Is biomass clean power?

[Willinois]

I ran across this article on a topic that's a big question mark for me. It airs arguments for and against biomass as a renewable energy source in the context of a new study.

New studies sully reputation of biomass as clean and green

Quote:Such power produced from biomass - tree trimmings, scrap lumber and other plant material - is a small but growing part of the nation's quest for renewable energy. The goal is to curb demand for imported oil by supplanting coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels and to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for altering the climate.

The technology enjoys wide political support and public subsidies at least in part because of the belief that it is carbon neutral. That is, carbon dioxide released from burning wood is equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed during the tree's growth.

But new, sophisticated calculations are casting doubts on the merits of biomass-produced power. Some researchers have concluded that, when it comes to carbon dioxide, biomass could be more polluting - at least in the short term - than coal, and much worse than natural gas. Burning biomass is dirtier at the outset, they argue, and recouping that higher initial release of carbon could take years or even decades of forest growth.

"It's hard to imagine a more polluting and less efficient alternative source of energy than biomass," said Richard Wiles, former co-founder of Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy group in Washington, D.C. Biomass supporters dismiss that contention, noting wood emits the same amount of carbon whether it's burned or left to decay in the forest. The net change in atmospheric carbon dioxide, they say, is zero.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/27/21...z1HompCmxt

Part of what makes the issue so difficult is that biomass can mean many different things. This article focuses on scrap lumber and forest materials for electricity generation. In Illinois it sometimes means scrap left over after the corn harvest.

Eastern Illinois University, for example, is building a biomass steam plant to heat the campus and produce a small amount of electricity. It claims to be carbon neutral and it looks like an improvement over their old plant. But I haven't seen any independent study of how clean it really is.

Either way biomass is going to be a small part of the nation's energy portfolio. Building too many large plants would eventually require cutting down trees or growing other material to fuel the plants. For small-scale biomass, I'm keeping an eye out for more studies.

[NJMaverick]

Using Biomass is sort of like taking your money out of your just cashed paycheck rather than from your savings account. It really doesn't do much for carbon but it does offer up some independence from fossil fuels.

[johnaries]

Quote:Part of what makes the issue so difficult is that biomass can mean many different things.

I think this is the heart of the matter.

[sandnsea]

In Darby, a tiny town in Montana, they installed a biomass system to heat the school. I think it was 8-10 years ago, but maybe less. It makes some sense there because there is always debris from logging. I know there are new technologies that make pellet, and even oil, stoves like 90% cleaner than they used to be. I think we have to consider all of these transitional measures since we're apparently too stupid to invest in solar for every home and office building.

[There Is No Spoon]

Well, this may not be equivalent, but with today's EPA mandated clean burning wood stoves, & the RIDICULOUS price of oil & propane, I'm buying a woodstove post haste.

[sandnsea]

(03-27-2011 08:09 PM)There Is No Spoon Wrote:  Well, this may not be equivalent, but with today's EPA mandated clean burning wood stoves, & the RIDICULOUS price of oil & propane, I'm buying a woodstove post haste.

My electricity is 8c a KWH. It's a rural co-op that buys power on long term contracts from Bonneville. We didn't have huge price problems during the Enron generated CA power mess. Damned socialists anyway!

[There Is No Spoon]

(03-27-2011 08:22 PM)sandnsea Wrote:  My electricity is 8c a KWH. It's a rural co-op that buys power on long term contracts from Bonneville. We didn't have huge price problems during the Enron generated CA power mess. Damned socialists anyway!

I wish I could say that your paying half what I pay is somehow comforting, but sadly they aren't offering that deal on this coast. We're still paying for the lawsuits and delayed building costs for our Seabrook nuclear power plant - most expensive "free" power in the world.

[Sugarloaf]

(03-27-2011 08:09 PM)There Is No Spoon Wrote:  Well, this may not be equivalent, but with today's EPA mandated clean burning wood stoves, & the RIDICULOUS price of oil & propane, I'm buying a woodstove post haste.

Wow that actually seems high for wood. I'm assuming this chart is for an average sized home and one years worth? If that is the case, $1500 would be about 5 years worth for us. And we heat solely w/wood. We usually go through about 5 cord at $60 per/cord. Most people pay more than that, but we split and stack our own.

But even going w/average prices (around here) which runs about $140/cord seasoned, split, and delivered, $1500 should be about 2 years worth. Maybe they are using average wood prices nation-wide?

At any rate, wood heat is still a bargain compared to other forms of heating. Plus it's 100% renewable. We have laws in this state that require selective harvesting and replanting.

