You can cut down 80 per cent energy costs by making your biogas at home

Dr. Paul Njogu is an expert in development of Waste to Energy Conversion Technologies and Consultant in Environmental Management and a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology, JKUAT.

Biogas is a renewable bio-fuel that is produced from the decomposition of organic wastes in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic digestion). Organic matter, such as food scraps, agricultural wastes, crop residues and animal wastes are broken down by bacteria producing a mixture of gases. Primarily methane and carbon dioxide and trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide , moisture and siloxanes.  

Methane can be combusted or oxidised with oxygen; the energy released during combustion allows biogas to be used as fuel for heating, cooking and power generation. It can also be used in gas engines to convert the energy in the gas into mechanical energy, electricity and heat. A methane concentration ranges from 50 – 75 per cent (vol/vol) depending on the type of feed material used. Methane burns with a clean deep blue flame.