Browsing by Author "Smith, Jo"

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    Dis-Adoption Of Household Biogas Technologies In Central Uganda
    (Energy for Sustainable Development, 2017) Lwiza, Florence; Mugisha, Johnny; Peter, Walekhwa N.; Balana, Bedru; Smith, Jo
    The study analyses dis-adoption of biogas technologies in Central Uganda. Biogas technology makes use of livestock waste, crop material and food waste to produce a flammable gas that can be used for cooking and lighting. Use of biogas technology has multiple benefits for the households since it reduces the need for fuelwood for cooking and also produces bio-slurry which is a valuable fertilizer. Despite efforts by Government and Non-Governmental Organizations to promote the biogas technology, the rate of its adoption of biogas technology was found to be low, estimated at 25.8% of its potential. A review of literature showed that the households that dis-adopted biogas technology, did so within a period of 4years after its installation, yet the lifespan of using it is estimated at 25years. There was need to examine the factors contributing to dis-adoption. Using cross sectional data collected from Luwero and Mpigi districts found in Central Uganda, a probit model was estimated. The findings showed that an increase in the family size, the number of cattle, number of pigs and the age of the household head reduced the likelihood of biogas technology dis-adoption. Other factors that contributed to dis-adoption included the failure to sustain cattle and pig production that are necessary for feedstock supply, reduced availability of family labor the and inability of the households to repair biogas digesters after malfunctioning. Based on the findings, it was concluded that long term use of biogas technology required improved management practices on the farm so as to sustain livestock production. It is also recommended that quality standards and socio-cultural factors be considered in the design of biogas digesters and end use devices.
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    The Dynamics of Household Labor allocation to Biogas production, Farm and Non-farm activities in Central Uganda
    (Renewable Energy, 2019) Nalunga, Asha; Mugisha, Johnny; Walekhwa, Peter; Smith, Jo
    Biogas is a sustainable energy that contributes to improved health and provides socio-economic benefits. However, biogas production has an impact on an essential household resource; labor. Therefore, households need to efficiently allocate labor to activities on the farm, off-farm and for biogas production. There is little empirical evidence on the factors influencing labor allocation within farm households, thus limiting biogas technology promoters from creating a favorable environment for uptake. This study fills this gap. Data were obtained from households with biogas digesters in central Uganda through a snow-balling sampling technique. A household model was used, and labor share equations were estimated by a Seemingly Unrelated Regression model. Own activity labor returns showed a positive relationship to the respective labor share, but cross-labor returns were negatively related. Female-headed households were more likely to allocate labor to biogas activities. Distance to water source had a negative impact on labor allocation to biogas activities, while the number of cattle owned by the household had a positive impact. Age of the household head and household size had a positive impact on labor allocation to non-farm activities. Household labor should be critically analyzed before investing in biogas digesters to increase the success of the technology.
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    Economic Potential of Flexible Balloon Biogas Digester among Smallholder Farmers: A Case Study from Uganda
    (Renewable Energy, 2018) Kabyanga, Moris; Balana, Bedru B.; Mugisha, Johnny; Walekhwa, Peter N.; Smith, Jo; Glenk, Klaus
    Biogas technology, as a pro-poor renewable energy source, has been promoted in Uganda since the 1980s by the government and NGOs. However, many of the biogas designs promoted have proved to be too expensive for the average Ugandan to afford. A cheaper flexible balloon digester has been proposed, but there have been lack of evidence on the economic viability of this design. The purpose of this study was to analyze the economic potential of a flexible balloon digester among smallholder farmers in Uganda using the tool of cost-benefit analysis. Primary data were obtained from survey of experimental households and 144 non-biogas households in central Uganda. The results revealed that the net present value was negative and the payback period was greater than the economic life of the digester. However, sensitivity analysis revealed that with a 50% reduction in investment cost the technology is financially viable for 67% of the households and to all households as a group (NPV= UGX5,804,730). The initial investment cost is a critical factor to economic viability and potential technology adoption. We suggest that government and development partners interested in the sector should consider strategies that could reduce the technology cost, for example, by manufacturing low cost balloon digester locally instead of importing prefabricated digesters.