As the northern hemisphere moves into autumn, our biodigester “dragons” naturally begin to hibernate. In summer, warm temperatures produce lots of gas, but cooler fall days mean reduced methanogenic activity. To extend my “growing season”, I’m installing a greenhouse on Gosh, my little dragon. These clear plastic panels will function just like a greenhouse, keeping solar heat “trapped” near the biodigester instead of radiating back out into the atmosphere. Isn’t that ironic? We can use tiny greenhouses like this to make a difference against the much larger “runaway greenhouse effect” at the global scale.
How do you keep your biodigester warm in the winter? There are lots of different ways – let us know in the comments!