Biomass is an alternative power source that can be generated from organic waste materials like food scraps, garden waste, wood, and manure. The document discusses how biomass power works, providing examples of its use in landfills in Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand to generate electricity. It suggests schools could also use biomass power by collecting organic waste to fuel an on-site biogas plant and burn wood pellets to heat boilers, providing a cheap, sustainable energy option.

1. A report about an alternative power source by Maia

2. What is biomass? Biomass is rubbish or garbage. It includes dead trees , livestock manure, garden waste, bark, left over crops, sawdust, paper and kitchen rubbish.

3. Where is this type of power generated in New Zealand? There are two landfills in Auckland. They provide gas for electricity. There is also one place in Wellington that is a landfill and in New Zealand. Wood biomass is made to use 50% of New Zealand main power supply. The power company burns the wood for New Zealand homes and they make heat for the people.

4. How does this power generator work? You could draw a diagram. Methane gas is made. Then the gas goes along the pipes. When the gas comes out it is like the gas that is on your barbeque .The steam turns the turbine round to boil the water . All rubbish is then put into a big tank or pit.

5. Could we use this type of power at school? You could use this power at schools and we would get rubbish from classes, the staff room and kids lunch boxes . We would have to build a biogas plant . We could burn wood pellets in our boiler.

6. Conclusion i.e. why you think this power could be used at school to run our heater. It is cheap to run because it is rubbish . We could put it in our boiler. Other places that use Biomass is Rotorua Girls High School and timber mills.

7. References http://www.eeca.govt.nz/renewable-energy/bioenergy/indexnew.html.