Biomass is a renewable energy source that is derived from organic matter such as wood, crop waste, or garbage. Biomass energy makes up about 5 percent of the United States energy consumption and about 12 percent of United States renewable energy. The major biomass energy sources in the United States is wood which includes wood derived fuels such as charcoal and byproducts of paper production. Biomass is a renewable source of energy because its energy comes from the Sun and can regrow the fuel source in a relatively short time period. Biomass can be burned to release its stored energy or it can be converted to other useable forms of energy. Biomass stores energy from the sun as chemical energy and when its burned its released as heat. Plants absorb the suns energy through photosynthesis and convert carbon dioxide and water into nutrients. The heat produced from directly burning biomass can then be converted to electricity for home use. The electricity is created in a biomass plant that is similar to a coal fired power plant in that it creates steam to turn a turbine. Biomass can also be burned to produce heat in thermal systems combined with electricity. When thermal systems are combined with electricity generation it is referred to as combined heat and power. Biofuels can also be converted to methane gas or transportation fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.
Biomass renewable energy is a very controversial alternative energy source used today and comes with many pros and cons. First, we will explore some of biomass energy benefits. Biomass is a renewable source of energy because it creates power by using renewable assets such as wood. Biomass energy plants utilize leftover plants and wood that comes from logging and sawmill companies. Next using Biomass helps reduce our reliance on nonrenewable energy sources such as fossil fuels. We only have a limited amount of fossil fuels and they need to be used wisely. Another benefit is that biomass does not produce carbon dioxide because its carbon neutral. Carbon neutral means that carbon that is released by burning biomass was already part of nature therefore it cancels out. Although in 2014 the Environmental Protection Agency found that carbon neutrality can’t be assumed for all biomass energy. Whether the biomass is truly carbon neutral depends on the time frame it was studied, what type of biomass is burned, what forest management techniques are being used to remove the source, and which fossil fuel the biomass is replacing. Biomass is also readily available worldwide. Organic waste from dead plants, grass, and trees is in abundance and we are never going to run out of biomass. Finally, biomass helps reduce waste that would sit in landfills if not used.
Biomass energy also has a number of negatives. For starters biomass energy is not totally clean. Burning biomass creates pollution of a number of different compounds other than carbon dioxide. Even though its claimed to be renewable it’s hard to claim that its clean and efficient. Biomass also leads to deforestation. To produce a decent amount of energy a large amount of wood and other biomass sources is needed. Although some say that thinning out small areas of woods, dead’s trees from crowded forest and harvesting byproducts of forest such as limbs and leaves can improve the health of the trees that remain in the forest and reduce incidence such as wildfires. Biomass is also not as efficient as other energy sources such as fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The final problem with biomass energy is that it’s expensive. Producing biomass plants is very expensive and in some cases the cost to build a plant is not worth the benefits.
An additional problem against biomass energy is that people are against using farm land to grow crows specifically for fuel. Producing crops that are used for fuel utilizes the same land that may have been utilized for food sources. This is said to be causing food shortages and deficiencies in some parts of the world. This also leads to a lack of nutrients in the soil as we continue to grow massive amounts of crops. Growing more crops like this then leads to an increase in fertilizers that can pollute freshwater streams and rivers.
The use of Biomass has a variety of pros and cons. Overall biomass provides another source of renewable energy to help extend our time frame to find a clean and renewable energy source that is reliable for our future. As of right now wood is a very abundant and sustainable resource that can contribute to meeting 30 percent of the United States petroleum consumption from biomass sources by 2030. This can help create a more stable energy future and increase economic opportunities. As with many types of alternative energy sources biomass energy is still advancing and scientist work every day to make it more efficient.
References:
http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2011/08/18/is-biomass-really-renewable/
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=biomass_home
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biomass-energy/
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-biomass-energy.php