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Renewable Energy in San Francisco

Solar Energy & Sustainable Energy

Biomass Conversion Technology

Benefits over traditional Coal-Fired Power Generation

  • Smaller physical size
  • Greater efficiency rate per pound of fuel
  • No smoke stack or stack emissions
  • No waste dispersion
  • Income and business opportunities from the sale of conversion products
  • Tax benefits for recycling and pollution reduction
  • Conservation of fuel by recycling and re-using resources traditionally seen as waste.
  • Easier approvals process and more flexibility in siting locations.

Plants, trees and waste are among the renewable materials which can be used in Biomass Conversion.  When done properly, Biomass Conversion is a highly efficient, closed system for recycling and optimizing energy. Conversion differs radically from incineration, which merely reduces a compound to ash by burning it and capturing the energy. Conversion occurs on the total mass and energy balance. This means no product from the system is vented or wasted. Instead all products of conversion are captured and marketed as products. The products are highly refined; because of their high quality, they have a higher than average market price. Biomass Conversion is an optimally efficient recycling system.

The process produces no nitrous oxides or sulfur dioxides. The synthetic gas produced in the system offers both thermal energy for efficiently generating steam and chemical energy for making clean fuels. Biomass feedstock from various sources will contain different elements. These are refined into salable materials. The result is a full cycle, "cradle to cradle" system of recycling.

Certification. With no smoke stack, no health hazards created, no regulated compounds and no incineration, these systems require no air quality permit from the state or federal EPA under current statutes. Under title 40 CFR there is no mandate to open the environmental impact statement to public comment. The reduction in regulatory and permitting procedures means a system can be brought into operation an average of three years sooner than with polluting technologies.

Location is not as great an issue with local communities since there are no emissions or odors associated with the process itself.

Products: all process products are salable. This substantially offsets the cost of system operation and improves profitability.

Internal Revenue Codes allow businesses using closed cycle processes to receive tax credits for recycling, energy optimization, pollution free energy production and pollution abatement.