Renewable energies: biomass

Biofeuls

Biomass– Wood– Charcoal– Peat– Manure

BiodieselEthanol

Energy from Biomass Biomass is energy produced from burning solid biomass, such as plant materials and animal waste

indirect form of solar energy used for heat, cooking and industry most plentiful fuel source when it’s used renewably

oldest form of energy

Who uses biomass?-provides 10 percent of the world’s energy

-7 percent of the world’s energy is from burning firewood

 Developing countries: -35 percent of energy in developing countries-95 percent in the poorest countries-as countries develop, they are likely to switch to

using more expensive fossil fuels

Is biomass really renewable?-it can be, if it’s harvested sustainably

-HOWEVER: in many developing countries, people just take the fuel wood they need without replanting

-wood is often converted into charcoal and sold in urban areas (Haiti deforestation and resulting problems)

-Solution research

Advantages and Disadvantages

-there’s a large potential supply, if it’s used sustainably

-doesn’t cost too much-no net carbon dioxide

released if it is harvested sustainably

-plantations can restore degraded land

-can put agricultural and urban waste to good use

-easily becomes nonrenewable when not harvested carefully

-if not harvested renewably, it releases a lot of carbon dioxide

-burning causes pollution of air and water

-plantations & cutting down trees cause habitat and biodiversity loss

-plantations could compete with land that should be used to grow crops

Biodiesel• diesel fuel made vegetable oil

extracted from renewable resources

 • organic replacement for diesel

fuel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8omdRWbRaIs

Biodiesel and the Government

• The Renewable Fuel Standard in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 20071

o requires biofuels to perform better than gasoline or diesel fuel (greenhouse gas emissions)

 • Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment

Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 20114

o extends biodiesel tax incentive through 2011 incentive makes it competitive with conventional

diesel fuel

1 - American Farmland Trust, Agriculture and the Environment - Biofuels.4- National Biodiesel Board, Biodiesel.org - Tax Credit Extension Action Center.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Figure 17-29 from Miller Textbook

Ethanol

•Made of grain alcohol in its purest form•In the U.S. mainly made from starch in corn grain•Can be mixed with unleaded gasoline•Comes in forms of E10, E85 and midrange

•E10: 10% ethanol, 90% gasoline can be used by all cars•E85: 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline requires flexible fuel vehicles that are designed to run on ethanol •Midrange fuels: can be used on traditional car with some modifications

Advantages• Would help reduce foreign oil dependence

• Producing 7.5 billion gal of ethanol would reduce oil consumption by 80,000 gal per day

• Domestic production = boost for economy• Cleaner burning

• Reduces smog forming emissions and carbon monoxide emissions

• Flexible fuel vehicles can also run on gasoline

Disadvantages: Currently produced mainly from corn; there are still greenhouse gas emissions.