Potential of biogas production to reduce firewood consumption in remote high-elevation Himalayan communities in Nepal | Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability

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Table 1

Accessible dung collected from overnight shelters (wet weight per substrate unit and day, kg_ww u⁻¹ d⁻¹), difference in dung collected in winter compared to spring (%, bold), physical characterization (TS and VS, both %_ww), biogas generation based on BMPs at KU (Nm³ kg_VS⁻¹ and Nm³ u⁻¹ d⁻¹, n = 3 per substrate) and indicative CH₄ ranges.

Substrate	Season	Dung per unit		Characterization			Biogas generation

		(kg_ww u⁻¹ d⁻¹)		TS (%_ww)	VS (%_ww)	n	Nm³ kg_VS⁻¹ d⁻¹	Nm³ u⁻¹ d⁻¹	CH₄ (%)
Cow dung	Spring	1.62 ± 1.01		23 ± 9	20 ± 4	3	0.21 ± 0.02^a	0.07 ± 0.08	40–60
Cow dung	Winter	2.41 ± 0.07	+50%	25 ± 11	18 ± 5	5		0.09 ± 0.01	40–60
Sheep dung	Spring	0.03 ± 0.03		54 ± 7	44 ± 4	3	0.36 ± 0.04^a	0.01 ± 0.00	35–48
Sheep dung	Winter	0.09 ± 0.01	+200%	69 ± 2	57 ± 2	5		0.02 ± 0.00	35–48
Horse dung	Spring	1.47 ± 0.99		23 ± 4	18 ± 4	4	0.26 ± 0.09	0.07 ± 0.36	37–51
Horse dung	Winter	2.95 ± 0.04	+100%	36 ± 5	33 ± 3	5		0.25 ± 0.01	37–51
Human excrements	Spring	Not sampled		26 ± 1	23 ± 1	4	0.31 ± 0.25	0.02^b	45–52
Human excrements	Winter	Not sampled		28 ± 2	25 ± 1	5		0.02^b	45–52

Only two of three samples considered, third sample <10% biogas generation compared to other two.

Assuming 0.3 kg_ww per unit (person) and day, based on three samples from RIDS staff and not Moharigaun residents.

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