Assessing the Effectiveness, Adoption Rate and Technological Gaps of Household Biogas Technologies in Southern Ethiopia: The Case of Hadero Tunto and Boloso Sore Woredas
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Date
2019-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The implementation of household biogas technology programme at national level is a recent experience in Ethiopia. Consequently, there are limited empirical evidences concerning to among its effectiveness, adoption rate and technological gap. Thus, this study was done with the objective of assessing the effectiveness, adoption rate and Technological gaps of household biogas technologies in Southern Ethiopia. It employed a mixed triangulation approach involving a total of 80 sample biogas user and non-user households. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were utilized. The study results showed that the effectiveness influenced by: About 45% insufficient feeding quantity, 55% poor installation quality, 35% health problem of adopters, feeding quality less than 50% of the biogas plants C/N ratio was recorded optimum level between 20 and 35wich is medium toxic to methanogenic bacteria. More over the digesters effluent pH value was recorded between slightly acidic and alkaline (6.26 – 8.47) media hence, the digesters were not affected by accumulation of acid. Similarly from ambient temperature 25 – 310C one can say that the area has operated in mesophilic range (10-45oC). The adoption rate was affected by: 45% lack financial source, 25% lack of feeding, 20% lack of interest level of the community, 40% non- functionality biogas plants negative promotion and 15% availability of alternative energy source. Technological gaps of stockholders such as 45% limitation of time and effort to control, 65% gaps of operation and maintenance of adopters and 85% gaps of sharing experience to fill technological gaps in study area. Accordingly, the following recommendation were forwarded to improve the effectiveness of biogas plant, in study area maximize volume of dung, installation quality should be by giving training for stockholders on operation and maintenance, hiring skilled person, in order to foster adoption rate of biogas technology and fill technological gaps, energy office should support Stockholders by supplying financial source to share experience and awareness creation training program, to shape attitude of some people in respective community training regularly adopters and non-adopters is better, disseminators skill also need to be developed through training, the interest level of the community should be shaped by improving the effectiveness of biogas plant.
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Effectiveness, Adoption rate, Technological gap, Household, Biogas technology