Biomass Disadvantages

There are a variety of renewable sources of energy we can take advantage of. These include wind and solar power, geothermal, wave and biomass. Biomass is a collective term to describe all the different types of organic material whether it is wood, straws or grasses which can be used to generate energy. However, biomass does have disadvantages. In its raw form biomass is very bulky. This means that transporting and handling raw biomass is difficult and expensive, and also generate additional carbon emissions as only low volumes of raw biomass material can be transported on each trip. Other disadvantages are that biomass in its raw form generally has a high moisture content, as most processes to release biomass energy rely on combustion, a high moisture content restricts combustion efficiency. Also if you think about it further increases the cost of transportation, as you are actually transporting a bulky fuel, half of which is actually water, not fuel. Another one of the disadvantages of biomass is its low energy density, and bulk density. Density also impacts on how efficiently something burns, and the combustion temperatures that can be achieved. It also means feeding the fire more frequently as the fuel runs out.

Biomass Efficiency and Pellet Formation

The remove these disadvantages associated with biomass materials, some form of processing is required. Biomass can be processed into liquids and gases, however these are not really suitable form the main biomass use as a heating fuel. Therefore the most efficient and practical process to turn biomass into an efficient fuel is to upgrade into pellet form. In fact even for processing biomass into liquid fuels biomass is still in many cases first processed into pellets to reduce the transportation costs. However, what about transporting the biomass to the pellet plant. This is where small scale, localized pellet plants make sense, to reduce the transportation of the raw material and the finished pellets. Local energy loops are supported by scientists and economists alike. A small scale pellet plant may not have the operational efficiencies of its large brothers, however the reduction in transportation has a huge effect on the total costs of production and also the carbon emissions generated.

Biomass Heat and Biomass Pellet Stoves

Once in pellet form, a whole new range of possibilities are opened up in how to use pellets as a heating fuel. For smaller properties, the installation of a pellet stove will usually be the best option. A pellet stove depending on its heat output can be used to heat just one room or all of the rooms within the property. Some pellet stoves have a built in back boiler to connect up to the existing central heating system. For larger properties, the best option tends to be for a pellet boiler. The pellet boiler tends to be stored in a utility room or outbuilding. Pellet burners can be controlled via a standard wall thermostat to maintain temperature.

Biomass Products and Pellet Production

The Wood Pellet Production Guide © PelHeat Ltd - Biomass Disadvantages