Smart Biogas II - Increasing Wealth from Waste

Smart Biogas is an Internet of Things (IoT) platform monitoring numerous geographically dispersed household/institutional biogas digesters at minimal cost. Smart Biogas collects data on individual biogas digesters' functionality, allowing detection of potential faults or substandard installation/operation. This data is transmitted to a cloud platform where it facilitates prompt repairs or further user training. Hardware and software was designed and successfully prototyped with Energy Catalyst Round 4 funding (No.132479). Further market research, user testing and feedback has key enhancements that would enable the biogas companies to scale their operations more rapidly and access currently unreached markets. The additional features including pay-as-you-go functionality, enhanced analytics and carbon offset verification, seek to address financial barriers and operational inefficiencies enabling viable biogas-as-a-service commercial models, enhancing company operations and providing additional income streams. Smart Biogas provides a powerful tool that facilitates increased access to biogas technology for more people, especially the rural poor. The project is led by Connected Energy Technologies, with support from prominent actors in the biogas sector in East Africa, Kenya Biogas Program and Biogas Solutions Uganda, along with technical input from the University of Nottingham.