Hiya! We are almost done with our discussion of renewable energy! Tomorrow will be the final topic, hydroelectric dams, but before we get to that, it’s time to talk about biomass!

You’re probably wondering what the heck biomass is; it’s definitely not one of the most well known forms of renewable energy, but I think it is one of the most interesting to learn about.

Biomass is technically a material composed of organic matter, which refers to things like wood, crops, algae and decomposable trash. The most common way to convert biomass into energy is by burning it, but it can also be made into gaseous and liquid fuels. You can even burn feces to create fuel (I know, sounds disgusting). 

Biomass isn’t a new concept; we’ve been burning wood to heat our homes for hundreds of years. However, the recent need for renewable energy has caused greater interest in adapting biomass to meet our current needs.

One of the biggest focuses with biomass is creating biofuels to power vehicles. Compounds such as ethanol and gasohol (which is a mix of ethanol and gasoline) can be created using sugar cane, corn starch, grass or wood. While these forms of gas are much cleaner and renewable, they can be hard on current cars and increase fuel consumption. 

One interesting fact is that the Model T Ford back in the 1800s actually ran on ethanol before ethanol was banned due to its alcohol concentration during the Prohibition era. 

I’m not going to get into the super nitty-gritty on how ethanol is created, but know that yeast is used to ferment the sugars into alcohol, producing fuel. 

Biomass is considered renewable because natural growth can replace any burned material within a few years; it doesn’t take millions of years to form like fossil fuels do. All biomass originally gets its energy from the sun, through photosynthesis. 

Unlike tidal and wave power, we do use biomass pretty significantly in the United States. It makes up around 5% of energy consumption in 2023, most of which is used in the industrial sector. 

An interesting advancement in the biomass field is the use of biogas. Places like sewage treatment plants and landfills often naturally produce methane from the anaerobic fermentation of organic waste, which can be utilized in the same way as natural gas.

This ensures that we can really get a two-for-one combo: energy from trash. If harvested correctly, our landfills can actually benefit us, powering hundreds of homes while emptying landfills.

We can even harvest algae for biomass, including icky forms like cyanobacteria that harm our waterways. Creating something good from something bad seems like a good deal to me. 

Of course, there are drawbacks of using biomass. For one, depending on which type you use, there can be some adverse environmental consequences. Burning wood can encourage clearcutting and deforestation—not good—and growing crops to use requires a large amount of water and space, possibly disrupting local ecosystems. 

Burning biomass also can release air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds. 

Biomass can also be quite costly, depending on which type is used. There is a lot of transportation required as you move from step to step in the biomass process, unlike energy like solar and wind which is entirely created on site. Overall though, it tends to be cheaper than fossil fuels, and the cost will most likely continue to decrease as technology improves. 

While biomass is a very imperfect form of fuel, it does have its benefits and a time and place. I hope that you find it as interesting as I do!

Until next time, Elena out