Biogas Planning Guide

Detailed planning guide for biogas plants

0. Initial situation

Plant acronym:
Address of operator/customer:
Place/region/country:
Indigenous proj. org./executing org.:
Extension officer/advisor:

General user data

Household structure and number of persons:
User's economic situation:
Crops: types, areas, manner of cultivation:
Non-agricultural activity:
Household/farm income:
Cultural and social characteristics of user:

Problems leading to the "biogas approach"

Energy-supply bottlenecks:
Workload for prior source of energy:
Poor soil structure/yields:
Erosion/deforestation:
Poor hygiene and other factors:

Objectives of the measure "biogas plant"

User interests:
Project interests:
Other interests:

1. Natural / Agricultural conditions

Mean annual temperature:
Seasonal fluctuations:
Diurnal variation:

Rating:

Type of soil:
Groundwater table, potable water catchment area:

Rating:

Climatic zone:
Annual precipitation:
Dry season (months):
Distance to source of water:

Rating:

Animals: kind and quantity:
Type of stable:
Use of dung:
Persons responsible for animals:

Rating:

Types and quantities:
Prior use:

Rating:

Customary types and quantities of fertilizer/areas fertilized:
Organic fertilizer familiar/in use:

Rating:

Combined stable/biogas plant possible:
Distance between biogas plant and livestock stable:
Distance between biogas plant and place of gas consumption:

Rating:

2. Balancing the energy demand with the biogas production

Uses, source of energy, consumption:

Anticipated biogas demand (kwh/day or l/d)

for cooking:

for lighting:

for cooling:

for engines:

Total gas demand

a) percentage that must be provided by the biogas plant:

b) desired demand coverage:

Available biomass (kg/d) and potential gas production (l/d)

from animal husbandry

pigs:

poultry:

cattle:

Night soil

 

Vegetable waste (quantities and potential gas yield)

1.

2.

Totals: biomass and potential gas production

a) easy to procure:

b) less easy to procure:

Balancing

Gas production clearly greater than gas demand
-> positive rating (+)

Gas demand larger than gas production
-> negative rating (-); but review of results in order regarding:

a) possible reduction of gas demand by the following measures
->

b) possible increase in biogas production by the following measures
->

If the measures take hold:
-> qualified positive rating for the plant location ( o)

If the measures do not take hold:
-> site rating remains negative (-)

3. Plant Design and Construction

Locally customary type of plant:
Arguments in favor of floating-drum plant:
Arguments in favor of fixe-dome plant:
Arguments in favor of other plant(s):

Type of plant chosen:

Selection of site

Availability of building materials

Bricks/blocks/stone:
Cement:
Metal:
Sand:
Piping/fittings:
Miscellaneous:

Availability of gas appliances

Cookers:
Lamps:
 ...
 ...

4. Plant operation / maintenance / repair

Incidental work:
Work expenditure in h:
Persons responsible:

Rating with regard to anticipated implementation:

Maintenance-intensive components:
Maintenance work by user:
Maintenance work by external assistance:

Rating with regard too anticipated implementation:

Components liable to need repair:
Repairs that can be made by the user:
Repairs requiring external assistance:
Requisite materials and spare parts:

Rating with regard to expected repair services:

5. Economic analysis

Time saved with biogas plant
Time lost due to biogas plant

Rating:

Initial investment:
Cost of operation/maintenance/repair:
Return on investment: energy, fertilizer, otherwise:
Payback time (static):
Productiveness (static):

Rating:

Useful effects: hygiene, autonomous energy, better lighting, better working conditions, prestige:
Drawbacks: need to handle night soil, negative social impact:

Rating:

6. Social acceptance and potential for dissemination

Participation in planning and construction
Integration into agricultural setting:
Integration into household:
Sociocultural acceptance:

Rating:

Conditions for and chances of the professional-craftsman approach:
Conditions for and chances of the self-help oriented approach:

Project-executing organization and its staffing:
orgnaizational structure:
interest and prior experience in biogas technology:

Regional infrastructure for
transportation:
communication:
material procurement:

Craftsman involvement, i.e.
which acitivities:
minimum qualifications:
tools and machines:

Training for engineers, craftsman and users:

Proprietary capital, subsidy/credit requirement on the part of
user:
craftsmen:

Rating:

7. Summarization

Siting conditions

Overall rating of siting conditions