Abstract

Household biogas technology can potentially contribute to the clean cooking transitioning. However, when improperly used, and not well customised to the user’s cooking needs and practices, the technology can lead to counterintuitive and detrimental phenomena, e.g.  venting. This does not only affect the technology’s effective use but also its climate benefits. This work aims to estimate greenhouse gas emissions associated with biogas venting from household biogas technology  use and establish its causes. Household biogas utilisation data were collected remotely by using smart biogas meters and validated with conventional analogue pressure gauges. The remotely acquired data were analysed to understand the household biogas utilisation and venting levels from Rwandan households as case for the study. Results showed that the ratio of biogas utilisation to venting was 16:1. Biogas lost through venting resulted into average monthly emissions of 33–56 kgCO_2,e per household. Interactive interviews and field observations indicated that the current household biogas systems are not customised to the local cooking practices and the required heating for cooking specific Rwandan staple meals. This results into underutilisation of the produced biogas, leading to venting, hence greenhouse gas emissions. Customising the household biogas systems to local cooking practices and or adjusting cooking practices to the technology designs can increase biogas utilisation, minimise venting and enhance envisaged technology benefits.