Quantifying Benefits of Biogas Production in Panama

Biogas production has been lauded as a way to improve sustainability of wastewater treatment, as wastewater is converted to usable energy. However, little work has been done to quantify the value of this resource in relation to the costs of building and operating rural wastewater treatment systems. This project investigates the value of biogas for a group of anaerobic digesters, specifically up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket septic tanks, in a rural community in Panama. A contingent valuation was used to determine the expressed demand for biogas among individual households and how the sale of biogas could affect the financial viability of the wastewater treatment system

WHD Project Leads