This is related to Markit's question about Septic Tanks, but rather than hijack his thread I thought I'd start one:
Has anyone tried to install a domestic Biogas Digester (or generator) in Bali?
I thought these were mega-structures until I found myself doing some research a few years back into China's environmental problems and discovered that the government there is subsidizing 50% of the cost of household biogas generators for farmers - so I dug deeper and found:
Basically they replace the Septic Tank - dig a hole in the ground, line it with plastic, bricks, more plastic, stick a lid on it, shove in a few tubes & pipes down the hole .... then dump your biodegradable waste in - poo from the loo, cuttings from the garden. last night's food scraps, I'd imagine beans are quite effective in this context :highly_amused:.
As the scrap rots, it generates methane - which it does in landfill anyway - but the methane gets sequestered and piped into the kitchen to the cooker.
Ok, so it isn't quite that simple, but it works, the Chinese have installed more than 20 million individual household biogas digesters in rural areas they provide heat and light in communities that are off the grid: here's a video link Biogas in China - YouTube
Looks good, though personally I wouldn't recommend using the gas for lighting (as seen in the video) particularly with an alang alang roof.
Might also be a solution to Markit's mozzie problem - gas the little buggers! :icon_rolleyes:
Has anyone tried to install a domestic Biogas Digester (or generator) in Bali?
I thought these were mega-structures until I found myself doing some research a few years back into China's environmental problems and discovered that the government there is subsidizing 50% of the cost of household biogas generators for farmers - so I dug deeper and found:
- They cost about US$1,000 (or $750 in Tanzania !)
- They're very, very, low-tech
- Can be built by the villagers (or expat) themselves
Basically they replace the Septic Tank - dig a hole in the ground, line it with plastic, bricks, more plastic, stick a lid on it, shove in a few tubes & pipes down the hole .... then dump your biodegradable waste in - poo from the loo, cuttings from the garden. last night's food scraps, I'd imagine beans are quite effective in this context :highly_amused:.
As the scrap rots, it generates methane - which it does in landfill anyway - but the methane gets sequestered and piped into the kitchen to the cooker.
Ok, so it isn't quite that simple, but it works, the Chinese have installed more than 20 million individual household biogas digesters in rural areas they provide heat and light in communities that are off the grid: here's a video link Biogas in China - YouTube
Looks good, though personally I wouldn't recommend using the gas for lighting (as seen in the video) particularly with an alang alang roof.
Might also be a solution to Markit's mozzie problem - gas the little buggers! :icon_rolleyes: