Biofuels, Solar and Wind as Renewable Energy Systems - Benefits and Risks

Preface

Acknowledgements

Contents

About our Authors

Contributors

Renewable and Solar Energy Technologies: Energy and Environmental Issues

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Hydroelectric Power

1.3 Biomass Energy

1.4 Wind Power

1.5 Solar Thermal Conversion Systems

1.6 Photovoltaic Systems

1.7 Geothermal Systems

1.8 Biogas

1.9 Ethanol and Energy Inputs

1.10 Grasslands and Celulosic Ethanol

1.11 Methanol and Vegetable Oils

1.12 Transition to Renewable Energy

1.13 Conclusion

References

Can the Earth Deliver the Biomass-for-Fuel we Demand?

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Background

2.3 Plan of Attack

2.4 Efficiency of Cellulosic Ethanol Refineries

2.5 Where will the Agrofuel Biomass Come from?

2.6 Conclusions

References

Appendix 1: Ecosystem Definition and Properties

Appendix 2: Mass Balance of Carbon in an Ecosystem

Appendix 3: Environmental Controls on Net

Primary Productivity

Glossary

A Review of the Economic Rewards and Risks of Ethanol Production

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Measuring and Mismeasuring Biofuels Economic Impacts

3.3 Ethanol Production Economic Opportunities and Offsets

3.4 Bioenergy Promotion and the Overall Sustainability

of Rural Economies

References

Subsidies to Ethanol in the United States

Acronyms & abbreviations

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Evolution of Federal Policies Supporting Liquid Biofuels

4.3 Current Policies Supporting Ethanol

4.4 Aggregate Support to Ethanol

4.5 Pending Legislation

4.6 Conclusions

References

Peak Oil, EROI, Investments and the Economy in an Uncertain Future

5.1 Introduction

5.2 The Age of Petroleum

5.3 How much Oil will we be able to Extract?

5.4 Decreasing Energy Return on Investment

5.5 The Balloon Graph

5.6 Economic Impacts of Peak Oil and Decreasing EROI

5.7 The “Cheese Slicer” Model

5.8 Results of Simulation

5.9 Discussion

5.10 Conclusion

References

Wind Power: Benefits and Limitations

6.1 Introduction

6.2 The Power Density of Electricity from Wind Turbines

6.3 Producing the Output of a Power Station from Wind Power

6.4 The Problem of Assessing Energy with Respect to Wind Turbines

6.5 The Implications of the Uncontrollable Nature of the Output from Wind Turbines

6.6 The Problems of Operating in Harness with Wind Turbines

6.7 Alternatives toWind Power

6.8 The Problems of Storage

6.9 The Problem of ‘Liquid’ Fuel in a Fossil-Fuel-Free Society

6.10 Learning from Experience (Denmark)

6.11 Making Realistic Assessments of the Cost ofWind Power

6.12 Conclusion

Notes

References

Renewable Diesel

7.1 Introduction

7.2 The Diesel Engine

7.3 Ecological Limits

7.4 Straight Vegetable Oil

7.5 Biodiesel

7.6 Green Diesel

7.7 Feed Stocks

7.8 Conclusions

7.9 Conversion Factors and Calculations

References

Complex Systems Thinking and Renewable Energy Systems

8.1 Theoretical Issues: The Problems Faced by Energy Analysis

8.2 Basic Concepts of Bioeconomics

8.3 Using the MuSIASEM Approach to Check the Viability of Alternative Energy Sources: An Application to Biofuels

8.4 Conclusion

References

Sugarcane and Ethanol Production and Carbon Dioxide Balances

9.1 Introduction

9.2 The “Green” Promise

9.3 CO2 Emissions of Sugarcane Ethanol

9.4 Gasoline Versus Ethanol

9.5 Bagasse as a Source of Energy

9.6 Pre-Harvest Burning of Sugarcane and Mechanical Harvest

9.7 Distillery Wastes

9.8 Possible Additional Sources of Methane

9.9 CO2 Mitigation

9.10 Variations of CO2 Emissions Calculations

9.11 A Trend in the Near Future

9.12 Environmental Impacts Versus CO2 Emissions

9.13 Conclusions

References

Biomass Fuel Cycle Boundaries and Parameters: Current Practice and Proposed Methodology

