Using only 14% of the 932 million acres of farmland to produce dedicated energy crops could potentially heat the equivalent of 260 million homes (according to the 1997 census there are 101 million homes in the US). This sustainable approach would not appreciably affect food production and could provide the energy equivalent of 1.4 billion barrels of oil, representing an energy equivalent reduction of about 38% of current annual oil imports.
Grains and other agricultural products (biomass) take only months to grow and have excellent energy to density ratios.
About four cubic feet (1 ton) of shelled corn or wood pellet fuels is equal in energy to 3 barrels of oil and two to three short tons of bio-fuel can heat an entire home.
One acre of land (about 43,000 sq ft) can meet the heating requirements of about 2 homes per year.
In North America, space heating accounts for almost 20% of total Green House Gas emissions and 50% of the annual energy bill. Approximately six quadrillion Btu's (6.5 x 1018 Joules) of energy were consumed for space heating in 1997 in the United States, representing about $45 billion in expenditures
Fuel switching from gas, electric and oil to renewable and cheaper energy fuels for space heating would seem to be the best approach to reducing the cost of heating and associated green house gas emissions reduction requirements. This shift in energy consumption for space heating would not appreciable change our lifestyle, but would enhance it by creating new business opportunities for appliance and fuel producers while improving air quality and reducing acid rain.
What are energy crops? According to NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratories) in Colorado, biomass means living material. In terms of energy, this refers to trees and plants, such as corn, straw, grasses, and other farming by products. Trees and plants use solar energy to grow, so biomass energy is really a form of stored solar energy. Biomass technology can be very confusing since biomass energy can come from many different sources, but in fact, this is one form of energy you have all probably used. If you have ever burned a log in a fireplace, you have used biomass.
There are three ways biomass can be changed into energy. It can be burned to make heat or electricity, converted to a gas, like methane, or changed to a liquid fuel, like ethanol (see alternative fuels). Since biomass can be used in all these different ways, it is one of the most versatile renewable energy technologies. In addition, it is the only renewable source that can be made into a liquid fuel to offset the use of foreign oil or burned directly to heat ones home.
You might think that this is all new technology, but in fact, prior to 1875, the United States primary energy supply was from biomass. In North America, biomass in the form of dense extruded pellets about the size of a pencil eraser, are heating about 750,000 homes. Pellet fuels can be made from agriculture residues or plants specifically grown for this purpose. As well, grains such as shelled feed corn are also heating homes and are the lowest cost energy source on the market today, with savings of up to 80% over existing traditional energy sources. What is equally appealing is how easy these fully automated space heaters are to use.
Advanced modern biomass fuelled burners achieve efficiencies comparable to those fired on gas or oil, with applications in space heating, cooling and power generation. In particular, combustion can be made more complete by converting biomass into a gaseous form, a process known as gasification, followed by direct combustion to produce a flame that is in every way equal to that of natural gas.
Equipment incorporating this process includes the high efficiency EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) approved space heaters produced by Dell-Point Technologies, which can be fuelled on 100% shelled feed corn and other grains, as well as wood pellets. They are considered to be among the most efficient in the world, burning up to 35% less fuel than older technologies, with near zero particulate (smoke) emissions. In addition to reducing green house gas emissions by 97%, they also generate fewer sulfur and nitrous oxides and have demonstrated a cost savings over fossil fuels of 60% or more.
The renewable energy industry, which includes energy from biomass, is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Shell has been in the renewable energy business for several years and expects a good portion of annual earning to come from this (www.shellrenwables.co) sector, by 2050.
All biomass, including wood and agriculture grains and residues, contains stored solar energy. When burned, biomass produces energy and emits the same amount of carbon dioxide as is absorbed during the growth cycle. Consequently, no new carbon dioxide (CO2) is added to the atmosphere.
In contrast, fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) were locked away in the earth for millions of years. When they are burned, additional carbon is released into the atmosphere, accelerating global warming and associated climate change, widely regarded as a major global threat.
According to Hubbard a former Shell scientist, world production of oil is expected to peak around 2010, while world energy demand will increase by 75%. Biomass enables us to create a sustainable energy future while reducing our impact on the environment and enhancing global energy security. In addition, growing energy crops will help to sustain the family farm, retain money in the local economy, and generate new rural employment.
The president of the World Watch Institute in Washington DC recently pointed out:
“Renewable energy sources of today have about the same share of the overall energy supply, and the same prospect for rapid future growth, as petroleum did a century ago. In 1902, petroleum accounted for around 2 percent of total commercial energy. But it was expanding quickly in niche markets.
With wind and solar power markets now doubling in size every three years, manufacturers are able to scale up production and drive down costs. Only sectors like cell phones and the Internet have growth rates comparable to those of renewables today.
The current energy system based on fossil fuels is undermining global security. It is dangerous to depend on the Middle East for oil. It is also ecologically risky to continue polluting and warming the atmosphere with oil and coal residues. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels before a major crisis forces an unplanned transition should be a security priority.
The world has entered the post-petroleum century in which diminishing oil supplies, the limited capacity of the atmosphere to absorb carbon dioxide and the burgeoning energy needs of billions of people in the developing world all point to the need for new sources of energy to complement and replace the previous century's fossil fuels.
With 4 billion people relying predominantly on unsustainable energy sources, and the remaining 2 billion lacking access to electricity or liquid fuels, the world's energy haves and have-nots are each in unsustainable positions.”
Mark Moody Stuart, a former chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell, has called on governments "to expand renewable energy targets, removing inappropriate subsidies and switching some to renewable energy to provide a level playing field in the energy sector."
To this end, a number of agriculture organizations like the American Corn Growers Association (www.acga.org) have started lobbying congress to recognize shelled dent corn, as a closed loop energy source (a biomass crop grown and used for energy purposes). The Government should act quickly to stimulate the demand for renewable energy crops as the State of Maryland recently did, eliminating the state tax towards the purchase of grain (corn) space heating stoves.
I have been heating with wood pellet fuel for the past 12 years. Our 3,000 sq ft home is warm and cozy in winter and there is a sense of old time wood heating comfort without the emissions and hassle of wood stoves. I feel a certain independence by not being dependant on fossil fuels for a basic necessity in life. In addition to saving thousand of dollars in annual heating cost I am acting locally to impact globally.
This is a simple, painless and cost effective solution to deal with global warming, issues of national security and the price we pay for energy. Embracing it would stimulate an entire industry to action and create new employment nationwide, while protecting the environment and securing the future energy needs of this great nation.
Previously published in The American Corn Growers Association News and Views section.