Advanced Energy Perspectives

Biogas for commercial use is a product of anaerobic digestion, a method in which microorganisms break down organic matter in an oxygen-starved environment, and one of the oldest processing technologies. It is captured in modern land fills (land fill gas, or “LFG”) and biodigesters, which treat a range of organic waste streams. While biogas is a combination of gases and other volatile impurities, its main component (50% to 70%) is methane (CH4), the same as natural gas. As such, biogas can be combusted to produce electricity and heat. It can also be upgraded to pure biomethane or renewable natural gas (RNG) through the process of removing the impurities and other gases, making it suitable for transport by pipeline or compressed to fuel CNG vehicles.

This post is one in a series featuring the complete slate of advanced energy technologies outlined in the report This Is Advanced Energy.

Second generation biofuels describes a wide range of fuel pathways that offer one or more advantages over first generation biofuels. The distinguishing characteristics of second generation biofuels are: (a) they use a non-food feedstock (so-called lignocellulosic biomass, such as field crops residues, forest products residues, or fast-growing dedicated energy crops), and (b) the fuel
is a “drop-in” replacement for conventional petroleum-based fuels, meaning there are no limits on blending, or they can be used as is (without blending) in existing vehicles. Some second generation biofuels feature both characteristics, whereas others offer just one. The following are the main types of second generation biofuels in use or under development:

The building envelope consists of all the elements of a building that separate its interior from the exterior environment: external walls, insulation, windows, and roofing. Advanced building envelope materials can reduce building energy use and costs by lowering heating and cooling loads, which account for roughly 50% of energy consumed by a typical U.S. home and 40% in commercial buildings. Heating and cooling loads can be reduced by as much as 40% simply by using efficient building envelope technologies. Roof and attic insulation alone can reduce heating and cooling needs by 10% to 15%.