1. The document discusses biomass and combined heat and power (CHP) opportunities in North Carolina, highlighting various biomass resources available in the state including woody biomass from forests and agricultural residues.
2. It analyzes the potential of these biomass resources to meet the state's renewable energy production goals through biopower and biofuels production using CHP technologies.
3. The analysis finds that satisfying both biofuels and biopower mandates is achievable with modest increases in forest productivity in most regions of the state.
Presentation at the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities Private Sector Forum, Pelican Beach Resort, Dangriga Town, Stann Creek Belize, April 4, 2013
Estimating Carbon offset potential of renewable energy technologies vs trees NayanChoudhary6
The given following things are included:
1. Greenhouse effect and its impact
2. Carbon sinks and sources
3. Carbon cycle
4.Global forest cover and carbon emissions
5. Global energy consumption
6. Carbon offset potential of renewable sources estimation
7. Remedial and mitigation actions
8. Carbon sequestration
9. Enhanced oil recovery
10. Carbon capture and storage
11. What can we do from our end?
What are the earth's energy sources, what ways can be used to sustain the availability of those resources, who are the most consumer of earh's energy in the world...............
Whole-systems BECCS analysis - presentation given by Niall Mac Dowell in the Emissions through the CCS Lifecycle session at the UKCCSRC Cardiff Biannual Meeting, 10-11 September 2014
Presentation given by Dr Niall Mac Dowell from Imperial College titled "Power generation in the UK: Carbon Source or Carbon Sink?" at the UKCCSRC Direct Air Capture/Negative Emissions Workshop held in London on 18 March 2014
Mahattan Institute Report on the Reasons for U.S. Increase in Oil & Gas Produ...Marcellus Drilling News
A report published by author Robert Bryce, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, in April 2013. The report is titled, "New Technology for Old Fuels: Innovation in Oil and Natural Gas Production Assures Future Supplies" and delves into the reasons for the dramatic increase in oil and gas production in the U.S. over the past few years--and makes a few predictions about where production will go in the next few years.
Biogas has the capability to fuel the more than 100,000 natural gas vehicles in the United States and roughly 11.2 million vehicles worldwide. In fact, 10% to 15% of current fossil natural gas use could potentially be displaced by 2025 if biogas was produced from current available agricultural, landfill, and industrial organic waste sources. Biogas used in natural gas vehicles is perfect for high-mileage fleets, such as buses, taxis, and the trucking industry.
Introduction to CCS: Issues in governance and ethics workshop by Dr Claire Gough (Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research), 23 September 2014, Edinburgh
Presented by Dr. P. Ragavan, Scientist-B, MoEF & CC, New Delhi at Mangrove Research in Indian sub-continent: Recent Advances, Knowledge Gaps and Future Perspectives on 8 - 10 December 2021
Dr. Gregory Thoma - Pork’s Carbon FootprintJohn Blue
Pork’s Carbon Footprint - Dr. Gregory Thoma, professor, agriculture chemical engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, from the Minnesota Pork Congress, January 20-21, 2010, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Presentation at the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities Private Sector Forum, Pelican Beach Resort, Dangriga Town, Stann Creek Belize, April 4, 2013
Estimating Carbon offset potential of renewable energy technologies vs trees NayanChoudhary6
The given following things are included:
1. Greenhouse effect and its impact
2. Carbon sinks and sources
3. Carbon cycle
4.Global forest cover and carbon emissions
5. Global energy consumption
6. Carbon offset potential of renewable sources estimation
7. Remedial and mitigation actions
8. Carbon sequestration
9. Enhanced oil recovery
10. Carbon capture and storage
11. What can we do from our end?
What are the earth's energy sources, what ways can be used to sustain the availability of those resources, who are the most consumer of earh's energy in the world...............
Whole-systems BECCS analysis - presentation given by Niall Mac Dowell in the Emissions through the CCS Lifecycle session at the UKCCSRC Cardiff Biannual Meeting, 10-11 September 2014
Presentation given by Dr Niall Mac Dowell from Imperial College titled "Power generation in the UK: Carbon Source or Carbon Sink?" at the UKCCSRC Direct Air Capture/Negative Emissions Workshop held in London on 18 March 2014
Mahattan Institute Report on the Reasons for U.S. Increase in Oil & Gas Produ...Marcellus Drilling News
A report published by author Robert Bryce, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, in April 2013. The report is titled, "New Technology for Old Fuels: Innovation in Oil and Natural Gas Production Assures Future Supplies" and delves into the reasons for the dramatic increase in oil and gas production in the U.S. over the past few years--and makes a few predictions about where production will go in the next few years.
