Energy Path 2014 – Path towards Sustainability

June 30, 2014

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by Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuel USA) The 2014 edition of the Energy Path convergence which took place at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, delineates the path that we should take for the betterment of the populace and posterity – the sustainable path.

Energy Path 2014 Biomass section campers visit sustainably managed Weiser State Forest, Pennsylvania

The definition of energy sustainability was echoed fervently at the 5-day camping/conference, and indeed, it is worth reiterating – it is the use of energy to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their energy needs.
The convergence started on June 16 through 18 with the different streams of the pre-conference energy camps; biomass, intro to sustainability, micro hydro, solar photovoltaic system, and energy efficiency. In general, the camps concentrated on providing attendees with a deeper insight of sustainable energy technologies through a consolidation of classroom and "hands-on" training.
What I Learned from the Biomass Camp.
My participation in the biomass camp was an illuminating experience. Paul Lewandoski from AFS energy was the lead instructor of the camp. Together with the other instructors, they relayed well-heeled lessons on wood energy, waste energy, sustainable forestry, emission and clean air controls, biomass heat and power, and biogas technologies.
Woody biomass represents a towering percentage of the entire biomass energy – about 65% in the United States. It could be anything from saw dust to wood chips to yard waste. The garnered chemical energy in this biomass can be converted to thermal energy through available technologies for the purpose of heating buildings, for instance, instead of the use of propane or oil. This approach has been adopted by several institutions not only because it is a renewable energy, but because it has proved to be cost effective. The woody fuels could also be used for the generation of electricity – bio-power, through the process of direct heating, to generate steam for driving turbines that turns generator for the conversion of power to electricity. Other bio-power technologies include an array of co-firing, gasification, pyrolysis among others.

Karl Rabago speaking on the 'Value of Solar' at EnergyPath 2014

Skepticism could surface from naïve quarters about the authenticity of biomass energy as an environmentally beneficial source of energy. Here is a popular one – how would the use of biomass lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)since it involves burning of organic matter that will unequivocally release CO₂ into the atmosphere. Reduction in the GHG is expected because CO₂ from this source – Biogenic CO₂ – is ephemeral. It is absorbed back at the same rate it is released by trees and plants; the CO₂ is part of the carbon cycling between the biosphere and atmosphere, unlike the burning of fossil fuels which releases sequestered carbon that is not part of the global carbon cycle, adding it to the cycle from ‘underground’.
However, there is a ‘strapping’ caveat to use of woody biomass as energy source, this engenders this second argument – burning of biomass would lead to the depletion of carbon sequestration ‘machines’, which will rout its goal of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, why should be grow trees and burn them for fuels? It kind of defeats its purpose of carbon sequestration. Fair argument. Well, Michael Palko from the Bureau of Forestry in Pennsylvania was sure to expound on the precepts of sustainable forestry in one of the lectures and in a field trip that culminated the camping.

EnergyPath2014 Olatomiwa Bifarin at expo table

Using Pennsylvania as a case study, he explained that a large amount of sustainable annual harvest could be made because of the natural regenerative growth rate of forests, however, best management practices (BMP) must be followed before, during and after wood harvesting. Some of which include reduction of fuel for wildfires, improving the forest regeneration through the removal of the low value timber and competing vegetation, reduction of the impacts of deer, among other practices.
Advanced Biofuels: are they genuinely sustainable?
Absolutely!
In a highly engaging discussion, this session of the conference saw several divergent views about the future of biofuel as a sustainable energy. The discussion – “Advanced biofuels: a truly sustainable renewable future” was led by Joanne Ivancic, the Executive Director of Advanced Biofuel USA. Here are some of the highlights:

Advanced Biofuels USA executive director, Joanne Ivancic, presenting at EnergyPath 2014

