Bioenergy Basics

Bioenergy technologies use renewable biomass resources to produce an array of energy related products including electricity, liquid, solid, and gaseous fuels, heat, chemicals, and other materials. According to the US Department of Energy, bioenergy ranks second (to hydropower) in renewable U.S. primary energy production and accounts for three percent of the primary energy production in the United States.

The term “biomass” means any plant derived organic matter available on a renewable basis.  Forest residuals, such as limbs, tops, and other non merchantable logs that are often left to decay in the forest, are sources of biomass that can be converted to biofuels/bioenergy. Converting forest biomass to bioenergy can be a substitute for fossil fuels in the production of wood based building materials. The substitution of bioenergy for fossil fuels is very important when comparing the net carbon output of forest products and non-forest products.

Life cycle assessment of biochar produced from forest residues using portable system
Maureen Puettmann, Kamalakanta Sahoo, Kelpie Wilson, Elaine Oneil

Residual Biomass-To-Energy Life Cycle Emissions Accounting Framework
Elaine Oneil

Life-Cycle Carbon from Waste Wood Used in District Heating and Other Alternatives
Bruce Lippke, Maureen E. Puettmann

Using Life-Cycle Assessments to Demonstrate the Impact of Using Wood Waste as a Renewable Fuel in Urban Settings for District Heating
Maureen E. Puettmann, Bruce Lippke

Forest Products Journal

Special Issue ~ Environmental Performance of Wood-Based Biofuels

CORRIM has been developing comprehensive environmental performance information on wood building materials consistent with life-cycle standards. The articles published in this Special Issue extend the research on the environmental performance of wood products to include the impacts from the uses of wood as a source for bioenergy.

Evaluating the Environmental Performance of Wood-Based Biofuels
Bruce Lippke, Richard Bergman, Adam Taylor, Maureen E. Puettmann

Comparing Life-Cycle Carbon and Energy Impacts for Biofuel, Wood Product, and Forest Management Alternatives
Bruce Lippke, Richard Gustafson, Richard Venditti, Philip Steele, Timothy A. Volk, Elaine Oneil, Leonard Johnson, Maureen E. Puettmann, Kenneth Skog

Modeling Biomass Collection and Woods Processing Life-Cycle Analysis
Leonard Johnson, Bruce Lippke, Elaine Oneil

Woody Biomass Substitution for Thermal Energy at Softwood Lumber Mills in the US Inland Northwest
Maureen E. Puettmann, Bruce Lippke

Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Inventory and Impact Assessment of Wood Fuel Pellet Manufacturing from Hardwood Flooring Residues in the Southeastern United States
Daniel Reed, Richard Bergman, Jae-Woo Kim, Adam Taylor, David Harper, David Jones, Chris Knowles, Maureen E. Puettmann

Life-Cycle Inventory of Wood Pellet Manufacturing and Utilization in Wisconsin
John F. Katers, Adam J. Snippen, Maureen E. Puettmann

Carbon Emission Reduction Impacts from Alternative Biofuels
Bruce Lippke, Maureen E. Puettmann, Leonard Johnson, Richard Gustafson, Richard Venditti, Philip Steele, John F. Katers, Adam Taylor, Timothy A. Volk, Elaine Oneil, Kenneth Skog, Erik Budsberg, Jesse Daystar, Jesse Caputo

Life-Cycle Assessment for the Production of Bioethanol from Willow Biomass Crops via Biochemical Conversion
Erik Budsberg, Mohit Rastogi, Maureen E. Puettmann, Jesse Caputo, Stephen Balogh, Timothy A. Volk, Richard Gustafson, Leonard Johnson

Life-Cycle Assessment of Bioethanol from Pine Residues via Indirect Biomass Gasification to Mixed Alcohols
Jesse Daystar, Carter Reeb, Richard Venditti, Ronalds Gonzalez, Maureen E. Puettmann

Life-Cycle Assessment of Pyrolysis Bio-Oil Production
Philip Steele, Maureen E. Puettmann, Venkata Kanthi Penmetsa, Jerome E. Cooper