school energy&environment
Biomass
In 2015 biomasses satisfied 9.7% of energy requirement worldwide (International Energy Agency Key World Energy Statistics 2017). Exploitation of this resource is not distributed homogeneously across the Planet. The vegetation that covers our planet is a natural storage of solar energy. The organic matter composing it is called biomass. Biomass is produced through the photosynthesis process, when carbon dioxide from the atmosphere combines with underground water to produce sugars, starch, cellulose, lignin, protein substances, fats, etc. The same solar energy that activated the photosynthesis is contained in the chemical bonds of these substances. In this way 2 x 1011 tons of carbon are fixed each year, with a corresponding energy content of 70 x 103 megatons of oil.
subjects dealt with in Biomass
Biomass knowledge
The vegetation which covers our planet is a natural deposit of solar energy. The organic matter it is made of…
Energy production
The technologies used to obtain energy (biopower) from different types of biomass are different and the resulting energy products are…
Biomass plants
A district-heating system consists of a transport network and a heat production plant, which serves more than one building at…
Biofuels
The word biofuel may refer to the fuels used for the production of electric energy, but in general it refers…
special reports
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22 May 2016 / Energy
Green chemistry
A bit of history Chemistry accompanies man from that day long ago when coarse hands full of hope put out…
12 June 2022 / Energy
Wind power in Italy: where do we stand?
Humans have been using wind power since ancient times. Indeed, wind power has been used for thousands of years in…
30 April 2022 / Energy
Solar energy in Italy: where do we stand?
The Sun is the main source of energy on our planet, from which we derive almost all the forms of…
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5 September 2021 / Energy
Faraday, an electrifying biography
"The important thing is to know how to take all things quietly". This is one of the most famous quotes…
14 July 2021 / Energy
Italy's renewable sources
Renewable energy sources in Italy The Energy Services Operator (GSE) periodically publishes data and statistics on the renewable energy sources…
18 February 2021 / Energy
Is lithium the new petroleum?
In 1925, Charlie Chaplin dedicated one of his most famous films to the “gold rush”, a phenomenon that in the…
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6 June 2020 / Energy
Let's compost properly!
Small introductory manual for aspiring composters Once upon a time there was the orange peel Once upon a time there…
17 March 2020 / Energy
Energy and renewable sources: what is the current status?
The relentless growth of renewable energy sources continues... The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (Ren21) periodically publishes…
9 March 2020 / Energy
Everything is transformed
At primary school we learn that nothing is created and nothing is destroyed. We have heard this phrase so many…
-
22 May 2016 / Energy
Green chemistry
A bit of history Chemistry accompanies man from that day long ago when coarse hands full of hope put out…
12 June 2022 / Energy
Wind power in Italy: where do we stand?
Humans have been using wind power since ancient times. Indeed, wind power has been used for thousands of years in…
-
30 April 2022 / Energy
Solar energy in Italy: where do we stand?
The Sun is the main source of energy on our planet, from which we derive almost all the forms of…
5 September 2021 / Energy
Faraday, an electrifying biography
"The important thing is to know how to take all things quietly". This is one of the most famous quotes…
-
14 July 2021 / Energy
Italy's renewable sources
Renewable energy sources in Italy The Energy Services Operator (GSE) periodically publishes data and statistics on the renewable energy sources…
18 February 2021 / Energy
Is lithium the new petroleum?
In 1925, Charlie Chaplin dedicated one of his most famous films to the “gold rush”, a phenomenon that in the…
-
6 June 2020 / Energy
Let's compost properly!
Small introductory manual for aspiring composters Once upon a time there was the orange peel Once upon a time there…
17 March 2020 / Energy
Energy and renewable sources: what is the current status?
The relentless growth of renewable energy sources continues... The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (Ren21) periodically publishes…
-
9 March 2020 / Energy
Everything is transformed
At primary school we learn that nothing is created and nothing is destroyed. We have heard this phrase so many…
-
22 May 2016 / Energy
Green chemistry
A bit of history Chemistry accompanies man from that day long ago when coarse hands full of hope put out…
-
12 June 2022 / Energy
Wind power in Italy: where do we stand?
