Solar-Biomass Hybrid System Meets House Heating Needs for Winters, Research Suggests

Researchers described a computer simulation model that addresses the issue of solar power's inherent intermittency by including biomass as another renewable energy source to develop a dependable, economical heating solution while lowering carbon dioxide emissions.

The solar-biomass hybrid system described is based on distributed multi-generation technology that combines photovoltaic, thermal, and biomass power sources.

Solar biomass hybrid

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When an organic matter power source is added to a solar energy unit, it may supply 100% warmth for a single-story home during the coldest months of the year while also helping the environment.

During the summer, the system may create excess power that may be sold back to the grid, as per ScienceDaily.

Researchers from China and the United States described a computer simulation model that addresses the dilemma of solar power's underlying intermittent nature by adding biomass another renewable resource to progress a dependable, affordably priced heating solution while lowering carbon dioxide emissions in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, published by AIP Publishing.

Co-author Gaoyang Hou remarked that they illustrated how this hybrid system delivered a cleaner, more energy-efficient heating option than fossil fuel in single-family houses.

The technology would be useful in rural areas, where farms produce enormous volumes of biomass in the form of agricultural waste that can be paired with solar power to bridge the urban-rural electricity divide, while also helping the environment.

The solar-biomass hybrid system presented is based on distributed multi-generation technology that merges PV/T and biomass power sources.

Renewable organic materials, such as maize husks, nut shells, wood pulp, and food and animal wastes are used to make biomass.

TRNSYS (short for transient system simulation tool) is a modular thermal system program that may be used to evaluate the performance of both thermal and electrical renewable energy systems.

A PV/T collector, heat pump, storage tank with an immersed coiled-tube heat exchanger, flow diverters, and a backup electric boiler were among the components in their hybrid system simulation.

The researchers are working on a solar-biomass system model to satisfy the heating and cooling needs of a small commercial building, with the goal of constructing a prototype for testing.

Also Read: Low Temperature Fuel Cells Can Run on Biomass

Biomass energy

(Photo : DAVID HECKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Organic biomass is made up of material derived from living creatures such as plants and animals.

Plants, wood, and garbage are the most frequent biomass sources utilized for energy.

Biomass feedstocks are what they're termed. Biomass energy may be a nonrenewable source of energy.

Furthermore, biomass is made up of energy that comes from the sun. Plants use photosynthesis to absorb the sun's energy and transform carbon dioxide and water into nutrition (carbohydrates).

These creatures' energy can be converted into useable energy in both direct and indirect ways.

Biomass can be burned directly to provide heat, turned directly to electricity, or processed into biofuel (indirect).

Thermal conversion can be used to burn biomass for energy.

The biomass feedstock is heated to burn, dehydrate, or stabilize it during thermal conversion.

Raw materials, such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and scraps from paper or timber mills, are the most common biomass feedstocks for thermal conversion.

However, biomass must first be dried before it can be burnt.

Torrefaction is the name for this chemical reaction. Biomass is heated to around 200° to 320° Celsius (390° to 610° Fahrenheit) during torrefaction.

The biomass dries out to the point that it can no longer absorb moisture and rots. It loses around 20% of its original bulk but keeps 90% of its energy. The torrefaction process can be fueled by the lost energy and mass.