Does ethanol production affects corn prices? That was surely one of the pick of the discourse – a polemic issue in the United States, and in some other instances around the world; however, the widely claimed assertion that the price of corn increased because of ethanol production is not as bad as construed. Several rigorous economic analysis have divulged that attributing any hike in corn prices primarily to ethanol might be false, as a matter of fact, it has very little impact – considering the influence of other corn price-drivers like weather condition, price of gas, speculation, et cetera.
Furthermore, the role of distiller grains, a co-product of ethanol production should not be cold-shouldered. These are high protein-containing feed supplements for livestock, which are even exported to countries like China. Also, important to note, is that humans do not directly consume the type of corn used for ethanol production. The field corn which is used is different from the sweet corn consumed by humans, and field corn represents about 99% of the corn grown in the US.

(from left) Pamela Rockwell and Olatomiwa Bifarin staff the Advanced Biofuels USA EnergyPath 2014 Expo table.

The discourse would not be consummate without the issue of land use. There has being a bogus claim that presumed all the available land in the US is used for farming, therefore, anything that involves the use of land such as growing of corn for ethanol would proportionately lead to food shortages. That assumption is patently specious, the pith is – there is a plethora of land resources available, the resource is nowhere being depleted in supply. That being said, an important question to ask is – are even the available land resources used efficiently? And can we use residues and waste from existing crops as feedstock?
What More?
The advanced biofuel discussion is just one of the assorted presentations that took place at the conference on June 19 and 20, 2014. Other presentations include a panoply of sustainable energy topics such as combined heat and power, energy efficiency programs, sustainable innovation, fuel switching, reflective solar tracking, solar light rail, biogas systems, electricity supply in deregulated market among others.
A top presentation at the conference was the keynote dinner: “Ecosystems as Architecture” by John Szedi. In an enthralling talk, he described the integration of Living Machine™ technology – treating and reuse of waste water, with other natural energy and water systems in diverse environmental projects for idiosyncratic and aesthetic image coupled with several other benefits.
Other conference speakers include Ken Shuyler, Karl Rabago and Brent Alderfer who spoke on integration of renewables, value of solar among other issues. The conference also featured a science fair for middle and high school students with projects ranging from biofuels to energy efficient cars.

Judging of the high school and middle school science fair at EnergyPath 2014

The biofuels-related Science Fair presentations were:
“The Effect of Different Amounts of Additives Added to Biodiesel on Nitrogen Oxide Emissions” by Madison Cassel of Warwick High School
“What’s on the Menu? Fried Food and Biodiesel!” by Sneh Mittal of Manheim Township High School
“Biodiesel: Future’s Fuel?” by Courtney Vu of Berks Catholic High School

Which path will you take?
Climate change has become one of the most ‘hackneyed’ terms of the day, however, its reality is indubitable. It does not only threaten health and security, even the economy is not spared. Risky Business in a recent report released, on the economic risk of climate change in the United States, projected that by the year 2100 between $238 billion and $507 billion worth of coastal property will be below sea level – the ‘best’ way to convey the message of climate change – in dollars and cents.
The trend of energy use today – fossil fuels, is like a loaded gun pointed to the head of the planet, and knowing fully well that “ending is always more propitious than mending”, the take home question is, which path will you take?

References

Renewable energy: Wood – http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/energy/renewable/wood.php#5
Placing the 2006/08 Commodity Price Boom into Perspective – http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2010/07/21/000158349_20100721110120/Rendered/PDF/WPS5371.pdf
Don’t Ignore the Contribution of Distiller grains contributions – https://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/dont-ignore-contribution-of-distillers-grains
A Brief Lesson On Ethanol And Food Prices – https://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/forum-a-brief-lesson-on-ethanol-and-food-prices
NREL; Learning About Renewable Energy – http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biopower.html
Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change In the United States – http://bit.ly/1lMJjoW

*Olatomiwa Bifarin is studying for his Masters degree in Biotechnology at The Catholic University of America. As an intern at Advanced Biofuels USA, he represents the organization and reports on events in Washington, DC, and nearby areas.