Bioenergy 1713537 220735605 2008-06-21T09:33:36Z GGByte 7338246 {{Mergefrom | Waste-to-energy | Talk:Bioenergy #Merge proposal |date=June 2008 }} [[Image:STM Stirling Generator set.jpg|thumb|An engine capable of running on bioenergy.]] '''Bioenergy''' is [[renewable energy]] made available from materials derived from biological sources. In its most narrow sense it is a synonym to [[biofuel]], which is fuel derived from biological sources. In its broader sense it does not include [[biomass]], the biological material used as a biofuel, as well as the social, economic, scientific and technical fields associated with using biological sources for energy. This is a common misconception, as bioenergy is the energy extracted from the biomass, as the biomass is the fuel and the bioenergy is the energy contained in the fuel. <ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.vxu.se/td/english/bioenergy/blog/what_is_bioenergy/|title=What is bioenergy?}} </ref> Biomass is any organic material which has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. As a fuel it may include [[wood]], wood waste, [[straw]], [[manure]], [[sugar cane]], and many other byproducts from a variety of agricultural processes. There is a slight tendency for the word ''bioenergy'' to be favoured in [[Europe]] compared with ''biofuel'' in [[North America]]. Another sense in which the term is used is "bioenergy healing". Meaning healing using human internal energy, via the human energetical field. This is also called [[chakra]] healing. The use of bioenergy in this sense is not covered in this article. ==Solid Biomass== {{main|Biomass}} Biomass is material derived from recently living [[organism]]s, which includes plants, animals and their byproducts. <ref name=Department of Energy> {{cite web|url=http://www.doe.gov/energysources/bioenergy.htm|title=Bioenergy}} </ref> Manure, garden waste and crop residues are all sources of biomass. It is a [[renewable energy]] source based on the [[carbon cycle]], unlike other [[natural resource]]s such as [[petroleum]], [[coal]], and [[nuclear reactor|nuclear]] fuels. [[Image:Montana 16 bg 062406.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Simple use of biomass fuel (Combustion of [[wood fuel|wood]] for heat).]][[Animal waste]] is a persistent and unavoidable [[pollutant]] produced primarily by the animals housed in industrial-sized farms. Researchers from [[Washington University]] have figured out a way to turn manure into [[biomass]]. In April 2008, with the help of imaging technology, they noticed that vigorous mixing helps [[microorganisms]] turn farm waste into alternative energy. This is providing farmers with a simple way to treat their waste and convert it into energy. <ref name=Yahoo!> {{cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080417/ap_on_bi_ge/farm_scene_waste_as_fuel;_ylt=AkqcOw73x0nKfqJCs2.iF1Ss0NUE|title=Farm scene waste as fuel}} </ref> There are also [[agriculture|agricultural]] products being grown for [[biofuel]] production. These include [[maize|corn]], [[switchgrass]], and [[soybeans]], primarily in the [[United States]]; [[rapeseed]], [[wheat]] and [[sugar beet]] primarily in [[Europe]]; [[sugar cane]] in [[Brazil]]; [[palm oil]] and [[miscanthus]] in Southeast Asia; [[sorghum]] and [[cassava]] in [[China]]; and [[jatropha]] in [[India]]. [[Hemp]] has also been proven to work as a biofuel. [[Biodegradable]] outputs from [[industry]], [[agriculture]], [[forestry]] and households can be used for biofuel production, either using [[anaerobic digestion]] to produce [[biogas]], or using [[second generation biofuels]]; examples of this include straw, timber, manure, rice husks, sewage, and food waste. The use of biomass fuels can therefore contribute to waste management as well as fuel security and help to prevent or slow down [[climate change]], although alone they are not a comprehensive solution to these problems. ==References== {{reflist}} {{Bioenergy}} [[Category:Bioenergy]] {{Renewable-energy-stub}} [[af:Bioenergie]] [[bs:Energija biomase]] [[cs:Bioenergie]] [[da:Bioenergi]] [[de:Bioenergie]] [[es:Bioenergía]] [[eo:Bioenergio]] [[fr:Bioénergie]] [[nl:Bio-energie]] [[sq:Bioenergjia]]