The Benefits of Biomass Energy
As you’ll see, there are many advantages to biomass energy. However, remember that reaping these advantages requires appropriate use. Political motives can often taint energy policy, and this is equally true for biomass energy programs as for any other form.
Still, the advantages are real.
Carbon Neutral
One significant advantage of biomass energy is its lower carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels.
As long as new plant material is grown to replace the used biomass, energy production does not result in a net increase in CO2.
To the extent that biopower reduces fossil fuel consumption, it reduces CO2 release.
One problem prevents this from being as good news as it should be: fossil fuels are often used to harvest and manipulate biomass.
For example, loggers use chainsaws to fell trees and trucks to transport the lumber, so some fossil fuels are used to produce the wood.
Depending on the specific situation, the fossil fuel consumption required to offset or eliminate carbon emissions can negate any carbon advantage.
To place an order in Connecticut
Because of this, I think using corn to produce ethanol is an inferior form of biomass energy.
It takes almost as much energy in the form of oil, in the form of fertilizer and fuel for farm machines, and ethanol production, as the ethanol itself contains.
The intelligent use of biomass fuel reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
Reduces Methane in the Atmosphere
The advantages of biomass energy include methane reduction.
Methane has a more potent greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide, so its release into the atmosphere is a concern.
The decomposition of organic matter releases methane. Capturing this methane yields energy while protecting the atmosphere.
The animal industry and landfills produce significant amounts of methane. This is an excellent opportunity to use biomass effectively. We can now harvest this gas and use it.
This is another area where applying biomass technology has multiple benefits. Consider using an anaerobic digester to manage cattle manure.
The digester is a closed container, so odors are eliminated from the beginning. The methane produced by the decomposition is captured and burned.
Some energy is required to keep the digester at the proper temperature in colder climates.
It also powers a generator to produce electricity for use on the farm.
Ultimately, the digester produces a valuable fertilizer with more stable nutrients than unprocessed manure.
The advantages of an appropriate manure management system are pretty compelling.
Reduces the Need for Landfills and Lessens the Environmental Impact of Existing Landfills.
Using wood and other plant waste as fuel keeps waste out of landfills, which will, therefore, be smaller.
Also, since the decomposition of organic matter releases methane, reducing the amount of organic matter in a landfill minimizes the potential for methane production.
And technology now makes it possible to capture the methane released, allowing it to be burned for energy.
Again, we gain energy while protecting the environment.
Protects the Forests and the Atmosphere
While it may seem odd to recommend cutting down trees to protect forests, it is a good policy.
Forest fires were once a natural part of the forest cycle. Small fires kept scrub growth under control and thinned the forest.
The decades-old policy of fire suppression has changed the natural evolution of forests. It has led to dense growth that is unhealthy for the forest and the accumulation of potential fuel, which can result in an intense wildfire if one starts.
We saw such a wildfire in San Diego a few years ago. These extreme forest fires are very polluting to the atmosphere. They release vast amounts of particulate matter, including sulfur and nitrogen compounds that contribute to acid rain.
Whenever I hear of a forest fire, I think of the waste in terms of lumber and fuel lost and the additional burden it adds to the atmosphere.
Selective harvesting of wood from a forest improves its health while providing fuel that can now be burned cleanly.
It also reduces the risk of an intense, out-of-control forest fire. The Oregon Department of Energy commissioned an excellent paper on Forest Health and Biomass Energy. Here’s a quote from that paper that explains the detrimental effects of forest overgrowth:
“In recent years, the consequences of fire suppression on the ecosystems have become evident. Plant communities that are too dense for a particular site's moisture and nutrient conditions compete for the limited resources available. When the competition becomes excessive during dry spells, major diebacks occur. In many Western climates (characterized by dry summers and cold winters), biological decomposition is too slow to offset the buildup of fuel. More living and dead fuels are present, both in larger landscape patches and in the forest's vertical structure. Any ignition in dry weather will likely result in a major wildfire so violent that suppression may be impossible. Such intense fires kill plant communities that were historically tolerant of milder fires. The heat from these intense, unnatural fires causes serious and often permanent soil damage.”
Prudent forest management calls for selective thinning. The resultant wood can be used as either lumber or fuel. We gain energy while helping the forest.
This is another instance where the advantages of biomass energy are multifaceted.
Reduction of Air Pollution and Acid Rain
To the extent biomass fuels replace fossil fuels and reduce the severity of forest fires and field burns, they reduce air pollution and the addition of nitrogen and sulfur compounds to the atmosphere, which are responsible for acid rain. As you can see, there are several advantages of biomass energy. It will never wholly meet our energy needs, but it is a good addition to our energy mix.
