Is Biomass a Practical Source of Energy?

Any organic material that is composed of plants and animals including parts of plants, flesh of animals or excretions is called biomass. This is a type of energy that can be utilized as a fuel that is known as biofuel.

When referring to biomass, people usually talk about material coming from living organisms that has recently decayed or died. Fossil fuels are also considered as biomass since it is a decayed matter of ancient plants and animals.

New technology considers biofuel as a source of energy that is useful in the future to ease the problem of energy supply, although the mankind had already been using biofuel since before it is named as biofuel. Biofuel can be manifested in the food that we are eating every day. People during the ancient times have already been using plant material such as wood wax and whale oil as fuel in order to produce heat and light.

Advance technologies had given us the opportunity to utilize biomass in making other biofuels. Biomass can be used to run electric generators or can be converted into methane, alcohol or biodiesel to power or run our cars. However, much energy is needed in these processes of conversion of biomass to new forms of energy. Due to this fact, biofuels cannot be regarded as a practical source to use since it is costly.

One form of biofuel that stands to be effective, efficient and practical is the biofuel that people have been using since earliest times. Direct heating is one of the ways in burning biomass and is still considered as the most efficient way.

We can use biomass in heating our homes or buildings rather than trying to use it to run our cars. Other people may think that firewood is not practical to use, however pellets that came from wood may be practical and burning pellets is the most practical way.

Using biomass as a renewable energy through heating with wood or other pellets is practical and cost-effective and another advantage is that the technology and systems of distribution are readily available.