As automated landfill gas collection becomes more common, so do questions about what automation means for the operators managing these systems every day.
At LoCI, one misconception we hear is that adopting our automated control system means giving up control of your wellfield. In reality, LoCI’s system was designed around a very different philosophy: give operators better data to act upon, more precise control and the flexibility to determine how their own sites are managed.
From setting tuning strategies and remotely adjusting valves to maintaining equipment and managing user permissions, LoCI customers have direct access to the tools they need to operate their systems.
So, let’s clear up five common myths about how LoCI’s automated control system actually works.
Myth #1: LoCI customers can't directly control their own system.
Reality: LoCI customers have direct access to their control system through WellWatcher.
Sites with real-time continuous monitoring generate enormous amounts of data around the clock, and sorting through it to figure out what needs attention on a given day has traditionally taken time most operators don’t have to spare. Since April, we’ve been developing a way for that same real-time data to generate a site-specific action plan, built entirely from that site’s own numbers, so an operator can see at a glance where to focus first instead of combing through raw readings well by well.
For example, before we introduced AI into our operations, WellWatcher users had several different views to choose from to pinpoint data that could help tell the story of what’s happening in their wellfield on any given day, or even any given hour. While it’s helpful to have all of this data available to reference, sometimes it can create a kind of “death by spreadsheet,” or burnout from looking at so many different data points for so long while trying to determine what actually needs to be reviewed.
In practice: For example, if changing conditions require an operator to adjust a well, they don't necessarily have to wait until the next field round, or ask a LoCI employee to make the change. With the appropriate permissions, the operator can review current well conditions in WellWatcher, adjust the valve position remotely, and continue monitoring how the well responds.
See how LoCI customers are using continuous data and control in the field.
Myth #2: Only LoCI field representatives can maintain LoCI devices.
Reality: LoCI provides field service and maintenance support, but customers can also develop the capability to perform maintenance themselves.
Our newest 8.0 Sentry and Controller hardware was specifically designed to make commonly serviced components easier to access in the field. Gas sensors, communication components and power reset functionality can all be accessed from the front panel, making routine service simpler for trained personnel.
LoCI also offers a Certified User and Operator Program that provides customers with professional training on our technology, maintenance and wellfield operation. Customers who want more in-house capability can build it, while customers who prefer additional LoCI support can continue relying on our team.
In practice: A trained customer doesn't necessarily need to wait for a LoCI field representative to travel to the site for every service need. Certified users can perform approved maintenance activities themselves, while LoCI remains available for additional field support, troubleshooting and training when needed.
Learn more about LoCI's newest generation of field serviceable measurement devices.
Myth #3: Every LoCI customer and user gets the same level of system access.
Reality: Customers can manage their own users and permission levels within WellWatcher.
Different people within an organization may need very different levels of access. A manager may want visibility across an entire portfolio, while an operator may need the ability to interact directly with equipment at a particular site.
LoCI allows customers to establish user accounts and permission levels based on their own organizational structure and operational needs. The customer determines who can access their system and what those users are permitted to do by assigning one of four permission levels, Basic, Standard, Advanced and Supervisor.
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In practice:
A landfill organization with multiple sites, operators and management teams can structure WellWatcher access around the way its team actually works. Rather than giving every employee identical capabilities, administrators can manage permissions so the appropriate people have access to the appropriate information and controls.
Myth #4: LoCI takes over control of the wellfield when something goes wrong.
Reality: LoCI supports operators, we don't replace them.
Landfills are dynamic environments, and the people operating them understand the site conditions, infrastructure and operational priorities that affect their decisions. LoCI's technology provides another layer of visibility and control to support those decisions.
Automation parameters and tuning strategies are established around site-specific operating objectives. And when additional help is needed, LoCI offers 24/7 support alongside services including analytics, project management and system maintenance. Our primary goal is to give operators better information and tools to make those decisions themselves.
In practice: At one landfill using LoCI measurement technology, the team identified a roughly 400-SCFM gas-flow loss affecting gas sales. Instead of searching across the wellfield to determine where that flow had disappeared, the team used WellWatcher data to trace the loss to two horizontal collectors in the active area within minutes.
The data helped identify where the problem was occurring. The operators could then combine that information with what they knew about conditions in the active area to determine the likely cause and decide how they wanted to address it.
That's the distinction: LoCI helps operators understand what's happening. Operators decide what to do about it.
Read more real-world use cases of customers using LoCI's Action Plan.
Myth #5: Using LoCI automation means giving up operator judgement.
Reality: LoCI's automation is designed to execute an operator's strategy, not determine that strategy for them.
LoCI Controllers can continuously make precise valve adjustments according to the parameters established for the site. Meanwhile, operators retain visibility into performance through WellWatcher and can adjust tuning strategies, remotely control valves, request readings and make changes as site conditions or operational priorities evolve. The same philosophy extends to the Action Plan, powered by WellWatcher AI. WellWatcher can analyze continuous wellfield data, surface developing issues and help operators prioritize where their attention may be needed. It doesn't replace the operator's judgment about what should happen next.
In practice:
If WellWatcher identifies an unusual change in gas quality, flow or wellhead conditions, the system can help surface the affected area and provide operators with additional context about what may be happening. The operator can then review that information alongside their knowledge of the site and determine the appropriate response. The result is more information available to the operator when and where decisions need to be made.
Learn how the Action Plan, powered by WellWatcher AI, supports operator decision-making.
Automation doesn't mean Giving up Control
There are different approaches to landfill gas automation. This is ours, and we want to be clear about what that means for our customers.
After more than a decade working alongside landfill gas operators, we know that wellfield operations are personal. Every site has its own history, challenges, infrastructure and operating strategy, and the people managing those sites have years of experience that technology simply can't replace. Our job isn't to take that expertise out of the equation, it's to give operators better information, more precise tools and support they can call on when they need it.
That's why LoCI's measurement and control system is built to keep operators connected to their wellfields. Customers can manage their tuning strategies, interact with equipment remotely, control user permissions, build internal maintenance capabilities and decide when (and how much) they want LoCI's team involved.
We also believe our customers deserve a clear and accurate understanding of what our technology does and doesn't do. As landfill gas automation evolves and more information enters the market, we're committed to being transparent about how our system works, who controls it and what operators can do with it.
Because better automation shouldn't mean taking control away from the people who know their wellfields best. It should give them more visibility, more capability and better tools to manage them.