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.

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What is Biomass and Is it a Practical Source of Energy?

Biomass is any organic material that is made by plants and animals. This includes all parts of plants, animal flesh and excretions such as manure. Biomass in rich in energy that can be used for fuel which is called biofuel.

Fossil fuels are also a biomass since it’s believed that they come from ancient plants and animals. But usually when people speak of biomass they are talking about material produced from sources that are alive now or were recently.

Biofuel is often talked about as though it was a new technology that we can use in the future to help solve our energy supply problems. But humans have been using biofuel since the beginning of humanity. The food we eat is a form of biofuel that we wouldn’t exist without. Humans have also used plant materials such as wood wax and whale oil as a fuel to burn for heat and light for thousands of years.

Newer technologies have allowed us to use biomass for making other biofuels. Biomass can be burned to power electric generators or made into methane, alcohol or bio diesel for powering our cars. These processes are energy intensive meaning a lot of energy is lost in converting biomass into the other forms of fuel or energy. Because of this these biofuels have not been cost effective or practical.

With all the technology going into biofuel research the one form of biofuel that we have been using since ancient times still remains the most efficient and practical. Burning biomass such as wood for direct heating is still the most efficient.

Instead of focusing on trying to use biomass to fuel our cars and generate electricity we may be better off using it to heat our homes and buildings. Firewood may not be practical for most people but pellets made from wood and other biomass may be. Burning pellets is cost effective, clean and may be the most efficient way to utilize the energy in biomass.

For those who want to use biomass as a renewable energy source heating with wood or other biomass pellets are practical and economical and the technology and distribution systems are already available.

Learn more about how biomass works.

Learn more about wood pellets.

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