4 Benefits of Harnessing Biomass CHP
Using bio fuels in a single highly efficient process, Biomass CHP (combined heat and power) systems generate both heat and electricity. These systems are supported by a large number of independent organizations like Greenpeace and International Energy Agency. Below we’ll take a look at five of the main benefits that biomass CHP offers:
- Low cost of entry/installation
As the installation is hassle-free and costs are quite low in comparison to conventional power generation systems, energy systems powered by biomass fuels are fairly easy to setup. In fact, energy systems using biomass fuels have some of the lowest installation costs ever as no other renewable energy power generation system is as cheap to install as the biomass CHP is.
The major costs involved in setting up any commercial power generation system revolves around the fuel involved, and then the methodology that’s required to generate heat and power. Biomass CHP doesn’t require as expensive a setup as most other systems making it highly feasible to be installed and run across a number of geographical regions.
- Financial backing from governments/authorities
Government agencies across the globe are actively supporting the rise of renewable energy generation systems. Biomass CHP is no different, and almost all global government agencies are offering financial support to setup biomass fuelled energy systems.
There are several government-run programs across the globe that offers financial assistance at every possible level of setting up and running biomass CHP systems. There are also several government agencies that have enormous programs to financially support these systems. These programs are mainly for assistance during the payback period for loans that may arise due to installation and running of biomass CHP systems.
- Environmental benefits
Conventional energy systems have been running for quite a while now and have had a major impact on the environment. Biomass fuelled energy systems hardly have any adverse impact on the environment, and if anything, these systems produce enough byproducts to offer assistance to several critical use cases for industries and individuals.
The biggest benefit for biomass energy systems is their lack of high carbon emissions. Most conventional energy systems produce a lot of carbon emissions that have a severe impact on our environment. In order to reduce carbon emissions, biomass fuels like wood are enough to make a significant impact in reducing a country’s carbon footprint.
- Reliability
Biomass CHP systems are generally more reliable when setup correctly, and combined with the right type of biofuels. These energy systems are generally independent of power grids, and therefore immune to any grid level power blackouts. These blackouts result in cases where an entire city or town may end up without power. In several biomass CHP setups, residents have successfully been able to avoid blackouts like these that tend to bring a large area to a standstill.
Biomass CHP results in cheaper energy for consumers, while community-heating schemes offer a number of solutions to residents that result in reduced bills, and therefore much cheaper energy consumption. In fact, a typical biomass CHP project can help an average consumer save over £300 on energy bills. This wasn’t possible before with any of the conventional energy generation methods. Companies running biomass CHP systems can pass on their reduced costs of generating energy directly to their consumers creating a win-win solution for consumers and the environment.
