Biomass—renewable energy from plants and animals

Photosynthesis. In the process of photosynthesis, plants convert radiant energy from the sun
into chemical energy in the form of glucose or sugar. Water plus carbon dioxide plus sunlight
yields glucose plus oxygen. Six water plus six carbon dioxide plus radiant energy yields sugar plus
six oxygen.

Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals, and it is a renewable source of
energy.

Biomass contains stored energy from the sun. Plants absorb the sun's energy in a process called
photosynthesis. When biomass is burned, the chemical energy in biomass is released as heat.
Biomass can be burned directly or converted to liquid biofuels or biogas that can be burned as
fuels.

Examples of biomass and their uses for energy

·0 Wood and wood processing wastes—burned to heat buildings, to produce process heat
in industry, and to generate electricity

·1 Agricultural crops and waste materials—burned as a fuel or converted to liquid biofuels

·2 Food, yard, and wood waste in garbage—burned to generate electricity in power plants
or converted to biogas in landfills

·3 Animal manure and human sewage—converted to biogas, which can be burned as a fuel

Converting biomass to energy

Solid biomass, such as wood and garbage, can be burned directly to produce heat. Biomass can
also be converted into a gas called biogas or into liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.
These fuels can then be burned for energy.

Biogas forms when paper, food scraps, and yard waste decompose in landfills, and it can be
produced by processing sewage and animal manure in special vessels called digesters.

Ethanol is made from crops such as corn and sugar cane that are fermented to produce fuel
ethanol for use in vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats and can be
used in vehicles and as heating oil.

How much biomass is used for fuel?

Biomass fuels provided about 5% of total primary energy use in the United States in 2018. Of
that 5%, about 46% was from biofuels (mainly ethanol), 44% was from wood and wood-derived
biomass, and 10% was from the biomass in municipal waste. Researchers are trying to develop
ways to use more biomass for fuel.
ADVANTAGES

1) Biomass used as a fuel reduces need for fossil fuels for the production of heat, steam, and
electricity for residential, industrial and agricultural use.

2)Biomass is always available and can be produced as a renewable resource.

3)Biomass fuel from agriculture wastes maybe a secondary product that adds value to
agricultural crop.

4)Growing Biomass crops produce oxygen and use up carbon dioxide.

5)The use of waste materials reduce landfill disposal and makes more space for everything else.

6)Carbon Dioxide which is released when Biomass fuel is burned, is taken in by plants.

7)Less money spent on foreign oil.

DISADVANTAGES

1)Agricultural wastes will not be available if the basic crop is no longer grown.

2)Additional work is needed in areas such as harvesting methods.

3)Land used for energy crops maybe in demand for other purposes, such as faming,
conservation, housing, resort or agricultural use.

4)Some Biomass conversion projects are from animal wastes and are relatively small and
therefore are limited.

5)Research is needed to reduce the costs of production of Biomass based fuels.

6)Is in some cases is a major cause of pollution.