The Future of Renewable Energy and Opportunities for Agriculture in the Northeast NY

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The Future of Renewable Energy and
Opportunities for Agriculture in the Northeast
(NY)

• Norman R. Scott
• Department of Biological Environmental
  Engineering
• Cornell University
• nrs5_at_cornell.edu

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The Big Question
How do we meet the energy and material needs of a
sustainable global community?
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US Primary Energy Consumption
U.S. Energy Consumption by Source
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To get 1000 MW electrical
Method Investment needed Photovoltaic
100 km2 _at_ 10 efficiency (40 sq.
miles) Windmills 6,660 wind turbines _at_ 150 kW
(20 m blades) 666 wind turbines _at_ 1.5 MW (40 m
blades) Biogas 7,143,000 cows
60,000,000 pigs 800,000,000
chickens Bioalcohol 6,200 km2 of sugar beets
(2,400 sq. miles) 7,400 km2 of potatoes
(2,800 sq. miles) 16,100 km2 of corn
(6,200 sq. miles) 272,000 km2 of wheat
(104,00 sq. miles) Bio-oil 24,000 km2
of rapeseed (9,000 sq. miles) Biomass
30,000 km2 of wood (12,000 sq. miles) U.
Mich.-Schwank
SourceGottfried Besenbruch, General Atomics
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Agricultural Importance

• Agriculture as a source for food, natural raw
  materials for bioindustries and energy will
  increasingly be a major engine to drive our
  transition to a sustainable world.

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The Sun Grant Initiative
Bring the best research in the Northeast for
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SUN GRANT CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
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All biomass is local!
www.nesungrant.cornell.edu
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Chemical Constituents ( dry matter)
Protein Lignin Cellulose Hemicellulose
Ash Other
1 ton dry Corn stover
1 ton dry alfalfa
1 ton dry bagasse
(Broder and Barrier, Advances in New Crops, 1990)
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Cornell Biomass Activities

• Sun Grant Initiative,
• Industrial Biotechnology Activities,
• Multidisciplinary Graduate Education and Training
  Activities,
• Industrial Ecology Activities

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Cellulose Conversion to Energy and Industrial
Products
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Reports NRC and US DOE
Data sources Plant/Crop-based Renewable
Resources 2020, DOE (1999) Biobased Industrial
Products Research Commercialization
Priorities, NRC-CLS (2000)
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Biomass is the only renewable that directly
reduces our dependency on liquid fuels.
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Biomass

• 25X25 Agricultures Role in Ensuring U.S. Energy
  Independence- August 2004
• Ending the Energy Stalemate (National Commission
  on Energy Policy- Dec. 2004)
• Growing Energy How Biofuels Can Help End
  Americas Oil Dependence (NRDC Dec. 2004)
• Winning the Oil End Game (RMI- 2004)
• A Billion-Ton Feedstock Supply for a Bioenergy
  and Bioproducts Industry Technical Feasibility
  of Annually Supplying 1 Billion Dry Tons of
  Biomass (Oak Ridge National Laboratory for USDA
  DOE- Feb. 2005)

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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Resource
Development Potential in N.Y. State

• Results
• Significant technical potential for efficiency
  and renewable energy
• Much of the of this theoretical potential would
  be economical compared to conventional
  electricity generation
• Results vary widely among the individual
  efficiency and renewable technologies
• August 2003 NYSERDA Report

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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Resource
Development Potential in N.Y. State

• Results
• Efficiency and renewable energy
  
  could be expected to reduce NYs
  annual electricity generation needs by 19,939 GWh
  by 2012 27,244 GWh by 2022
• This represents 12.7 and 16.1 of expected
  statewide requirements
• These contributions could be achieved at costs
  below the conventional generation avoided.
• August 2003 NYSERDA Report

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Reports USDOE/USDA- Billion-Ton Annual Supply
The 30 goal set by the joint biomass advisory
committee to USDA and DOE would require 1 billion
dry tons of biomass feedstock per year. Is the
US capable of producing a sustainable supply of
biomass to meet this goal AND continue to supply
food, feed, fiber and export demands?
YES The report considered the two largest
potential biomass sources Forest and
Agricultural land, and found that the US has a
sustainable potential exceeding 1.3 billion dry
tons per year. This would be enough biomass to
meet more than one-third of our current demand
for transportation fuels.
Source Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and
Bioproducts Industry The Technical Feasibility
of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply, USDOE,E.E.R.E.,
Biomass Program (2005)
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Reports USDOE/USDA- Billion-Ton Annual Supply
How much more biomass is that? More than a
six-fold increase in production from the amount
of biomass currently consumed for bioenergy and
biobased products.

