Home > Facts > Energy Facts > Biomass Facts

Biomass Facts

Biomass Facts
Biomass is a type of organic material that can be used as an energy source. Biomass can be used as a direct source of energy via combustion or in a converted form such as biofuel. There are different ways to convert biomass to biofuel, including biochemical, thermal, and chemical. The largest type of biomass is still wood, but biomass can be grown from sugarcane, sorghum, willow, poplar, corn, hemp and a variety of tree species. There are two major categories of biomass including first generation biofuels which involve fermenting the sugar from a source into bioethanol, or second generation biofuels which involve using municipal or agricultural water to create energy.
Interesting Biomass Facts:
Biomass includes anything that was alive on the earth or is alive. This includes all animals and plants.
Biomass derives its energy from the sun, captured in the process called photosynthesis, in which plants convert the suns energy into usable energy for the plant.
Biomass is a renewable source of energy because it can always be regrown provided humans don't destroy the planet through pollution and other activities.
It is possible to use garbage to burn and create energy. This is done in some municipalities and can stop the use of landfills for disposing of garbage.
Biomass can be converted into biogas which can heat homes and provide fuel for stoves.
Biomass can be converted into fuel to run engines and reduce the need for oil.
It is estimated the biomass currently provides almost 15% of the primary energy in the world.
The growing of biomass could provide many jobs in rural communities.
As fossil fuels continue to be depleted the world will have to learn to rely on biomass for more of the energy needs.
Biofuels can be made from a variety of waste products including some waste residues, manure, some crops, debris from the forest, and even scrap lumber.
Biomass can be a liquid or a solid. When biomass is used as fuel it releases the carbon dioxide that was absorbed into the plant while growing. This is referred to as a carbon neutral system.
Biomass has been used as energy since the early days of man when wood was burned for heat and cooking.
In 2012 the United States and Brazil were producing the largest amount of biodiesel and ethanol in the world.
Fermenting algae can produce algal-based fuels that are as much as ten times faster to produce than biofuels created from crops such as soy or corn. Fermented algae can produce hydrogen, biodiesel, methane, ethanol, and butanol.
Researchers at Penn State University have designed a waste-powered generator that can use the human waste of 100,000 people to produce 51 kilowatts of energy.
Biomass energy can reduce acid rain because it does not produce mercury or sulfur and very little nitrogen. This means that biomass energy could also help reduce smog and other air pollutants that are created when coal is burned.
If grown and developed aggressively, biomass could replace the use of gasoline for powering vehicles.


Related Links:
Facts
Energy Facts
Animals Facts