Bio-Fuels Project Dr. Dawne Martin College of Business

Project Interdisciplinary groups of 3 -4 will be assigned Each group will investigate and report on one input for bio-fuels Use internet research, industry tours and panel discussion to gather information Be sure to document (or cite) your information sources Three bio-fuel afternoon sessions to develop your poster and presentation Report will be a poster presentation on Wednesday, July 25, 1:30 – 3:30 pm in Engineering Atrium

Identify Bio-Fuel Input June 25, 2012 Overview of the Industry July 2, 2012 Agriculture & Business Issues July 9, 2012 July 16, 2012 Engineering Issues Conclusions about the future July 19, 2012 July 20, 2012 Complete Posters Poster Presentations July 25, 2012 Bio-Fuels Project Timeline

Project Outline Overview of the industry as a whole – Current products produced – Size and Growth rate of the industry in dollars and output – Driving factors in the external environment – what is affecting this industry? Economic – economic growth, interest rates, number of cars sold Social, cultural and demographic trends – environmental awareness, population growth and more affluent people in China and India requiring more energy Political & legal – restrictions on emissions, subsidies for bio-fuels or for oil and gas Technological advances and changes – changes in technology for both creating bio-fuels and for powering transportation and other uses Natural resources – oil reserves, issues with crops, feeding the world Define the bio-fuels applications for this input – How is the bio-fuel used? Automobiles? Trucks? Energy generation?

Types of Bio-Mass Used

Project Outline (cont.) What are the agricultural, natural resource and sustainability implications of producing bio-fuel from this input? – Crop modifications, requirements and implications for resources and food stocks – Placement of plants relative to growing areas – Issues of water, run-off and land use What are the engineering and environmental issues associated with producing, distributing and using this product? – Engineering challenges of producing and using the bio-fuel – Special engineering requirements for each input type. – Future developments

Project Outline (cont.) What are the business considerations for producing and marketing this product? – Capital requirements – Market(s) for this product – Issues in developing channels of distribution and transportation of the product – Competitors and competitive advantage – New business opportunities What are your conclusions about the future of using your bio-mass “input” for producing bio-fuels? Will this be a good alternative to oil and gas? Is it economically viable? Will the production heavily affect food availability? Are there unintended consequences, for example, excessive water use or pollution.

Some Examples of Presentation Posters

Project Questions? Group Assignments

Web Resources Sciencedaily.com Department of Energy – Renewable Fuels Association Trade and Industry Associations Alternative-energy-news.info