• 933 million dry tons of sustainably-removable
  biomass from agricultural lands
• 425 million dry tons of annual crop residues
• 377 million dry tons of perennial crops (e.g.,
  grasses)
• 56 million dry tons of biofuel-grains
• 75 million dry tons of animal manures, process
  and other misc. residues
• 368 million dry tons of sustainably-removable
  biomass from forestlands
• 52 million dry tons of fuelwood from residential
  commercial applications
• 144 million dry tons of residues from wood mills
  and pulp/paper mills
• 47 million dry tons of urban wood wastes,
  construction debris
• 64 million dry tons of residues from logging/site
  clearing operations
• 60 million dry tons from fuel treatment
  operations to reduce fire hazards

Source Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and
Bioproducts Industry The Technical Feasibility
of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply, USDOE,E.E.R.E.,
Biomass Program (2005)
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Reports USDOE/USDA- Billion-Ton Annual Supply
How could we accomplish this? The report makes
the following assumptions.

• Yields of corn, wheat and other small grains have
  increased by 50
• Soybeans have an increased residue-to-grain ratio
  of 21
• Harvest technology is capable of taking 75 of
  annual crop residues (when removal is
  sustainable)
• All cropland is managed with no-till methods
• 55 million acres of cropland, idle cropland, and
  cropland pasture are dedicated to the production
  of perennial bioenergy crops
• All manure in excess of that which is applied
  on-farm for soil improvement under anticipated
  EPA restrictions is used for biofuel and
• All other residues and wastes are utilized.

Source Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and
Bioproducts Industry The Technical Feasibility
of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply, USDOE,E.E.R.E.,
Biomass Program (2005)
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Analysis Winning the Oil end-game
How could we accomplish this?

• Authors conclude that it will cost LESS to
  displace all of the oil that the United States
  now uses than it will cost to BUY that oil.
• Saving HALF the oil America uses, and
  substituting cheaper alternatives requires four
  integrated steps
• Double the efficiency of using oil
• Apply creative business models and public
  policies to speed adoption of super-efficient
  automobiles, trucks and airplanes.
• PROVIDE ONE-FOURTH of US OIL NEEDS BY A MAJOR
  DOMESTIC BIOFUELS INDUSTRY
• Use established, profitable efficiency techniques
  to save half of the projected 2025 use of natural
  gas.

Source Winning the Oil Endgame Innovation for
Profits, Jobs and Security,Amory B. Lovins, E.
Kyle Datta, Odd-Even Bustnes, Jonathan G. Koomey
and Nathan J. Glasgow edited by Beatrice T.
Aranow (2005)
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Analysis Ag Energy Working Group
Agriculture will provide 25 of the total energy
consumed in the United States by 2025, while
continuing to produce abundant, safe and
affordable food and fiber.

• BENEFITS
• increased farm income
• added value uses for farm products and wastes,
• productive use of marginal lands,
• reduced reliance on government payments to
  maintain viability of US agriculture,
• increased rural economic diversity and job
  opportunities.
• BARRIERS
• inadequate focus on renewable energy
  opportunities
• lack of a strategic vision defining the
  agricultural sectors role in producing energy
• lack of a detailed action plan for developing and
  implementing new energy solutions from US
  agriculture.

Source 25 by 25, Agricultures Role in Ensuring
U.S. Energy Independence- A blueprint for Action,
Ag Energy Working Group and Energy Future
Coalition (2004)
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NEW YORK BIOMASS RESOURCES
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NEW YORK BIOMASS RESOURCES
Data source Woodbury et al., 2005, Evaluating
strategies for biomass fuel production in New
York State.
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NEW YORK BIOMASS RESOURCES
1.2 million acres
1.5 million acres
2.1 million acres
2.2 million acres
19.7 million acres
6.2 million acres
Data source Woodbury et al., 2005, Evaluating
strategies for biomass fuel production in New
York State.
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NEW YORK BIOMASS FEEDSTOCKS
Feedstocks identified as potential sources of
Biomass in the New York and their relative
availability ( of combined feedstocks) at the
delivered price of less than 50 per dry ton.
Data Sources Biomass Feedstock Availability in
the United States 1999 State Level Analysis,
(Walsh et al., 2000) Animal manure data from
Census of Agriculture, Combusted MSW is
calculated based on population, producing 4.6 lbs
MSW/d and 17 MSW is combusted (data from EPA)
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Total US Wind Installed Capacity10,492 MW as of
September 2006
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Energy Converters

