Feasibility of Integrating Small-Scale Anaerobic Digestion in Urban Areas: Analyzing Energy Efficiency

A study on the use of renewable energies in residential housing and public buildings is carried out by considering a mix of novel technologies and traditional ones. The study assumes different energy consumption levels based on user activity and the climatic effects of some of these technologies. Biomass is the energy source with a greater presence in the residential sector in Spain. Accompanying biomass, photovoltaic panels and wind turbines have also experienced great development and extended application. However, other sources can also be incorporated to cover energy needs. Different scenarios were evaluated for developed and developing countries as a framework and considering small communities and single housing configurations. Anaerobic digestion also offers the advantage of producing a gas easily upgraded to be used for cooking or heat production. However, some aspects are still pending a solution, including nuisance caused by offensive odors and legal responsibilities’ when community digesters create inconvenience to neighbors. The answer to covering the energy demand of society by increasing the share of renewables must come from the conjunction of different technologies. Biological processes may be integrated into this approach but higher yields are to be attained to make this a reality. Additionally, levelized costs of energy production make large-scale systems to be intrinsically more efficient than small-scale devices, thus making it crucial to establish a critical equilibrium between public acceptance and technology application scale.