One Comment

1. littlerobbergirl says:
   December 23, 2009 at 8:54 am

   biodiesel made from rapeseed oil gives back about 3 times the energy it takes to grow and process (3:1). this is better than corn ethanol, which is 1:1 or less, but still not wonderful. oil from algae promises much better returns, but is not yet in production.

   biomass burning has same efficiency as burning oil, it depends on the design of the power plant. burning waste like woodchip or commercial rubbish gives ’something for nothing’, but growing an energy crop might give 15:1 for wood, or much less for a crop that needed fertilising.