Designing a biogas development model for Iranian villages (The application of grounded theory)

Abstract

Energy sustainability, especially in agriculture, has been considered due to population growth and the lack of fossil fuel resources for future generations. Extending renewable energies, including biogas, is essential for sustainable development. This qualitative research was designed and implemented to determine how to extend biogas in rural areas in Iran. The study used grounded theory to guide data collection and analysis and model presentation. The sample included experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Renewable Energy Organization of Iran selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected by field observations and interviews and analyzed by the coding process (open, axial, and selective coding), as a result of which ten core categories were extracted. They were presented as intervening conditions, contextual conditions, and strategies and used to develop a paradigmatic model for promoting biogas use in Iran's rural areas. Finally, based on the results, suggestions are presented to accelerate the process.

Keywords

• Sustainable development
• Energy stability
• Biogas
• Renewable energy