Biogas has the capability to fuel the more than 100,000 natural gas vehicles in the United States and roughly 11.2 million vehicles worldwide. In fact, 10% to 15% of current fossil natural gas use could potentially be displaced by 2025 if biogas was produced from current available agricultural, landfill, and industrial organic waste sources. Biogas used in natural gas vehicles is perfect for high-mileage fleets, such as buses, taxis, and the trucking industry.
Introduction to CCS: Issues in governance and ethics workshop by Dr Claire Gough (Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research), 23 September 2014, Edinburgh
Presented by Dr. P. Ragavan, Scientist-B, MoEF & CC, New Delhi at Mangrove Research in Indian sub-continent: Recent Advances, Knowledge Gaps and Future Perspectives on 8 - 10 December 2021
Dr. Gregory Thoma - Pork’s Carbon FootprintJohn Blue
Pork’s Carbon Footprint - Dr. Gregory Thoma, professor, agriculture chemical engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, from the Minnesota Pork Congress, January 20-21, 2010, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Presentation - Coal and Biomass Combustionncarlin50
These are slides from my doctoral defense in March 2009. Supply and properties of biomass are discussed. The proposed co-firing and reburing of coal with biomass is then presented. Finally, a conceptualized model of a waste-based biomass disposal system is presented. If you have any interests or questions of this work or if you would like to see this presentation with animated graphics, please e-mail Nicholas Carlin at ncarlin50@hotmail.com.
Based on the example of Appleton Farms, America’s oldest working farm and a commercial- scale vegetable and dairy operation, we will present the farm’s detailed carbon-counting model, review the specific measures used to eliminate it’s carbon footprint and then facilitate an interactive discussion on ways to engage the public in sustainability.
DESIGN & FABRICATION OF SHREDDING CUM BRIQUETTING MACHINE REPORT Eshver chandra
The demand for energy is becoming a critical challenge for the world as the population continues to grow. This call for Sustainable energy production and supply such as renewable energy technologies. Renewable energy technologies are safe sources of energy that have a much lower environmental impact than conventional energy technologies. So shredding machine is a key to make briquettes which will be used in industries as well as domestic purpose.
Perspectives on the role of CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU) in climate chan...Global CCS Institute
Achieving the target set during COP21 will require the deployment of a diverse portfolio of solutions, including fuel switching, improvements in energy efficiency, increasing use of nuclear and renewable power, as well as carbon capture and storage (CCS).
It is in the context of CCS that carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), or conversion (CCC), is often mentioned. Once we have captured and purified the CO2, it is sometimes argued that we should aim to convert the CO2 to useful products such as fuels or plastics, or otherwise use the CO2 in processes such as enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR). This is broadly referred to as CCU.
In this webinar, Niall Mac Dowell, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in the Centre for Process Systems Engineering and the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, presented about the scale of the challenge associated with climate change mitigation and contextualise the value which CO2 conversion and utilisation options can provide.
