Economic Feasibility of Installing an Anaerobic Digester on a Department of Defense Installation

Improving technology has made anaerobic digestion a viable method for disposing of organic waste and creating alternative energy. The purpose of this research was to examine the feasibility of installing an anaerobic digester on a Department of Defense installation, and measure its contribution to the execution of Executive Order 13423. A present worth equation was derived in accordance with 10 Code of Federal Regulations 436 expressing viable costs and benefits of an anaerobic digester. A case study of Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) was then presented using the derived equation and operational data from functional digesters in the Ohio area. The research identified that an anaerobic digester at WPAFB is not financially practical at this time, but would contribute towards the goals of Executive Order 13423. The derived cost-analysis equation can be applied to any U.S. military base.