Is Decentralized Anaerobic Digestion a Solution? Analyzing Biogas Production and Residential Energy Demand

Abstract

The answer to covering the energy demand of society by increasing the share of renewables must come from the conjunction of several technologies. A preliminary study on the feasibility of anaerobic digestion in residential housing and buildings was carried out, considering a mix of novel and traditional technologies. Different scenarios were evaluated for developed and developing countries, considering small communities and single housing configurations. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas to be used for cooking or heat production, thus aiding in covering the energy demand of residents. There are several aspects still pending a solution regarding medium and small-scale digestion applications under a decentralized waste configuration. The increase in reactor productivity is essential, but social aspects must be considered as well to prevent nuisance caused by offensive odors and legal responsibilities when community digesters create inconvenience to neighbors. Results indicated that using anaerobic digestion to treat residential food and garden waste under a decentralized configuration could scarcely cover 5.8% of the domestic heating demand for highly populated residential urban areas. This value may be increased if assumptions of maximum methane yields are considered, reaching up to 17%. Biological processes may be integrated into a mixed energy production approach, but higher yields are needed to make it realistic. Factors regarding levelized energy production costs are to be carefully considered. Large-scale systems are intrinsically more efficient than small-scale devices, thus making it crucial to establish a critical equilibrium between public acceptance and the scale of technology application.