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor TurskyiFwdays
I have heard many times that architecture is not important for the front-end. Also, many times I have seen how developers implement features on the front-end just following the standard rules for a framework and think that this is enough to successfully launch the project, and then the project fails. How to prevent this and what approach to choose? I have launched dozens of complex projects and during the talk we will analyze which approaches have worked for me and which have not.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a button
Alex Hobbs Biomass
1. Biomass & CHP Opportunity for NC Alex Hobbs, PhD, PE NC Solar Center www.ncsc.ncsu.edu Sierra Club Forum November 14, 2009
2. Living within our energy budget Carbon production cycle based on agricultural biomass for production of hydrocarbon based energy and products
3. Energy from the Sun An sustainable supply of energy for the next few billion years & nuclear energy we all support 150 x 10 6 km The Sun destroys 4 x 10 9 kg/s of mass and releases energy at the rate of 3.8 x 10 26 J/s. Diameter = 1.39 x 10 6 km Weight = 2 x 10 30 kg Diameter = 12,700 km Earth 32’ ≈ .53° E = mc 2 One billionth of the Sun’s radiation actually reaches Earth 178,000 Terawatts Where 1 tera is 10 12 Surface solarization = 1000 W/m 2
4. NC’s most widely deployed solar collector Woody Biomass 6 CO 2 + 6 H 2 O + Sunlight -> (CH 2 O) 6 + 6 O 2 nutrients Solar Powered Biomass
7. Natural decomposition of 100 kg of biomass: 111.7 kg CO 2 + 6.5 kg CH 4 = 248.2 kg CO 2 -equiv If 100 kg biomass were to completely decompose aerobically or combusted: 185.4 kg CO2 GHG effect reduced by 62.8 kg per 100 kg of biomass Avoided Biomass Decomposition 100 kg biomass (bone dry) (50.6 kg carbon) 46% landfilled 54% mulched 90.0 kg CO 2 (24.6 kg carbon) 90% aerobic 54 kg biomass (27.3 kg carbon) 14.8 kg CO 2 (4.05 kg carbon) 5.4 kg CH 4 (4.05 kg carbon) 46 kg biomass (23.3 kg carbon) anaerobic decomposition 50% to CO 2 50% to CH 4 40.5% captured and combusted 59.5% released as CH 4 5.4 kg CO 2 (1.5 kg carbon) 2.9 kg CH 4 (2.2 kg carbon) of the non-lignin lignin and 50% resistant to degradation 15.2 kg carbon degradation of 50% of cellulose & hemicellulose 8.1 kg carbon 10% oxidized by soil microbes 1.5 kg CO 2 (0.4 kg carbon) 90% not oxidized by soil microbes 4.9 kg CH 4 (3.65 kg carbon) 10% anaerobic decomposition 3.6 kg CH 4 (2.7 kg carbon)
8. Life Cycle CO 2 and Energy Balance for a Direct-Fired Biomass System Direct-Fired Biomass Residue System 134% carbon closure Mann and Spath (1997). NREL/TP-430-23076 Net greenhouse gas emissions -410 g CO 2 equivalent/kWh Landfill and Mulching Transportation Construction Power Plant Operation 10 3 1,204 1,627 Avoided Carbon Emissions 1.0 Fossil Energy In Electricity Out 28.4
12. Biomass R&D Act of 2000 Source: Martin Holmer Management Harvesting Environmental sustainability
13. Let’s focus on Southeastern energy issues In the Southeast what types of reasonable “solutions” may be provided through policy and technology changes?
14. Southeast has relatively cheap power Risk of dying from coal fired power plant caused particulates Source: Clean Air Task Force http://poweringthesouth.org
15. NC and GA – two of most inefficient energy economies in the U.S. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. 2006
16. World’s 50 largest GHG producers North Carolina 24 th in World World’s largest emitters – 9 of 50 are southeast U.S. states Georgia 22 nd in World Florida 17 th in World Source: Pew Climate Center presentation to NC Climate Change Commission, 2006 Virginia 31 st in World
25. Biomass markets can make management of poor quality stands profitable by making pre-commercial thinnings into commercial thinnings.
