What is biogas?
Biogas is a type of fuel that is produced from organic materials, such as plant matter or animal waste, through the process of anaerobic digestion. In this process, organic materials are broken down in an oxygen-free environment, such as in a sealed container or tank, by bacteria and other microorganisms. This breakdown process produces a mixture of gases, primarily methane and carbon dioxide, which is known as biogas.
From big to small biogas systems
Biogas can be produced on a small scale, such as at a homestead, by using a DIY biogas system. These systems typically consist of a sealed container or tank where the organic materials are placed and broken down, a pipe or tubing system to collect the biogas, and a gas burner or other appliance to use the biogas as a fuel. There are many different designs and plans available for DIY biogas systems, and they can be built using a variety of materials and components. Some people even use repurposed materials, such as old barrels or tanks, to build their own biogas systems. However, it is important to carefully plan and construct a biogas system to ensure that it is safe and effective.
Resources
Great resource to dive into DIY biogas are https://solarcities.eu and https://biogascentral.net. The biggest group is the Methanogen group at Facebook.
Biogas at Beyond Buckthorns
At Beyondbuckthorns.com we have published several articles about DIY biogas, especially an introduction into biogas.
Articles tagged with biogas
The two barrel biogas digester - welcome the "Warp Core"
For some month, even years, I claimed that my initial biogas system “Jean Luc” was too big for a family of two. A 1000 litre IBC digester with an Hydrolic Retention Time (HRT) of 20 days can be fed about 50 litres / day. The most we fed over the… more
Biogas lecture and Workshop at Aalto Design Factory
In early 2024 Aalto student Timon Schapals contacted me regarding my availability for a biogas lecture and workshop. When it comes to biogas I always have time - it is just a question of funding.
Holy Shit - a journey into DIY Biogas - documentary is now live on Youtube
The US DIY biogas community thrives with numerous individual projects tackling the increasingly pressing subject of energy and food independence. "Holy Shit - A Journey into DIY Biogas" is a captivating documentary which portraits the world of… more
Templating a workshop
Designing a biogas workshop that can be delivered over and over again. Creating a workshop blueprint.
Introducing the Jean-Luc
Since I got dropped into biogas, working with Prof. TH Culhane on different biogas projects, I always wanted to have a biogas system on my own. When I came to Finland I finally got the space to build a biogas digester and then actually experiment… more
The Biogas Shed
It is 2017 and my parents were on holidays at Beyond Buckthorns and they told me during a walk that something needs to be done with one of the sheds, especially with the color of the walls, which was already coming off. A confession: the color of… more
A biogas workshop about small scale biogas at Sedu Ilmajoki
On the 25th of April 2018 Lumia and I drove to Ilmajoki. We got invited by Jyrki Ilves to hold a Biogas workshop at SEDU. SEDU is a versatile education and training provider which operates in the South Ostrobothnia region in Finland.