An Investigation of Opportunities and Barriers for Biogas Systems in Rural Communities

Schilp, Jillian; Shoer, Noah; Cao, Quoc Huy; Rosenfeld, Jordan

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An Investigation of Opportunities and Barriers for Biogas Systems in Rural Communities Public

Biogas systems are a potential solution to many of the problems faced in rural communities. Rural communities produce organic waste, and lack reliable access to gas for cooking, heating, and lighting. Biogas systems reduce these problems by converting organic waste into gas through a renewable energy cycle. We found that biogas systems have trouble producing large quantities of gas in the winter due to colder temperatures inhibiting gas production. Users complained the systems are difficult to operate and maintain. A lack of awareness and education on system usage limits biogas system adoption. To minimize these problems, we recommend heating the digester to improve gas production, easing the maintenance process, and implementing an educational program.

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