COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EMISSIONS: FOSSIL FUELS AND BIOMASS COMBUSTION IN DOMESTIC HEATING
Ginevra Barbieri , PhD Student, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (DiSA), University of Udine, Via delle Scienze, loc. Rizzi, Udine, ItalyAbstract
Domestic heating contributes significantly to global emissions, with fossil fuels and biomass being the primary energy sources. This study provides a comparative analysis of emissions resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) and biomass (wood, pellets, and agricultural residues) in domestic heating systems. The research evaluates emission factors, including particulate matter (PM), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The analysis reveals that while biomass is often considered a renewable and carbon-neutral source, its combustion can release significant quantities of PM and VOCs. Conversely, fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, emit lower levels of particulate matter but contribute more to CO2 emissions. The study highlights the trade-offs between using biomass and fossil fuels, considering factors such as efficiency, environmental impact, and air quality. These findings aim to inform policymakers and stakeholders in making sustainable energy decisions for domestic heating.
Keywords
Domestic heating, Fossil fuels, Biomass combustion
References
Ahmed Khana A., Ahob M., De Jonga W., Vainikkab P.,Jansensa P.J., Spliethoffc H., Scale-up study on com-bustibility and emission formation with two biomass fu-els (B quality wood and pepper plant residue) underBFB conditions. Biomass and Bioenergy 32 (2008)1311-1321.
Bartolelli V., Lazzari M., Impiego energetico delle bio-masse vegetali in Italia. Rivista di Ingegneria agraria 4(2004), 21-28.
Bhattacharya S.C., Abdul Salam P., Mahen Sharma. Emis-sions from biomass energy use in some selected AsianCountries. Energy 25 (2000) 169-188.
Demirbas A., Potential applications of renewable energysources, biomass combustion problems in boiler powersystems and combustion related environmental issues.Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 31 (2005)171-192.
ENEA, National Agency for New Technologies, Energyand Environment, Lungotevere Thaon di Revel, 7600196 – Roma. Environment and energy relationship2006-2008.
Gubiani R., Lazzari M., Experiences of corn combustionfor low quality in a family boiler for low thermal power,full automated. AIIA 2005 “L’ingegneria agraria per losviluppo sostenibile dell’area mediterranea”, Catania 27-30 June 2005.
ITABIA, Italian Biomass Association, Via Acireale, 1900182 – Roma. Report 2008.
Johansson L.S., Leckner B., Gustavsson L., Cooper D.,Tullin C., Potter A., Emission characteristics of modernand old-type residential boilers fired with wood logs andwood pellets. Atmospheric Environment 38 (2004)4183-4195.
Koyuncu T., Pinar Y., The emissions from a space-heatingbiomass stove. Biomass and Bioenergy 31 (2007) 73-79.
Kristin A., Raymer P., A comparison of avoided greenhousegas emissions when using different kinds of wood ener-gy. Biomass and Bioenergy 30 (2006) 605-617.
Ndiema C.K.W., Mpendazoe F.M., Williams A., Emissionof pollutants from a biomass stove. Energy ConversionManagement (1998), 39 (13), 1357-67.
Article Statistics
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2024 Ginevra Barbieri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.