Energy Alternatives

Energy and fuel is what modern western society is based on. We require energy to heat and power our home and provide us with transportation. Western society has based its development largely on fossil fuel resources, however now there is a urgent need for energy alternatives. There are a variety of energy alternatives, from solar, wind, wave and geothermal. However, there is another source of energy that we can use, and base an economy on at the same time. This type of energy alternative is biomass, and biomass is the only alternative that can create power on demand.

Biomass Energy and Possible Resources

Biomass energy is a basically a store of solar energy captured during its growth. With this store of energy, we can release it on demand to provide the energy we need. Other forms of alternatives are definitely important, however they may not be generating the energy when we require it. Biomass can be used for a variety of energy applications, for example there is a growing trend for coal power plants to replace the coal they use with wood pellets. Wood however is only a small selection of available biomass energy alternatives. Biomass can be generated from faster growing crops such a straws and hemp. Much of the biomass available to us, is currently still seen as waste with little or no value. Collecting this biomass and turning it into energy resolves the waste removal issue and generates an additional income and energy at the same time. Through processing and trading biomass, a new green economy can be developed. This would create much needed jobs within even rural areas where other jobs are disappearing.

Alternative Energy and Wood Pellet Fuels

Biomass can also help to combat climate change as biomass produced no additional carbon emissions during combustion. The explanation for this is simple. During the growth cycle, biomass consumes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. During combustion biomass due emit carbon dioxide, however it is only retuning the same volume it consumed, therefore it has not impact on increasing the levels of carbon dioxide within the environment. However to be truly carbon neutral, the energy used to produce the biomass fuel must also be sourced from a carbon neutral energy source. Biomass does require processing to produce a more convenient and efficient fuel source. To reduce biomass transportation costs and increase combustion efficiency, the best solution is to compress biomass into pellet form. Pellets look like small cylinders, as is the same material but in a higher compressed form with a reduced moisture content.

Energy From Biomass Pellet Production

So how does the biomass pellet production process work, and how complicated is it. Well, as with many processes it appears much simpler than it actually is, and does required a firm understanding of the raw material and equipment to produce quality pellets. Just placing the biomass in a pellet mill and hoping for a pellet is probably not going to end well. If the particle size is too large or the moisture content too high or low it will result in poor quality wood or biomass pellets

PelHeat Wood Pellet Production Guide