| In the race to find a sustainable source of alternative | | | | producing electricity, both renewable and nuclear. |
| energy, many heads are turning towards biomass | | | | One fact that surprises many consumers is that |
| electricity. There are many questions being asked, | | | | biomass was once the primary source of heat across |
| from exactly how the electricity is made and what it | | | | the globe. When thinking of what comprises |
| is to whether it is truly a green alternative. While far | | | | biomass, many people do not realize that firewood is |
| fewer consumers know about biomass and the | | | | considered a source. When considering the amount |
| potential held within that would be preferred, the | | | | of homes that still implement fireplaces and the cost |
| word seems to be spreading quickly, adding to the | | | | effectiveness and efficiency that comes with these |
| hope that there will be a more significant demand for | | | | heat sources, the need for a source of biomass |
| this unique method of energy production. | | | | power on a larger scale becomes more obvious. |
| Biomass is living and recently dead biological matter, | | | | One place some cities are finally beginning to see as |
| and can include yard clippings, tree branches, and | | | | an excellent source of biomass is municipal waste |
| wood chips. Biomass is typically obtained from | | | | areas. As landfills are exceeding their capacity, we |
| harvesting and processing agricultural and forestry | | | | are left with lots of trash and nowhere to store it. |
| crops. In a process called cogeneration, the biomass | | | | A great percentage of our waste is able to be used |
| is burned, creating steam that turns turbines in order | | | | to produce energy, and many cities are starting to |
| to create electricity. The steam is then used for | | | | see that converting this waste to energy has multiple |
| secondary processes, from factory use to things | | | | benefits in that it creates renewable and |
| such as drying out vegetables, making the entire | | | | environmentally friendly energy while also reducing |
| process remarkably energy efficient. | | | | landfill bound waste. |
| The United States currently utilizes biomass for | | | | While most sources of energy must start at the top |
| approximately 0.5 percent of its electricity | | | | before they will be usable to consumers, there are a |
| generation. This small percentage of biomass use | | | | variety of options for using biomass to power your |
| saves approximately eleven million tons of carbon | | | | home. New homes can be built to burn wood or |
| dioxide emissions per year compared to fossil fuel | | | | other biomass to produce energy. Homes are still |
| combustion. Converting biomass to energy also | | | | connected to a city grid in case there is a need for |
| changes methane or CH4 to carbon dioxide or CO2. | | | | more power, and when excess power is created it |
| Because methane emissions are far more harmful to | | | | produces a credit as the electric meter runs |
| the greenhouse gases surrounding the atmosphere, | | | | backwards. As the cost of energy rises significantly, |
| this process is considered a highly valuable tool in the | | | | more and more homeowners are implementing such |
| fight against global warming. Biomass electricity | | | | systems in their homes, with the global hope that |
| production reduces greenhouse gases at least five | | | | businesses and industries will soon be forced to |
| times more effectively than other methods of | | | | follow suit. |