Biomass boilers use organic materials such as wood pellets, wood chips, agricultural residues, or other biological matter as fuel. These materials are renewable resources i.e. they can be replenished naturally through sustainable forestry and agricultural practices, in contrast to natural gas, which is a finite, non-renewable fossil fuel. Biomass can be used in its raw form or processed as chips, pellets, briquettes, etc. to provide both heat and CO2 in greenhouses by burning directly or converting to biofuels through thermo-chemical processes.
Contribution to energy balance and resource use of greenhouses:
Biomass boilers act in place of conventional boilers as a supply of heat for the greenhouse.
Greenhouses can be enriched with the CO2 extracted from exhaust gases of the boiler.
Possible steps towards sustainable, energy-efficient greenhouses
Biomass boilers contribute to sustainability via a reduced carbon footprint. As the CO2 emitted from biomass combustion is roughly equivalent to the CO2 absorbed by trees and plants while growing, biomass combustion is carbon-neutral, and can even be carbon-negative when managed sustainably. In contrast, natural gas combustion releases carbon that has been trapped underground for millions of years, contributing to net carbon emissions and climate change. Biomass can often be sourced locally, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels like natural gas.
However, some disadvantages of biomass boilers include the need for a consistent supply of biomass fuel, and potential emissions of other pollutants such as particulate matter. The environmental benefits of biomass boilers largely depend on responsible sourcing and sustainable management of biomass resources.
Some important questions to consider are:
The effect on climate: what is the CO2 effect on CO2 over time?
Damage to nature: does the harvesting of biomass cause damage to nature, such as the loss of forests?
Reliability: are sustainability rules for biomass strict enough and are they complied with?
Necessity: is biomass really necessary to make energy supply sustainable?