As far as biomass is concerned, I must admit I know little about it despite living within 40 miles of 3 major biomass operations. But this i do know... no one is cutting trees specifically to feed these plants. Timber harvesting (primarily for paper mills) is by far our largest industry and employer. Plus there are tons of little sawmills around for various things. Mr S worked in one for over 20 years that made cedar decking and fencing. All of this harvesting of timber creates more than enough wood debris.

I don't know how much biomass actually contributes to our power supply, but our state's energy portfolio requires that at least 30% be generated by renewable sources. That requirement was put in place over a decade ago, but as far as I know, we always hit or surpass that goal. Mostly through hydro.

[There Is No Spoon]

(03-28-2011 06:44 AM)Sugarloaf Wrote:  Wow that actually seems high for wood. I'm assuming this chart is for an average sized home and one years worth? If that is the case, $1500 would be about 5 years worth for us. And we heat solely w/wood. We usually go through about 5 cord at $60 per/cord. Most people pay more than that, but we split and stack our own.

But even going w/average prices (around here) which runs about $140/cord seasoned, split, and delivered, $1500 should be about 2 years worth. Maybe they are using average wood prices nation-wide?

At any rate, wood heat is still a bargain compared to other forms of heating. Plus it's 100% renewable. We have laws in this state that require selective harvesting and replanting.

As far as biomass is concerned, I must admit I know little about it despite living within 40 miles of 3 major biomass operations. But this i do know... no one is cutting trees specifically to feed these plants. Timber harvesting (primarily for paper mills) is by far our largest industry and employer. Plus there are tons of little sawmills around for various things. Mr S worked in one for over 20 years that made cedar decking and fencing. All of this harvesting of timber creates more than enough wood debris.

I don't know how much biomass actually contributes to our power supply, but our state's energy portfolio requires that at least 30% be generated by renewable sources. That requirement was put in place over a decade ago, but as far as I know, we always hit or surpass that goal. Mostly through hydro.

Yes, this is an average house (mine) which just so happens to fall in line with the number I heard quoted recently of 800 gallons/year heating oil for a typical home up here.

I inflated the price of wood to where it was a couple years ago when it spiked. Besides, it is a little bit cheaper where you live up in Maine compared to where I am in So. NH. Better to look at a worst case scenario as wood prices vary a lot depending on demand. For instance, this latest heating season was very painful to a lot of people - expect more people to install wood stoves - thus increasing demand and pushing up prices.

I have 6 hardwoods that I had to cut down recently (roots clogging septic system and driveway safety), so I have a decent amount of free wood to burn. I'm already pissed that I wasted this season as I already have enough stacked to have heated for a while, but my existing woodstove leaks smoke into the house (which I am extremely sensitive to) and is an inefficient fast burning piece of garbage. I won't be burning anything until I get a new high efficiency, low particulate stove.

[RoyGBiv]

I have nothing to add to this discussion except to say that wood stoves are awesome.

A girlfriend I had in my teens lived in a farm in the middle of nowhere, and the only source of heat they had for their house was a wood stove her father had himself installed and built ductwork to distribute the heat to the various rooms.

That place was *warm*. Everywhere. All the time. I'd go home with my central heat, and the cold spots and general lack of a "toasty" feeling has made me dislike gas furnace systems ever since.

[Sugarloaf]

Quote:Yes, this is an average house (mine) which just so happens to fall in line with the number I heard quoted recently of 800 gallons/year heating oil for a typical home up here.

I inflated the price of wood to where it was a couple years ago when it spiked. Besides, it is a little bit cheaper where you live up in Maine compared to where I am in So. NH. Better to look at a worst case scenario as wood prices vary a lot depending on demand. For instance, this latest heating season was very painful to a lot of people - expect more people to install wood stoves - thus increasing demand and pushing up prices.

I have 6 hardwoods that I had to cut down recently (roots clogging septic system and driveway safety), so I have a decent amount of free wood to burn. I'm already pissed that I wasted this season as I already have enough stacked to have heated for a while, but my existing woodstove leaks smoke into the house (which I am extremely sensitive to) and is an inefficient fast burning piece of garbage. I won't be burning anything until I get a new high efficiency, low particulate stove.

Yeah, that would be a bummer. Having a woodstove w/all of those problems. Last year the federal government handed out some great tax incentives for energy efficient home improvements. We took advantage of that program to replace our old woodstove and renovate our breezeway into an actual insulated indoor room w/nice, custom made windows and doors. That was a project we had intended for a later date, but went ahead early because of the tax incentive. We saved a bundle.

The point of this boring story is that you may want to find out if they have extended the incentive into this year. If so, a new energy efficient woodstove would qualify under the program. Ours did. It'd be well worth the upfront cost. Even if the program is no longer in existence, a new woodstove would eventually pay for itself in saved heating costs. And you've already got your first year's supply of wood! I hope it works out for you TINS