• Diesel engine
• Microturbines
• Fuel cells
• Stirling engine

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Total biogas production and biogas production per
cow per day
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Energy produced and net energy to grid at AA
Dairy
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Interesting Possibility Co-generation w/ Food
Wastes

• Benefits for Farmer
• Increased biogas production
• Improved gas quality (reduced concentrations of
  H2S
• Tipping fees can be substantial
• Benefit for Food Waste
• Potential Savings for disposal

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Distributed Electrical Generation

• Combining a geographical information system (GIS)
  and process engineering to design an
  agricultural-industrial ecosystem
• Dairy manure-derived distributed generation

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Turning Waste to EnergyWeb sitewww.wastetoener
gy.cornell.eduInternet-based GIS tool to locate
sources of manure (CAFOs), food processors,
supermarkets, landfills, colleges, prisons, etc.
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Arhus Nord
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Community AD System
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Large Scale Plant
Storage of Liquid
Solid/Liquid Separation Biomass divided into
total solids and liquids
Solids Storage
Sanitation Biomass Heated at 70 Celsius Degrees
for 1hr
Manure Storage Tank
Anaerobic Digester
Total Solids for Export Phosphorus and Organic
Nitrogen
Biogas
Industrial Waste Storage Tank
Sanitation Biomass Heated at 70 Celsius Degrees
for 1hr
Anaerobic Digester
Solid/Liquid Separation Biomass divided into
total solids and liquids
Dead animals
The CHP Plant
Destruction Etc.
Storage of Liquid
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TAKING STOCK IN NEW YORK
What contribution could biomass energy make to
residential electricity supply in NY (based on
average of 6000 kWh/household/year)?
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• A technical and economic assessment of processing
  biogas for injection to the natural gas pipeline,
  while dependent on parameters of biogas quantity,
  price for processed biogas, proximity of the
  biogas producer to the natural gas pipeline and
  the interest rate, suggests that a real
  possibility exists for injecting biogas to the
  natural gas pipeline dependent, of course, on the
  values of the parameters indicated. (Acceptance
  by utility ?)

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Future-scenario
raw materials electricity
Products
Food Processing
Fodder Processing
Other Industries
Fodder electricity
Electricity
Manure
Poultry Farm
Cropland
Electricity
Electricity
Dairy Farm
Manure
Biogas
Biogas
Greenhouses
Swine Farm
Manure
Digester
Biogas (for heating)
Liquid Solids (nutrients)
Liquid (fish fodder)
Fruit Trees
Fish Farm
Manure
Electricity
Biogas
Products
Residences
Products
electricity
Liumingyin Village
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Chongming island Location

• Longitude 121º0930?121º5400?E
• Latitude 31º 27 00?31 º 5115? N
• Lying on the estuary of the Yangtze River
• Surrounded by the Yangtze River, the east
  China Sea on the east, the Pudong New Area on
  the south and Jiangshu province on the north

Chongming island climate

• Lying in the north subtropical zone
• Mean annual temperature 15.2?
• Mean annual relative humidity 85
• Mean annual precipitation 1026.5mm

Chongming island size

• 80 km long from the east to west
• 13-18km wide from the south to the north
• Area of 1267 square kilometer
• Over 90 of the land level is between 3.21m
  to 4.2m

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To develop Chongming Island into an ecological
island

• Conserving natural wetlands
• Establishing nature-oriented forests
• Promoting eco-agriculture
• Developing natural and renewable energy (solar,
  wind, biomass etc.) and ecological buildings,
  etc.

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Clean Energy Scenario

• Efficiency and renewable energy technologies will
  overtake fossil fuels and inefficient end-use
  devices because they have superior attributes and
  barriers inhibiting their adoption are overcome,
  not because the world will run out of oil, coal
  and gas.

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• Agriculture as a source for food, natural raw
  materials for bioindustries and energy will
  increasingly be a major engine to drive our
  transition to a sustainable world. Engineering
  systems make it possible but people make it
  happen!