Table Of ContentADVANCES IN RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH
Advances in Renewable Energy
Research
Małgorzata Pawłowska & Artur Pawłowski
Lublin University of Technology, Lublin, Poland
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Fast methanification of liquid pig manure as an example for substrates with low organic
content
H. Schöne, A. Speetzen, I. Bernardes & M. de Oliveira
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Table of contents
Foreword vii
International Center for Renewable Energy (ICERN) Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) ix
About the editors xi
Fast methanification of liquid pig manure as an example for substrates with low
organic content 1
H. Schöne, I.B. Mendes de Oliveira & A. Speetzen
Development and demonstration of farm scale biogas biofilter systems for livestock
biogas applications in Taiwan 7
J.J. Su
New concept of biogas system as renewable energy and multi-generation systems for
sustainable agriculture-acceleration or selection of biochemical reaction 25
J. Takahashi
HVAC systems supported by renewable energy sources—studies carried out at the
Białystok University of Technology 33
M. Żukowski
Status and trends of PV agriculture in China 45
M. Zhao, P. Xu, X. Duan, Z. Cao & L. Pawłowski
Biofuels and the environment 57
M. Pawłowska & L. Pawłowski
Pretreatments to enhance the digestibility of recalcitrant waste—current trends 63
A. Montusiewicz & M. Pawłowska
Problems with energy supply 79
Z. Cao, L. Pawłowski & A. Duda
Author index 87
v
Foreword
Without the supply of an adequate amount of energy, the present civilization could not exist.
The technological revolution, which initiated the on-going development of the world, was
and is based mainly on the use of fossil fuels as a source of primary energy.
There is a growing concern that increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
particularly CO, are contributing to global climate change (IPCC, 2007). Atmospheric levels
2
of CO have risen significantly from preindustrial levels of 280 parts per million (ppm) to
2
present levels of 384 ppm. Evidence suggests that elevated atmospheric CO concentrations
2
are the result of a combination involving expanded use of fossil fuels for energy production
and transportation, land use conversion (deforestation), and soil cultivation.
The threats caused by climate change resulting from the emission of greenhouse gases,
especially carbon dioxide, are well-known. Less known, however, are the threats connected
with rapidly depleting fossil fuels. According to La Quere (La Quere et al. 2015), the fossil
fuel resources are being quickly depleted. Forecasts predict that the available deposits of gas
and crude oil will be exhausted within the next 50–70 years, whereas the deposits of coal –
will be depleted within 130–150 years. This means that there is an urgent need of acquiring
new sources of primary energy.
Therefore, developing renewable energy sources is necessary not only from the viewpoint
of climate protection, but also to ensure that new energy sources are available for the
functioning of civilizations. Within the period of 1950–2016, the consumption of primary
energy increased from 36.52 exajoules in 1950 to 102.73 exajoules in 2016. The consumption
of energy from renewable sources increased from 3.14 exajoules in 1950 to 10.82 exajoules
in 2016. This means that with the total increase of the primary energy in 1950–2016 by
281%, the consumption of energy from renewable sources increased with 341%, including
the consumption of energy derived from biomass which increased from 1.65 exajoules in
1950 to 5.02 exajoules in 2016, i.e. 305%. On the other hand, the share of biomass in the
pool of renewable energy, including biogas, dropped from 52% in 1950 to 46.8% in 2016.
Nevertheless, the energy acquired from biomass still constitutes almost half of the energy
derived from renewable sources.
The largest producer of biofuels is the USA, which produces approximately 35,000 metric
tons of oil equivalent per year. The second most important producer of biofuels is Brazil,
with an output of 18,500 metric tons of oil equivalent per year. In EU countries, Germany is
the largest producer of biofuels, yielding 3,200 metric tons of oil equivalent per year, followed
by France, producing 2,200 metric tons of oil equivalent per year. A great interest in the
production of biofuels is observed in China, which is the 7th country in the world in terms of
biofuel production, yielding slightly more than 2,000 metric tons of oil equivalent per year.
The use of biomass as a source of primary energy differs greatly in developing and
developed countries. In the former, biomass – mainly wood – is one of the basic sources
of primary energy. On the other hand, in the developed countries, advanced methods of
biomass use for energy purposes are being developed, especially for the production of biogas
and liquid biofuels: ethanol and biodiesel. Biomass from special plantations is usually used
for the production of these advanced biofuels.
However, many uncertainties remain for the future of biofuels, including competition from
unconventional fossil fuel alternatives and concerns about environmental tradeoffs. Perhaps
vii
the biggest uncertainty is the extent to which the land intensity of current biofuel production
can be reduced.
The development of biofuels, while reducing the demand for fossil fuels, may also constitute
a threat. Allocating increasing areas of land for the cultivation of subsidized energy crops
leads to the limitation of food production, and consequently, to an increase of food prices
which can already be noticed. Moreover, negative environmental consequences have been
observed, e.g. elimination of tropical forests by the energy crops plantations. This may even
lead to an increased CO emission, because the tropical forests are replaced with energy crops,
2
which absorb a smaller amount of CO.
2
This does not mean that the development of currently used biofuels is a negative
phenomenon. However, conducting a full LCA of each technology to be used is necessary in
order to eliminate the ones which do not achieve positive results in terms of environmental
protection.
During the conference, researchers from Germany, Poland, Ukraine, China, Japan and
Taiwan presented the results of works carried out in these countries related to the production
of biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel from wastes and purposely cultivated crops.
REFERENCES
IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to
the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team,
Pachauri, R.K. and Reisinger, A. (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 104 pp.
La Quere, C. et al. 2015, Global Carbon Budget 2015, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 7, 349–396, 2015.
viii
International Center for Renewable Energy (ICERN)
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
MISSION
The International Center for Renewable Energy (ICERN) is an independent non-governmen-
tal organization based in Lublin, Poland. The ICERN is a center of excellence in renewable
energy that supports and promotes development and application of technologies to produce
energy from renewable sources and solid and liquid wastes.
The ICERN mission is also to broaden the base of expert input on the development of
effective public policy for renewable energy and to provide a channel through which leading
scientists in the field of renewable energy community can have their views known.
ICERN MAJOR TOPIC AREAS
The following areas of special interest for ICERN are:
1. Development of bio-based technologies to produce energy from solid and liquid wastes.
2. Development of methods for biological sequestration of CO
2
3. Development of solar energy technologies for electricity and cooling/heating
4. Perspective technologies of wind energy
5. Development of geothermal energy technologies
6. Technology of small hydro power
7. Development and application of method for renewable energy technologies, including
LCA
8. Development of pretreatment methods of biomass to enhance biogas production
9. To setup a subcenter of ICERN in China for PV-agriculture Research and Development
in NAU
10. Development of design and planning ability for coordination and balance between
renewable energy industry and other industries
11. Interaction of remediation technology and fertilizer cycles in bioenergy systems
Promotion of research and development within the above-mentioned areas has technology
and industry scope. It focuses on:
• thought leadership,
• positive positioning of renewable energy bringing it into the mainstream of energy produc-
tion in the EU and other countries,
• benefits to the nations in the context of environment and human welfare
ICERN ACTIVITIES
The ICERN program is implemented through:
• joint partner application for research and industrial funds,
• development of educational modules,
• organization of promotion events, such as specialty symposia, conferences
ix
