Barriers to Biogas Use for Renewable Energy

Available as eBook only. WERF and NYSERDA, in conjunction with Brown and Caldwell, Black & Veatch, Hemenway Inc., and NEBRA, are leading a research project to determine the following: What are the barriers to biogas use for renewable energy at WWTPs? Which barriers are most significant and how do they vary by size of facility and by roles and responsibilities within an organization? What opportunities are available for overcoming the identified barriers? The answers to the questions above were sought by working with hundreds of utility personnel across the United States who have different experience levels with anaerobic digestion and CHP systems and from facilities that vary in size. To determine the barriers that utilities face in implementing renewable energy projects from biogas, the project team used an online survey and focus groups to gather data and develop hypotheses about the barriers. This report presents the findings of the project. The overall goal of the project is to educate the industry about the barriers perceived or otherwise and methods to overcome them to increase biogas-generated renewable power at WWTPs.