Biomass CHP Energy Systems: A Critical Assessment

Book chapter, 2012

Combined heat and power (CHP) generation is generally considered a measure to increase the overall efficiency of energy systems. Biomass-fueled CHP represents thus an alternative for the combination of an efficient energy technology and a renewable, climate-neutral fuel. Even though biomass CHP presents several advantages, the deployment is linked to a number of complex issues. Often the involved complexities are not connected to the technology as such, but rather to system issues regarding how to view, and what to assume, about the technology’s system surrounding. The system boundaries can be very broad because of the versatility of biomass, its many end uses, and the wide range of possible displacement effects. In this chapter, system aspects of biomass energy systems including CHP are analyzed and discussed.