HARRISONBURG –Rockingham Memorial Hospital has announced plans use methane gas, a renewable energy source, to partially power its new facility, slated to open in 2010.

RMH plans to use methane in combination with diesel and natural gas, said Dennis Coffman, director, RMH facilities planning and development. One of three boilers at the new hospital should run on methane.

The hospital will partner with the Rockingham County Landfill, which is already required to capture the gas, a byproduct of waste at the landfill. However, plans call to go a step further in burning methane, reducing its harmful effect on the atmosphere. With a certain amount of processing, methane can also be used as an inexpensive, sustainable energy source.

"The hospital wins because it has another reliable, local fuel source," Coffman said. "The source coming out of the county is fixed, so it's less volatile and there's less opportunity for disruption. So far, everything looks very promising.”

Because methane is produced locally and consistently, there would be little concern about market shifts or disruptions in receiving fuel. This would allow RMH to remain largely self-sufficient during a crisis situation.

RMH is still negotiating specifics on how to ship the methane the 2-mile distance from the landfill to the new RMH facility.

This collaboration is part of efforts at RMH to pursue certification with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water and materials.

RMH seeks to create a new campus that will provide a beautiful park-like setting, in harmony with the surrounding area, with facilities designed to bring the best of 21st century health, wellness and medical care to its community.