Community Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Technology

Anaerobic digestion is the breakdown of organic waste matter by bacteria in the absence of oxygen. In an anaerobic digester, the methane-rich biogas created can be burned to generate electricity, or used for cogeneration (generating electricity and using waste heat to heat buildings). When anaerobic digestion occurs in a landfill, the methane produced can also be collected for electricity generation. The benefits of anaerobic digestion for the production of renewable energy include:

• The reduction of waste disposal issues
• The reduction of pollution in water run-off
• Reduction of methane flared off from a landfill and released into the atmosphere
• The elimination of odors associated with waste disposal
• The production of value-added products such as fertilizer, bedding, and gas for heat and electricity

The combustion of biomass without oxygen results in a gas or an oil, which can be stored and used in a generator to produce electricity, or burnt for heat.
The advantages of Pyrolysis or Gasification over direct combustion are:

• Lower particulate emissions
• Can be used in generators for small-scale electricity production

Fermentation

Fermented starch or cellulosic biomass can be converted to ethanol to be used as a transportation fuel. Ethanol can thereby replace petroleum in gasoline vehicles to reduce oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions.

Bio-oil/biodiesel

Bio-oil, or biodiesel, can be made from many types of oil (canola, soy bean, etc.), and replaces petroleum as a transportation fuel with fewer emissions. As a prospect for community development, there are opportunities at all stages of biodiesel production:

• Growing Energy Crops
• Transporting crops to facility and fuel to suppliers
• Manufacturing biodiesel.