Biomass-Uses

= Biomass- Uses  By: Louise  = 

Biomass energy is created through the burning of waste products. Biomass refers to the garbage that this energy comes from. The most common forms of biomass that are used includes waste from wood, crops, manure, some garbage, used tires, and the remains of plants, animals, and other microorganisms. Burning biomass can create methane gas which can be collected and used as energy. If all of that energy is properly harnessed, American crop wastes can generate 7,500 megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity. That is enough to power every home in New England!

 Biomass stores potential energy from the sun. When it is burned at a power plant, that energy produces heat which boils the water in the boiler. The water that was originally in the boiler converts to the form of steam which provides energy which is able to turn turbines and power generators. The gases from the burning of biomass can also be harnessed and used for electricity. It can create methane gas, ethanol, and bio-diesel which can be used as transportation fuels. This makes biomass energy good for recycling or disposing of common junk.

Biomass energy provides about four percent of the energy used in the United States. Power plants that burn biomass can generate electricity at the cost of five to ten cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Burning the energy into methane gas makes it a lot less expensive. Methane gas normally costs from six to eight cents per kWh. The cost of biomass fuels typically range from zero to five dollars per million British thermal units (Btu's). Ten percent of the gasoline that we use today is made of ethanol. Ethanol consists of mainly corn. Over all, biomass energy provides about four percent of all the energy used in America. Biomass cofiring is the cheapest solution to biomass energy. This form of alternative energy can generate energy ranging in cost from zero to twenty-three and three quarter dollars per megawatt hour. Biomass cofiring refers to the combustion of biomass and coal. The cofiring of biomass can also be the combustion of biogas and other natural gases. Biomass [|cofiring] is also the cheapest source of alternative energy.

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