Humans have been using wind power since ancient times. Indeed, wind power has been used for thousands of years in…
-
30 April 2022 / Energy
Solar energy in Italy: where do we stand?
The Sun is the main source of energy on our planet, from which we derive almost all the forms of…
-
5 September 2021 / Energy
Faraday, an electrifying biography
"The important thing is to know how to take all things quietly". This is one of the most famous quotes…
-
14 July 2021 / Energy
Italy's renewable sources
Renewable energy sources in Italy The Energy Services Operator (GSE) periodically publishes data and statistics on the renewable energy sources…
-
18 February 2021 / Energy
Is lithium the new petroleum?
In 1925, Charlie Chaplin dedicated one of his most famous films to the “gold rush”, a phenomenon that in the…
-
6 June 2020 / Energy
Let's compost properly!
Small introductory manual for aspiring composters Once upon a time there was the orange peel Once upon a time there…
-
17 March 2020 / Energy
Energy and renewable sources: what is the current status?
The relentless growth of renewable energy sources continues... The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (Ren21) periodically publishes…
-
9 March 2020 / Energy
Everything is transformed
At primary school we learn that nothing is created and nothing is destroyed. We have heard this phrase so many…
from the Multimedia section
curiosities
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Hydrogen from biomass
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that allows to generate energy in an environmentally sustainable way...
Peat and peat-bogs
The age of coal starts towards the mid 1600s, stimulated by the need for finding an alternative energy source to…
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Hydrogen from the sugar cane
The Centro di Ricerca Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (CIRPS) carried out a study in Peru...
Some curiosities about methane hydrates
The melting of the ice cells, not only brings about the release of methane gas, but it also produces another…
Where does energy come from?
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need...
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Electricity and electrons
In all electric plants, excluding photovoltaic solar plants, mechanic energy is transformed into electric energy through the same basic procedure...
ITER fusion reactor
The reactor that will be able to produce electronuclear energy without risk of explosion or radioactive waste...
Geographical distribution of energy
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need. Unfortunately we cannot exploit all this…
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Orimulsion
In order to improve supply security, and therefore the diversification of sources to produce electric energy...
Bio-climatic architecture
Solar energy is playing a vital role with reference to bioclimatic architecture...
The plant of Almeria
In the Tabernas desert, 30 km north-east of the Andalusia town of Almeria (Spain)...
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Hydrogen from biomass
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that allows to generate energy in an environmentally sustainable way...
-
Peat and peat-bogs
The age of coal starts towards the mid 1600s, stimulated by the need for finding an alternative energy source to…
Hydrogen from the sugar cane
The Centro di Ricerca Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (CIRPS) carried out a study in Peru...
-
Some curiosities about methane hydrates
The melting of the ice cells, not only brings about the release of methane gas, but it also produces another…
Where does energy come from?
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need...
-
Electricity and electrons
In all electric plants, excluding photovoltaic solar plants, mechanic energy is transformed into electric energy through the same basic procedure...
ITER fusion reactor
The reactor that will be able to produce electronuclear energy without risk of explosion or radioactive waste...
-
Geographical distribution of energy
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need. Unfortunately we cannot exploit all this…
-
Hydrogen from biomass
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that allows to generate energy in an environmentally sustainable way...
-
Peat and peat-bogs
The age of coal starts towards the mid 1600s, stimulated by the need for finding an alternative energy source to…
-
Hydrogen from the sugar cane
The Centro di Ricerca Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile (CIRPS) carried out a study in Peru...
-
Some curiosities about methane hydrates
The melting of the ice cells, not only brings about the release of methane gas, but it also produces another…
-
Where does energy come from?
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need...
-
Electricity and electrons
In all electric plants, excluding photovoltaic solar plants, mechanic energy is transformed into electric energy through the same basic procedure...
-
ITER fusion reactor
The reactor that will be able to produce electronuclear energy without risk of explosion or radioactive waste...
-
Geographical distribution of energy
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need. Unfortunately we cannot exploit all this…