Biomass Electricity Myths Dispelled

There are plenty of myths associated with biomass power but don’t let these fallacies keep you from capitalizing on one of the most reliable green energy sources around.

Myth: Alternative energy sources are unreliable.

Truth: Some alternative energy sources are unreliable. For example, you can’t really depend on solar energy because:
• The sun doesn’t shine brightly every single day. You have to worry about cloud cover.
• The cells that harness the solar energy are largely inefficient when it comes to storing energy.

Wind energy is also unreliable because:
• Wind speed can be inconsistent.
• You have no control over it.

But this idea of unreliability becomes a myth when applied to biomass energy. Once you’ve found your raw materials and matched it with the correct biomass technology, biomass is reliable – as long as you carefully develop a plan for acquiring a consistent supply of biomass fuels.

Myth: You have to build a new power plant to create biomass electricity.

Truth: Thanks to a process known as co-firing, creating biomass power does not always require building a completely new power plant. Instead, a biomass energy company can design and install a system in an existing fossil fuel burning plant that will partially convert it to biomass, which will significantly reduce emissions and fossil fuel consumption. This is an attractive option for those already running power plants who do not wish to invest in brand new facilities.

Myth: It’s easy to match the proper biomass technology with your raw materials.

Truth: If you have no experience in biomass, figuring out what type of technology you need in your plant can be difficult. This is where most people go wrong. There have been numerous situations where a company implemented biomass technology, only to find they installed the wrong biomass technology. As a result, their new biomass system just sits there unused, millions of dollars flushed down the drain.

Where did they go wrong? They didn’t initially perform an adequate analysis of their raw material resource in order to determine what type of biomass technology was needed. Luckily, this mistake can easily be avoided. All you need to do is hire an experienced biomass engineering company to assist you in the planning process. They can help you match your biomass technology to the available fuels and improve your plants reliability. This cuts out any and all guesswork.

Myth: Only power companies can benefit from biomass power.

Truth: You don’t have to be a power company to capitalize on biomass advantages. Case in point: industrial facilities. An industrial facility creates waste throughout its production process. Ordinarily that waste would end up in a landfill. However, if the facility owners install a biomass system, they can use their waste to create electricity, which will in turn power their facilities. And they may even have enough left over to sell back to the grid.

Before you get involved in biomass power, sort the facts from the myths. You can easily do so by employing a biomass engineering company.

Find more about Biomass Fuels and Biomass Electricity.