By: Jake Swenson,

Percie Lyons, Jai Lee, Aaron

Colón

How the energy is producedBiomass is just another name for material from plants and animals

● Biomass is commonly burned to produce energy

- Plant biomass absorbs and stores energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. When the plant biomass is burned, the stored energy is released as heat.

● Many different kinds of biomass, such as wood chips, corn, and some types of garbage, are used to produce electricity.

● Some types of biomass can be converted into liquid fuels called biofuels that can power cars, trucks, and tractors.

● Leftover food products like vegetable oils and animal fats can create biodiesel

● Corn, sugarcane, and other plants can be fermented to produce ethanol

Waste, like wood, is transported to the power plant in order to make energy. The process releases CO2 which is absorbed by plant matter and the cycle repeats.

Waste Products Produced

● Greenhouse gases (primarily CO2, NH4, and N2O)● VERY HIGH Carbon emissions (but, the CO2 was already

released into atmosphere before and the plants absorbed it)

● Particulate (Ash)

Where is it found, used, and stored?

● Biomass is any organic matter that has stored energy through the process

of photosynthesis

● Generally found in wood products, dried vegetation, crop residues, and

aquatic plants

● Used primarily for heating and cooking

● Used as a by-product to generate electricity

● It is mostly stored in plant material

Environmental and Economic Advantages to this type of Energy

Biomass Energy is a good way to produce energy without exploiting a lot of the Earth’s resources like with coal or oil.

Using biomass energy also has many other advantages like…

● Reducing amount of acid rain because it releases low amounts of sulfur

● It is abundant and easy to obtain unlike other resources to produce energy

Economic Advantages

● Less money is spent on foreign oil imports● Rural economies will grow because of local industries developing to

convert biomass to electricity or transportation fuel.

Environmental and Economic Disadvantages to this type of Energy

Although biomass might seem like an amazing source of energy, all things come with a cost.

If not managed carefully, biomass for energy can:Environmental Economic

Be harvested at unsustainable rates

Produce harmful air pollution (clean up)

Consume large amounts of water Consume large amounts of water

Produce net greenhouse emmisions

Interesting Facts about Biomass

● Our own poop (sewage) can create energy to provide power for our homes

● Watermelons are a great source for biomass energy

● Biomass is renewable as we can always grow more plants

● Biomass is found in forests, fields, barns, industrial and manufacturing facilities, and in landfills

Works Cited● Biomass Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2015, from http://www.altenergy.

org/renewables/biomass.html● Biomass Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://epa.

gov/climatestudents/solutions/technologies/biomass.html● How Biomass Energy Works. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.

ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/how-biomass-energy-works.html#.VQytbZ5ASM8

● Emission Levels. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=77,109191&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

● BERC. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2015, from http://www.biomasscenter.org/● Index. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.altenergymag.

com/emagazine.php