The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) reports that Germany generated 72.2 TWh of solar in Germany in 2024, accounting for 14% of total electricity generation.
Neither is solar or wind. But they’re all net-zero or near-zero carbon emissions when considering the entire lifestyle of the energy and machinery production.
I just feel that if you’re growing a load of trees, it’s slightly more environmentally friendly to just let them carry on growing rather than chopping them into bits and burning them.
I mean I get it, it’s a way to use those old coal power stations for something, but it should be something else we need to phase out.
Why not? Doesn’t creating the biomass require sequestering carbon?
Coal is sequestered carbon.
Difference is timescale. Coal “sequestered carbon” over millions of years, and released over a few decades.
Biomass gathers and realeases on the same timescale
Then you’re saying biomass is not really sequestering carbon, essentially.
Neither is solar or wind. But they’re all net-zero or near-zero carbon emissions when considering the entire lifestyle of the energy and machinery production.
I just feel that if you’re growing a load of trees, it’s slightly more environmentally friendly to just let them carry on growing rather than chopping them into bits and burning them.
I mean I get it, it’s a way to use those old coal power stations for something, but it should be something else we need to phase out.