Biomass
Solar energy stored by plants: wood, crop residues, dung and energy crops.
Natural sources · Solar-derived flows · No. 8
- Natural sources
- Origin: Indirect solar
- Renewable: Yes, if regrown
Land plants capture almost four times humanity's yearly energy use, but most already goes to food, feed and timber.
Chart: Illustration: Biomass
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Photosynthesis stores sunlight in plant matter; land plants fix around 2,200 EJ a year, and people burn, digest or ferment some for about 56 EJ of energy.
Three things to know
- Traditional burning of wood, charcoal, dung and crop waste makes up more than half of all bioenergy use.
- Tropical rainforests and savannas account for over 60% of plant growth on land; deserts and tundra under 3%.
- Global land growth in July-September is about 60% higher than in January-March, because most land is northern.
The journey
- 1 SunlightFalls on leaves across the land
- 2 PhotosynthesisCO2 and water become plant matter
- 3 BiomassWood, crop residues, dung and energy crops
- 4 ConversionBurned, digested, fermented or gasified
- 5 UsesCooking, heating, electricity and liquid fuels