26. Woody Biomass “Practices” There are different opinions Practice Industry Extension Environmentalist Best Management Practices for Water Quality Approve Approve Approve Harvest Notification Dislike any sort of pre or post harvest announcement or opening to government regulation or oversight Supports Written Contract approved by NC Registered Forester to verify that BMPs were followed, documentation to pass up the commercial chain to state regulators. This is sort of a back door to post harvest notification Pre harvest notification Minimum Residual Stand for Thinning, Residue Left at Final Harvest Nope No consensus opinion 30 ft 2 /acre for thinning, 8 live 5” diameter trees/acre no harvest of advanced regeneration, 2 brush piles per acre
27. Do we have some questions? Alex Hobbs NC Solar Center www.ncsc.ncsu.edu
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30. Energy Conversion Technologies Chris Hopkins-NCSU Simple Sugars Energy Products and Processes for Woody Biomass Torrefied Wood Bio-Char Bio-Oil Syngas (CO H 2 CH 4 ) Alcohol, Fischer-Tropsch Liquids Hydrolysis Pyrolitic Conversion Direct Combustion Bio-Fuels & Bio-Products Bio-Power Logging Residue, Waste Wood, Tops & Branches Hot Gas or Steam Process Heat Turbines Electricity or Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Torrefaction 300ºC Pyrolysis 400ºC Gasification 500ºC Acids & Enzymes Alcohols Fermentation & Distillation
31. NC Biomass Council Estimated 277 trillion Btu’s or 81billion kW t hr of biomass resource in NC http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/ncsc/bioenergy/docs/NC_Biomass_Roadmap.pdf
32. Notes on Biomass Availability for the EMC Chris Hopkins Outreach Associate, Forestry Extension
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44. Base Case: Current Productivity, Recovery and Availability Logging Residues Other Forest Residues Pulpwood Crop Residue Hay Pasture to Switchgrass Availability 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Recovery 0.75 0.75 1 0.6 1 1 Yield Gain 1 1 1 1 1 1 Total 0.675 0.675 0.9 0.54 0.9 0.9 Regions Cumulative Sum of Biomass Sources 1 2 3 4 5 6 Logging Residues 521,996 589,281 801,593 1,124,893 607,084 422,309 Other Forest Residues 1,057,529 1,182,391 1,570,654 2,180,129 1,142,855 804,977 Pulpwood 1,670,130 1,841,674 2,361,622 3,222,692 1,610,893 1,158,497 Crop Residue 1,686,060 1,927,704 2,415,237 3,393,891 1,810,264 1,439,461 Hay 1,923,458 2,470,064 2,695,526 3,551,121 2,014,530 1,448,090 Pasture to Switchgrass 3,778,922 6,604,488 5,353,583 5,104,002 2,085,936 2,041,960
45. Improved Forest Production Scenario with Current Recovery and Availability Logging Residues Other Forest Residues Pulpwood Crop Residue Hay Pasture to Switchgrass Availability 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 Recovery 0.75 0.75 1 0.6 1 1 Yield Gain 2 2 2 1 1 1 Total 1.35 1.35 1.8 0.54 0.9 0.9 Regions Cumulative Sum of Biomass Sources 1 2 3 4 5 6 Logging Residues 1,043,992 1,178,562 1,603,186 2,249,786 1,214,167 844,617 Other Forest Residues 2,115,059 2,364,782 3,141,308 4,360,258 2,285,711 1,609,955 Pulpwood 3,340,260 3,683,349 4,723,244 6,445,384 3,221,786 2,316,994 Crop Residue 3,356,190 3,769,379 4,776,860 6,616,583 3,421,157 2,597,958 Hay 3,593,588 4,311,739 5,057,148 6,773,813 3,625,423 2,606,587 Pasture to Switchgrass 5,449,052 8,446,163 7,715,205 8,326,694 3,696,830 3,200,457
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Editor's Notes
Miyamoto, K. (ed.), "Renewable Biological Systems for Alternative Sustainable Energy Production" (Section 1.2.1. Photosynthetic efficiency), FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin #128 Approximately 114 kilocalories of free energy are stored in plant biomass for every mole of CO2 fixed during photosynthesis. Solar radiation striking the earth on an annual basis is equivalent to 178,000 terawatts, i.e. 15,000 times that of current global energy consumption. Although photosynthetic energy capture is estimated to be ten times that of global annual energy consumption, only a small part of this solar radiation is used for photosynthesis. Approximately two thirds of the net global photosynthetic productivity worldwide is of terrestrial origin, while the remainder is produced mainly by phytoplankton (microalgae) in the oceans which cover approximately 70% of the total surface area of the earth. Since biomass originates from plant and algal photosynthesis, both terrestrial plants and microalgae are appropriate targets for scientific studies relevant to biomass energy production. Any analysis of biomass energy production must consider the potential efficiency of the processes involved. Although photosynthesis is fundamental to the conversion of solar radiation into stored biomass energy, its theoretically achievable efficiency is limited both by the limited wavelength range applicable to photosynthesis, and the quantum requirements of the photosynthetic process. Only light within the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) can be utilized by plants, effectively allowing only 45% of total solar energy to be utilized for photosynthesis. Furthermore, fixation of one CO2 molecule during photosynthesis, necessitates a quantum requirement of ten (or more), which results in a maximum utilization of only 25% of the PAR absorbed by the photosynthetic system. On the basis of these limitations, the theoretical maximum efficiency of solar energy conversion is approximately 11%. In practice, however, the magnitude of photosynthetic efficiency observed in the field, is further decreased by factors such as poor absorption of sunlight due to its reflection, respiration requirements of photosynthesis and the need for optimal solar radiation levels. The net result being an overall photosynthetic efficiency of between 3 and 6% of total solar radiation. From http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7241e/w7241e00.htm#Contents
