*Correspondence: Houzhang Tan, MOE Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 28, Xianning West Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710049, China e-mail: [email protected] Given the increasing demand for energy consumption, biomass has been more and more important as a new type of clean renewable energy source. Biomass direct firing is the most mature and promi...

Renewable energy will play a crucial role in the future society of the 21st century. The various renewable energy sources need to be balanced and their use carefully planned since they are characterized by high temporal and spatial variability that will pose challenges to maintaining a well balanced supply and to the stability of the grid. This article examines the ways that future 'energy land...

A review of biomass use by humans and the greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of using biomass to supply energy services is presented. Human appropriation of global terrestrial net primary productivity is a ratio of appropriation and production; it currently stands at 15-30% of NPP. Over half of used biomass is fed to animals, while equal amounts are eaten directly by humans and burned for energy...

Ecosystems and economies are inextricably linked: ecosystem models and economic models are not linked. Consequently, using either type of model to design policies for preserving ecosystems or improving economic performance omits important information. Improved policies would follow from a model that links the systems and accounts for the mutual feedbacks by recognizing how key ecosystem variabl...

Biomass gasification is the process of converting biomass into a combustible gas suitable for use in boilers, engines, and turbines to produce combined cooling, heat, and power. This paper presents a detailed model of a biomass gasification system and designs a multigeneration energy system that uses the biomass gasification process for generating combined cooling, heat, and electricity. Energy...

Biomass based energy generation is one of the major focus areas of renewable energy programs in India. The strength of India’s biomass resources mostly lies in the agricultural sector. A large quantity of crop residue biomass is generated in India. However, crop residue biomasses are distributed resources with variation in spatio-temporal availability and its characteristics. Competing uses of ...

Energy supply in Sri Lanka is mainly based on three primary sources, namely hydroelectricity, biomass and petroleum. The supply from each of these sources is such that 11percent is attributable to hydroelectricity, 55 percent to biomass and 34 percent to petroleum oil products. Fuel-wood and other biomass such as coconut residues, paddy husks and sawdust are largely used for domestic cooking ac...

Most rural communities in southern Africa rely on fuelwood or charcoal to meet their domestic energy demands. These energy sources are readily accessible and often the only affordable means. Nevertheless, rising population densities and poverty levels are exerting pressure on unprotected natural woodlands. In many electrified communities, high costs of electricity have prevented a move away fro...

Urban systems account for about two-thirds of global primary energy consumption and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, with a projected increasing trend. Deep geothermal energy and woody biomass can be used for the production of heat, electricity and biofuels, thus constituting a renewable alternative to fossil fuels for all end-uses in cities: heating, cooling, electricity and mobility. ...