Educational measures and operating instructions
The user must be made fully aware of the explosive nature of biogas, possibly by way of
demonstration (e.g. by producing a flash flame). He must learn by heart the following basic rules:
- Never leave an open flame unattended!
- Always close the gas and safety valves of each appliance properly and immediately after each
use!
- Close the plant's safety valves each night and whenever the plant is left unattended!
Experience shows that leaks and open gas cocks can be detected very quickly, i.e. before an
explosive mixture forms, by watching for the conspicuous odor of unburned biogas.
Safety devices
As long as the above safety aspects are adhered to, small biogas plants in rural areas require few
or no special safety devices, the one major exception being appliances that operate on their own,
i.e. refrigerators, radiant heaters, etc., in which case the use of safety pilots is obligatory.
8. Economic analysis and socioeconomic evaluation
8.1 Procedures and target groups
Any decision for or against the installation and operation of a biogas plant depends on various
technical criteria as well as on a number of economic and utility factors. The quality and relevance
of those factors are perceived differently, depending on the respective individual intrest:
- Users want to know what the plant will offer in the way of profits (cost-benefit analysis) and
other advantages like reduced workload, more reliable energy supplies or improved health and
hygiene (socioeconomic place value).
- Banks and credit institutes are primarily interested in the economic analysis as a basis for
decisions with regard to plant financing.
- Policy-makers have to consider the entire scope of costs and benefits resulting from
introduction and dissemination, since their decisions usually pertain to biogas extension
programs instead of to individual plants.
Fig. 8.1: Basic elements of an economic
analysis (Source: OEKOTOP)
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