Biopower Technology Description Biopower, also called biomass power, is the generation of electric power from biomass resources – now usually urban waste wood, crop, and forest residues; and, in the future, crops grown specifically for energy production. Biopower reduces most emissions (including emissions of greenhouse gases-GHGs) compared with fossil fuel-based electricity. Because biomass absorbs CO2 as it grows, the entire biopower cycle of growing, converting to electricity, and regrowing biomass can result in very low CO2 emissions compared to fossil energy without carbon sequestration, such as coal, oil or natural gas. Through the use of residues, biopower systems can even represent a net sink for GHG emissions by avoiding methane emissions that would result from landfilling of the unused biomass. Representative Technologies for Conversion of Feedstock to Fuel for Power and Heat • Homogenization is a process by which feedstock is made physically uniform for further processing or for combustion (includes chopping, grinding, baling, cubing, and pelletizing). • Gasification (via pyrolysis, partial oxidation, or steam reforming) converts biomass to a fuel gas that can be substituted for natural gas in combustion turbines or reformed into H2 for fuel cell applications. • Anaerobic digestion produces biogas that can be used in standard or combined heat and power (CHP) applications. Agricultural digester systems use animal or agricultural waste. Landfill gas also is produced anaerobically. • Biofuels production for power and heat provides liquid-based fuels such as methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, or biodiesel. Representative Technologies for Conversion of Fuel to Power and Heat • Direct combustion systems burn biomass fuel in a boiler to produce steam that is expanded in a Rankine Cycle prime mover to produce power. • Cofiring substitutes biomass for coal or other fossil fuels in existing coal-fired boilers. • Biomass or biomass-derived fuels (e.g. syngas, ethanol, biodiesel) also can be burned in combustion turbines (Brayton cycle) or engines (Otto or Diesel cycle) to produce power. • When further processed, biomass-derived fuels can be used by fuels cells to produce electricity System Concepts • CHP applications involve recovery of heat for steam and/or hot water for district energy, industrial processes, and other applications. Nearly all current biopower generation is based on direct combustion in small, biomass-only plants with relatively low electric efficiency (20%), although total system efficiencies for CHP can approach 90%. Most biomass direct-combustion generation facilities utilize the basic Rankine cycle for electric-power generation, which is made up of the steam generator (boiler), turbine, condenser, and pump. For the near term, cofiring is the most cost-effective of the power-only technologies. Large coal steam plants have electric efficiencies near 33%. The highest levels of coal cofiring (15% on a heat-input basis) require separate feed preparation and injection systems. Biomass gasification combined-cycle plants promise comparable or higher electric efficiencies (> 40%) using only biomass, because they involve gas turbines (Brayton cycle), which are more efficient than Rankine cycles, as is true for coal. Other technologies being developed include integrated gasification/fuel cell and biorefinery concepts. Technology Applications • The existing biopower sector – nearly 1,000 plants – is mainly comprised of direct-combustion plants, with an additional small amount of cofiring (six operating plants). Plant size averages 20 MWe, and the biomass-to-electricity conversion efficiency is about 20%. Grid-connected electrical capacity has increased from less than 200 MWe in 1978 to more than 9,700 MWe in 2001. More than 75% of this power is generated in the forest products industry’s CHP applications for process heat. Wood-fired systems account for close to 95% of this capacity. In addition, about 3,300 MWe of municipal solid waste and landfill gas generating capacity exists. Recent studies estimate that on a life-cycle basis, existing biopower plants represent an annual net carbon sink of 4 MMTCe. Prices generally range from 8¢/kWh to 12¢/kWh. Current Status • CHP applications using a waste fuel are generally the most cost-effective biopower option. Growth is limited by availability of waste fuel and heat demand. • Biomass cofiring with coal ($50 - 250/kW of biomass capacity) is the most near-term option for large-scale use of biomass for power-only electricity generation. Cofiring also reduces sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. In addition, when cofiring crop and forest-product residues, GHG