About

BEAM*2022:
Helping meet the challenges of inventorying GHGs

WEF’s survey of WRRFs (2020) identified 4 challenges in GHG inventories. BEAM*2022 addresses them:

• “Inconsistent use of methodologies” is solved through use of BEAM*2022 as a consistent, widely used model for biosolids management.

• “Unavailable or unreliable emissions factors” - BEAM*2022 provides peer-reviewed updates of default emissions factors and assumptions, making for reliable estimates of GHG emissions from biosolids management.

(WEF, 2020. How are WRRFs inventorying GHG emissions? Fact sheet.)

This website provides information, data, and a calculator - BEAM*2022 - to help biosolids management programs understand their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (carbon footprint) and find ways to maximize climate benefits.

Read all about BEAM*2022 — Measuring Biosolids Impacts on Climate Change and Resiliency (NEWEA Journal, Volume 56, No.1, Spring 2022)

BEAM*2022

BEAM*2022 is a spreadsheet modeling tool that calculates net GHG emissions from various biosolids management processes and allows comparisons for planning purposes.

North East Biosolids and Residuals Association (NEBRA) and Northwest Biosolids are solely responsible for this new tool and this website.

BEAM*2022 includes numerous updates beyond the original BEAM v1.1 based on recent research and reviews - including:

• additional spreadsheet tabs for additional unit processes, such as different landfill conditions and pyrolysis

• improved flow of inputs and data through the spreadsheet

• updated default values and assumptions based on reviews of recent literature

Detailed tracking of updates is provided here.******

Use BEAM*2022 to…

• estimate a program’s GHG emissions, including establishing a baseline;

• compare emissions from different biosolids management scenarios;

• estimate the impacts on GHG emissions resulting from changes in biosolids management; and

• understand the factors that have the greatest impact on increasing or reducing GHG emissions.

History

The original BEAM v1.1 (CCME, 2011), from which BEAM*2022 is expanded, was developed by CCME based on work done by SYLVIS Environmental under contract to CCME. It has been freely, publicly available and has been used by biosolids programs and consultants around North America (see Sharing Data & Experiences). Co-authors of BEAM published it in Environmental Science & Technology in 2010.

The original has been widely cited, and when the ECAM model was created for estimating emissions from municipal water and wastewater services, BEAM was relied on for many default values and calculations. During the 2010s, it was used as a part of many municipal water resource recovery facility (WRRF) GHG inventories. Some of that work led to improvements and expansions of the model.

Eventually, Northwest Biosolids initiated a formal update effort, bringing together stakeholders and funding. Several organizations that had sponsored updates graciously donated their work, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. In fall 2021 - winter 2022, NEBRA facilitated a BEAM*2022 Advisory Group of stakeholders - biosolids GHG experts – from across the continent, including the WEF GHG Subcommittee and NEBRA’s Carbon and Nutrients Trading Committee. Also convened was a Science Review Team (SRT) of five PhDs - consultants and university researchers expert on biosolids and GHGs - to conduct formal, documented reviews of literature & real-world data to recommend updates to some key default values and assumptions embedded in the spreadsheet calculator model. Detailed tracking of updates is provided here.******

Governance of BEAM*2022

BEAM*2022 is copyright ©NEBRA and Northwest Biosolids. All rights reserved.
CCME is recognized and appreciated for their pioneering work on the original BEAM v1.1 and supporting materials, which are all copyright ©CCME. All rights reserved.

The BEAM*2022 model and supporting materials provided on this website are provided for public benefit. Any use of BEAM*2022 should be in accordance with the Terms of Use.