Acronyms & abbreviations

10.1 Introduction

10.2 BFC Analysis Methodology: A Modular Model Approach

10.3 BFC Fuel and Net Energy Balance Definitions

10.4 BFC Models

10.5 Other Considerations

References

Our Food and Fuel Future

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Price and Availability of Traditional Fuels

11.3 Alternative Sources of Energy

11.4 GreenhouseWarming and its Connections

11.5 Political and Social Conditions, Especially

in the United States

11.6 Conclusions

References

A Framework for Energy Alternatives: Net Energy, Liebig’s Law and Multi-criteria Analysis

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Net Energy Analysis

12.3 An Introduction to EROI – Energy Return on Investment

12.4 Humans and Energy Gain

12.5 Current Energy Gain

12.6 An Energy Theory of Value

12.7 Why is Net Energy Important?

12.8 Net Energy and Energy Quality

12.9 Energy Return on Investment – Towards a Consistent Framework

12.10 A Framework for Analyzing EROI

12.11 Non-Energy Inputs

12.12 Non-Energy Outputs

12.13 Non-Market Impacts

12.14 A Summary of Methodologies

12.15 A Unifying EROI Framework

12.16 Liebig’s Law, Multi-Criteria Analysis, and Energy from Biofuels

12.17 Conclusion

References

Bio-Ethanol Production in Brazil

13.1 Historical Introduction

13.2 The Sugarcane Crop in Brazil

13.3 Environmental Impact

13.4 Labour Conditions

13.5 Conclusions

References

Ethanol Production: Energy and Economic Issues Related to U.S. and Brazilian Sugarcane

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Energy Inputs in Sugarcane Production

14.3 Energy Inputs in Fermentation/Distillation

14.4 Energy Yield

14.5 Economic Costs

14.6 Land Use in the U.S.

14.7 Ethanol Production and Use in Brazil

14.8 Environmental Impacts

14.9 Air Pollution

14.10 Food Security

14.11 Food versus the Fuel Issue

14.12 Summary

References

Ethanol Production Using Corn, Switchgrass and Wood; Biodiesel Production Using Soybean

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Energy Inputs in Corn Production

15.3 Cellulosic Ethanol

15.4 Switchgrass Production of Ethanol

15.5 Wood Cellulose Conversion into Ethanol

15.6 Biodiesel Production

15.7 Soybean Conversion into Biodiesel

15.8 Canola Conversion into Biodiesel

15.9 Conclusion

References

Developing Energy Crops for Thermal Applications: Optimizing Fuel Quality, Energy Security and GHG Mitigation

Acronyms & abbreviations

16.1 Introduction

16.2 Energy Crop Production for Energy Security and GHG Mitigation

16.3 Optimization of Energy Grasses for Combustion Applications

16.4 Outlook

References

Organic and Sustainable Agriculture and Energy Conservation

17.1 Organic Agriculture: An Overview

17.2 Organic Agriculture: An Energy-Saving Alternative?

17.3 CO2 Emissions and Organic Management

17.4 Agricultural “Waste ” for Cellulosic Ethanol Production or Back to the Field?

17.5 Organically Produced Biofuels?

17.6 Conclusion

References

Biofuel Production in Italy and Europe: Benefits and Costs, in the Light of the Present European

18.1 Introduction

18.2 To What extent Would a Large Scale Biofuel Production Really Replace Fossil Fuels?

18.3 Physical Constraints Other than Energy

18.4 The Large-Scale Picture. An Overview of Substitution Scenarios

18.5 Discussion

18.6 Conclusions

References

The Power Density of Ethanol from Brazilian Sugarcane

19.1 Introduction

19.2 Errors and the Potential for More Relating to Sugarcane

19.3 Soil Erosion Problems

References

A Brief Discussion on Algae for Oil Production: Energy Issues

References

Index