emissions are reduced by a greater percentage (e.g. 23% GHG emissions reduction with 15% cofiring). • Biomass gasification for large-scale (20-100MWe) power production is being commercialized. It will be an important technology for cogeneration in the forest-products industries (which project a need for biomass and black liquor CHP technologies with a higher electric-thermal ratio), as well as for new baseload capacity. Gasification also is important as a potential platform for a biorefinery. • Small biopower and biodiesel systems have been used for many years in the developing world for electricity generation. However, these systems have not always been reliable and clean. DOE is developing systems for village-power applications and for developed-world distributed generation that are efficient, reliable, and clean. These systems range in size from 3kW to 5MW and completed field verification by 2003. • Approximately 15 million to 21 million gallons of biodiesel are produced annually in the United States. • Utility and industrial biopower generation totaled more than 60 billion kWh in 2001, representing about 75% of nonhydroelectric renewable generation. About two-thirds of this energy is derived from wood and wood wastes, while one-third of the biopower is from municipal solid waste and landfill gas. Industry consumes more than 2.1 quadrillion Btu of primary biomass energy. Technology History • In the latter part of the 19th century, wood was the primary fuel for residential, commercial, and transportation uses. By the 1950s, other fuels had supplanted wood. In 1973, wood use had dropped to 50 million tons per year. • At that point, the forest products and pulp-and-paper industries began to use wood with coal in new plants and switched to wood-fired steam power generation. • The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978 stimulated the development of nonutility cogeneration and small-scale plants to in the wood-processing and pulp-and-paper sectors and increased supply of power to the grid. • The combination of low natural gas prices, improved economies of scale in combined cycle palns, and withdrawal of incentives in the late 1980s, led to annual installations declining from about 600 MW in 1989, to 300-350MW in 1990. • There are now nearly 1,000 wood-fired plants in the United States, with about two-thirds of those providing power (and heat) for on-site uses only. Technology Future The levelized cost of electricity (in constant 1997$/kWh) for biomass direct-fired and gasification configurations are projected to be: 2000 2010 2020 Direct-fired 7.5 7.0 5.8 Gasification 6.7 6.1 5.4 Source: Renewable Energy Technology Characterizations, EPRI TR-109496, 1997. R&D directions include: Gasification – This technology requires extensive field verification in order to be adopted by the relatively conservative utility and forest-products industries, especially to demonstrate integrated operation of biomass gasifier with advanced-power generation (turbines and/or fuel cells). Integration of gasification into a biorefinery platform is a key new research area. Small Modular Systems – Small-scale systems for distributed or minigrid (for premium or village power) applications will be increasingly in demand. Cofiring – The DOE biopower program is moving away from research on cofiring, as this technology has reached a mature status. However, continued industry research and field verifications are needed to address specific technical and nontechnical barriers to cofiring. Future technology development will benefit from finding ways to better prepare, inject, and control biomass combustion in a coal-fired boiler. Improved methods for combining coal and biomass fuels will maximize efficiency and minimize emissions. Systems are expected to include biomass cofiring up to 5% of natural gas combined-cycle capacity. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. U.S. Climate Change Technology Program. Technology Options: For the Near and Long Term. DOE/PI-0002. November 2003 (draft update, September 2005).
SE has cheap power, but not everything is factored in. This graph was taken from http://www.poweringthesouth.org/index.html
In an October 12 issue of the industry publication “Energy Daily” Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers predicted that much stronger green building codes will be adopted in the near future.
Who has biggest economic opportunity for carbon marketplace? 9 of the world’s 30 largest emitters of greenhouse gases are southeastern U.S. states. North Carolina is 12 th largest GHG emitter in the U.S. and 24 th in the world. However, NC and the southeast have more of an economic opportunity than the rest of the U.S. in addressing our greenhouse gas emissions, because we rank below the rest of the U.S. and the industrialized world in use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
So, this is a general comparison of SHP to CHP to give you a better sense of where the efficiency gains are coming from: You can see here that for the production of equal amounts of power (30 units) and heat (45 units), that The separate generation has greater CUMULATIVE losses (68+11) along the way versus just 25 for the combined generation of heat and power For equal amount heat and power generation, significantly less fuel is used