What is Bioenergy? — The basics on bioenergy terminology
Bioenergy is energy derived from biological resources, which are also known as biomass. Biofuel is formed from biomass, and can be used to power greener vehicles and herald more efficient energy production. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) set a renewable fuel standard of 36 billion gallons of biofuel processed annually by 2022, with 16 billion gallons coming from cellulosic feedstock such as switchgrass and poplar. To reach this goal, the Department of Energy (DOE) set up three Bioenergy Research Centers in September 2007. These centers research better ways to use and modify biomass in order to turn it into biofuel.
The BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) is researching methods to easily break down cell walls of switchgrass and poplar to form biofuel, as well as researching enzymes and microbes that will do the breaking down of the plant material. By modifying the genome of the biomass, BESC can form a more populous, easily broken down feedstock that will grow easily and be available for use. By modifying the genome of the microbes, the process of breaking down the biomass into biofuel will be expedited and simplified at the same time.
The main idea of researching bioenergy is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which are being quickly used up. If we rely on a renewable resource, there will always be fuel for us to use in our daily lives. The BioEnergy Science Center is proud to be a part of this growing solution.
For a complete A to Z bioenergy glossary, click here Some of the most frequently used terms are listed below.
- Alternative fuels are substitutes for conventional fossil fuels such as petroleum (oil), coal, propane and natural gas.
- Biofuel is any liquid fuel derived from biological material such as trees, agricultural wastes, crops, or even grass.
- Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources such as new and used vegetable oils and animal fats.
- Biomass refers to living and recently dead biological matter that can be used as fuel or for industrial production.
- Biopower, or biomass power, is the use of biomass to generate electricity, or heat and steam required for the operation of a refinery.
- Cellulose is the principal chemical constituent of cell walls of plants: a long chain of simple sugar molecules.
- Emissions are waste substances released into the air or water.
- Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from sugars and starch found in plants and is the most widely used biofuel today.
- First-generation biofuels refer to biofuels made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil or animal fats using conventional technology.
- Fossil fuels are solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels formed in the ground after millions of years by chemical and physical changes in plant and animal residues under high temperature and pressure. Oil, natural gas, and coal are fossil fuels.
- Fuel cycle is the series of steps required to produce electricity.
- Greenhouse effect is the effect of certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere in trapping heat from the sun.
- Greenhouse gases are gases that trap the heat of the sun in the Earth's atmosphere, producing the greenhouse effect
- Second-generation biofuels use biomass-to-liquid technology, they include cellulosic biofuels from non-food crops.
- Switchgrass is a common, warm-season grass that can be used to make an efficient and environmentally friendly biofuel and alternative to traditional gasoline.
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Researchers are working hard to find new green solutions to our country's growing energy needs. Find out more. Check out our new Researcher's Page.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a national multi-program research and development facility managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy.
