(Video Inc.)Off The Grid Living: How To Turn Manure And Table Scraps Into Electricity

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How To Turn Manure And Table Scraps Into Electricity

Written by: Savannah H. How-To

Image source: SanctuaryGardener
Alternative energy sources are extremely important, particularly if they are versatile. Even people who aren’t off grid should have a backup source in which they can rely in case of power outages or other emergencies.
One source to consider: biogas. Biogas is still somewhat unheard of in many parts of the United States and Canada, although it is quite popular and successful in Third World countries. The amazing thing about biogas is its versatility: simple set-up and the bonus of free fertilizer. Let’s take a better look at how biogas works and why it’s suitable for a homestead setting.
What is Biogas?
Biogas is a natural gas (methane and carbon dioxide) created when organic material, like manure, wasted food, animal products, etc., are anaerobically digested by microorganisms. This only occurs when there is an absence of oxygen. You can think of this process similar to how a cow’s stomach might work when it breaks down vegetation. In fact, the process of creating biogas naturally occurs in nature, whether it’s a digestive system or a marsh.
The process in which biogas is created is simple — so simple that many people think it’s too good to be true. In essence you just combine a liquid (water) with solid organic waste in a digester. Biogas has been proven repeatedly to be an amazing natural, sustainable fuel source that requires low maintenance and not a whole lot of knowledge to safely use.

Aside from the advantages listed above, other benefits of biogas include:
Can be used for cooking or electricity.
Is (generally) free.
Produces no smell or smoke when used to cook.
Saves labor and time.
Produces free fertilizer.
The only real cost is materials to build a digester.
How Can Biogas Be Used For Fuel?
Biogas can be used for cooking or electricity. There are others uses, but for the sake of homestead life, these aren’t worth mentioning as they wouldn’t be efficient to use. If you are curious about commercial or larger scale uses of biogas, a Google search will help you.
The easiest and arguably the most efficient way to utilize biogas is to use it as you would with, say, propane. Even a very small digester could produce enough gas to cook on a medium/high settings for a couple of hours. There are stovetops on the market that can be hooked right up to your biogas and used right away. Aside from cooking, biogas is also efficient fuel for heaters, especially water heaters. For people who live off the grid, biogas has many benefits…..MORE HERE