Biomass Energy By Jonathan Sharer, Brandon Deere,Eric Carpenter

Biomass is biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms. In the context of biomass for energy this is often used to mean plant based material, but biomass can equally apply to both animal and vegetable derived material. What is Biomass

How does Biomass work? Biomass is a renewable energy source not only because the energy it comes from the sun, but also because biomass can re- grow over a relatively short period of time. Through the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll in plants captures the sun's energy by converting carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground into carbohydrates—complex compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Production ●collect fuel from farms, human waste, and many other sources examples:wood, wheat, sugar cane ●Take those fuels and either refine them down to a liquid form (ethanol) or burn them to create electricity

What is the current NY/US investment in biomass power? Currently the United states has spent $9 million dollars federally to expand the wood product and wood energy markets plus another $31 million dollars are to be spent from 23 states

How many biomass plants are in the USA? 1.7% of the electricity produced is created by biomass

●Energy intensive to produce. In some cases, with little or no net gain. ●Land utilization can be considerable. Can lead to deforestation. ●Requires water to grow ●Not totally clean when burned (NOx, soot, ash, CO, CO2) ●May compete directly with food production (e.g. corn, soy) ●Some fuels are seasonal ●Heavy feedstocks require energy to transport. ●Overall process can be expensive ●Some methane and CO2 are emitted during production ●Not easily scalable ● Truly a renewable fuel ● Widely available and naturally distributed ●Generally low cost inputs ●Abundant supply ●Can be domestically produced for energy independence ●Low carbon, cleaner than fossil fuels ●Can convert waste into energy, helping to deal with waste

Latest scientific advancement Scientists have been researching these past couple years to see if algae based biofuels can be viable on a economic level

Biomass Energy Algae ● Algae are emerging to be one of the most promising long-term, sustainable sources of biomass and oils for fuel, food, feed, and other co-products. Here are 10 reasons why algae are a promising new source of fuel and other products: 1. Algae Grow Fast 2.Algae Can Have High Biofuel Yields 3. Algae Consume CO2 4.Algae Do Not Compete With Agriculture 5. Microalgal Biomass Can Be Used for Fuel, Feed and Food 6.Macroalgae Can Be Grown in the Sea 7.Algae Can Purify Wastewaters 8.Algal Biomass Can Be Used as an Energy Source 9.Algae Can Be Used to Produce Many Useful Products 10.The Algae Industry is a Job Creation Engine

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