Anaerobic digester systems (ADS) for multiple dairy farms: A GIS analysis for optimal site selection

While anaerobic digester systems (ADS) have been increasingly adopted by large dairy farms to generate marketable energy products, like electricity, from animal manure, there is a growing need for assessing the feasibility of regional ADS for multiple farms that are not large enough to capitalize their own ADS. Using geographical information system (GIS) software, this study first identifies potential sites in a dairy region in Vermont, based on geographical conditions, current land use types, and energy distribution infrastructure criteria, and then selects the optimal sites for a given number of ADS, based on the number of dairy farms to be served, the primary energy input to output (PEIO) ratio of ADS, and the existing transportation network. This study suggests that GIS software is a valid technical tool for identifying the potential and optimal sites for ADS. The empirical findings provide useful information for assessing the returns of alternative numbers of ADS in this region, and the research procedures can be modified easily to incorporate any changes in the criteria for this region and can be applied in other regions with different conditions and criteria. •This study examines the feasibility of regional ADS for multiple dairy farms.•GIS is used to identify candidate sites and optimal locations for ADS in a dairy region.•Model includes environmental, social, infrastructure, and energy return criteria.•Empirical analysis provides scenario results on 1–15 ADS in the study region.•Method could be applied to other regions with different conditions and criteria.