Date: October 13, 2009 @ 11:53 AM

Add Bacteria and Engineering...Remove Hydrogen

Harvest is in top gear…or at least it was until this huge storm arrived last night and stopped the picking for a few days. We have a number of blocks of Cabernet that still need a little more time to reach full ripeness. Fortunately, Cabernet has thicker skins and looser clusters to make it more resistant to rain. We have picked all of the other varieties (except Dolce which can use a little rain about now.)

Since we can’t change the weather…we can change the subject!

A few days ago I saw a new project at Napa Wine Company that is using the winery’s H₂O (Two Hydrogens + One Oxygen…ie Water) to see if there is an opportunity to make renewable energy from the winery waste water. It is a remarkable idea that makes a good deal more sense than “cold fusion.” (You are likely showing your age if you remember cold fusion.)

Some smart guys from Penn State are working with Napa Wine Company to grow bacteria in a MEC (Microbial Electrolysis Cell). Short version, cells grow using the nutrients from the waste water…cells give off electrons that are transferred to an electrode and then hydrogen gas is formed at the cathode…capture the hydrogen.

While I don’t know if the hydrogen will then go into fuel cells to make electricity and power cars, (the ones they are inventing to run on fuel cells) I am pretty sure that no one is going to explore the use of Hydrogen and dirigibles (my Dad always knew where he was when he heard about the Hindenburg).

Wineries may not be the best sources of waste water for these bacteria (it is extremely variable by season and what we are doing that day in the cellar), but it is consistent that wineries and vineyards continue to lead in their efforts for sustainability. From passive cooling (caves) to photovoltaics to water reuse, there has been remarkable progress undertaken in the last ten years. This experiment is one more step. Even if its ultimate application may be a better fit with municipal waste water systems than with a winery, it is the curiosity exhibited by Napa Wine Company that is inspirational.