Biofuels n Microgen

Question 1

What are some of the issues with the use of biofuels in the developing world?

Answer 1

• Use is greater than supply (unsustainable)
• Deforestation
• Top-soil erosion
• Cooking indoors can lead to serious health problems (2 million premature deaths)

Question 2

Pros and cons of biomass boilers

Answer 2

+ Low emissions
+ Output can be scheduled
+ Fuel prices are cheaper in remoter areas than electric/oil
~ Expensive upfront cost
~ Cleaning (ash removal) and space required for storage of fuel pellets

Question 3

Biofuels in transport

Answer 3

• High production costs
• More fuel energy required compared to equivalent conventional transport fuels
• Not enough land to grow required amount of biofuels

Question 4

What was the FIT and RHI?

Answer 4

FIT - Feed-in-Tariff
- payment for renewable electricity generated (<5MW) and export payment
- proved to be successful, especially for PV as lead to substantial reductions in costs and emergence of subsidy free PV farms
- Replaced by Renewable Export Guarantee in 2019

Renewable Heat Incentive
- payments for heat production from renewable sources
- not as successful but still ongoing (8% of heat from renewables)

Question 5

How do the savings of heat pumps and Combined Heat n Power change as the grid decarbonises?

Answer 5

Heat pump savings improve as the grid decarbonises
CHP savings deteriorate as grid decarbonises

Question 6

What are some disadvantages of thermal storage?

Answer 6

Typically increase standby losses
Take up space

Question 7

What are some pros/cons of PV and heat pumps on the network?

Answer 7

Pros:
- PVs can provide power during high demand
- Heat pumps can absorb energy during high renewable generation

Cons:
- since feeding into low voltage network, surplus of PV power can cause high LV levels)
- Similarly, heat pumps can cause periods of low voltage by removing power