed on a landfill by a third party. Who is eligible to claim credits as the project developer in the Reserve?
A: The project developer must be the party who has full title to the underlying environmental benefit, i.e. the mitigation of the landfill gas emissions. In situations where there are multiple parties involved in a project, such as the landfill owner and a third-party project operator, the ownership of this benefit must be clearly assigned to one of the parties, usually through legal contracts. For landfill projects, ownership of the landfill gas and mitigation benefit rests with the landfill owner (as recognized on permits, etc.) by default unless contract provisions assign that ownership to another party. - Q: Destruction took place at a landfill several years ago, but the landfill gas destruction device has been unused for some time, and the well-field is in need of repair. If the system is refurbished and put into use, may credit be claimed?
A: No, the Reserve does not consider projects restarted after a long period of dormancy as eligible new projects. - Q: There have been instances of non-compliance with pertinent regulations during our project’s reporting period, but all have been addressed and there are no open issues of non-compliance; must we report solved issues of non-compliance to the verification body?
A: Yes, project developers must report all instances of non-compliance to the verification body, even if they have been addressed. Additionally, project developers may not claim credit for any period for which they were out of material compliance with regulations. - Q: When it comes to regulatory compliance, what could be considered an immaterial non-compliance event, as opposed to a material non-compliance event?
A: While this is left to the verifier’s professional judgment, there are some basic items that are likely to be considered immaterial, such as administrative errors in filing permits or reporting to a regulatory agency. - Q: The protocol requires that the gas flow meters and continuous methane analyzers are field checked for calibration accuracy by a third-party technician every reporting period. Who would be considered a third party?
A: Anybody not directly employed by the project developer holding the account can be considered a third party. - Q: What is the definition for continuous monitoring of landfill gas and methane concentration?
A: For gas flow, the device must measure and record total flow every 15 minutes, at a minimum. For methane concentration, there must be at least one methane reading recorded every 15 minutes. - Q: For landfills in Mexico, what is the purpose of the NOMdiscount?
A: In Mexico there exists a regulation (NOM-083) affecting the control of methane emissions from landfills. Such a regulation would normally cause a project to fail the Legal Requirement Test, but during the background research for the development of the Mexico Landfill Project Protocol it was determined that this regulation is not enforced. Through analysis of the type of methane control that would be installed to comply with this regulation, the Reserve developed a discount factor corresponding to the amount of gas that would be destroyed if the landfill were in compliance. By using the NOMdiscount factor, landfills only receive CRTs for methane that is destroyed above and beyond the amount needed to be in compliance with NOM-083.