Introduction: Your Mission
Build a Bioenergy Plan for Springville
The town of Springville wants to expand its energy sources by using more bioenergy. Your team’s job is to create a plan that shows:
- How Springville can turn local waste or crops into useful energy, like electricity or fuel.
- What equipment or technology the town will need to make that energy.
- What kind of investment or partnerships the town might need to build or share this infrastructure.
Use Springville’s energy profile and available resources to design a plan that’s realistic, efficient, and benefits the community.
Note: Biomass = the raw material (input); Bioenergy = the result (output); Biofuels = the fuels (subset of output)
1. First, study Springville’s Energy Profile to get an idea of Springville’s energy needs and bioenergy potential.
| Town Energy Profile: Springville |
|---|
| – Population: 5,000 – School community greenhouse: 1; uses an average of 30 kWh of electricity per day – School buses: 8; each uses an average of 10 gallons (38 litres) of diesel per day – Municipal FFV (Flex-Fuel Vehicles*): 8; each uses an average of 2.5 gallons (9.5 litres) of E85 fuel per day – Fast food restaurants: 3; each produces an average of 20 lbs (9 kg) of grease per day – Dairy cows: 200; each produces an average of 100 lbs (45 kg) of manure per day – Corn farms: 300 acres; produces an average of 3 U.S. tons (2.7 metric tonnes) of stalks per acre, per year |
*A flex-fuel vehicle is a type of car or truck that can run on more than one type of fuel—usually a blend of gasoline and ethanol, such as E85, which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. These vehicles have specially designed engines and fuel systems that can automatically adjust to different fuel mixtures, allowing drivers to use either pure gasoline, E85, or any mix in between. This flexibility can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Next, explore your Biomass Resources and Bioenergy System Costs.
Biomass Resources
| Biomass | Fuel Produced | Conversion Technology | Energy Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cow Manure | biogas | Biodigester to CHP (combined heat and power) System A biodigester breaks down organic waste like food scraps or manure using microorganisms in an oxygen-free environment. This process, called anaerobic digestion, produces biogas (mainly methane) that can be used for cooking, heating, or electricity. A CHP system burns biomass or biogas to generate electricity, and at the same time, it captures the waste heat from the process to provide hot water or heating. This makes it much more efficient than separate systems for power and heat. | ~0.004 kWh of electricity per lb of cow manure ~0.0088 kWh of electricity per kg of cow manure |
| Restaurant Grease | biodiesel | Biodiesel Processor A biodiesel processor converts plant oils or animal fats into biodiesel fuel through a chemical reaction called transesterification. The resulting fuel can be used in diesel engines, often with little or no modification. | ~0.12 gallons of biodiesel per pound of grease ~1 liter of biodiesel per kg of grease |
| Corn Stalks | ethanol | Ethanol Refinery An ethanol refinery turns plant materials (like corn or sugarcane) into ethanol, a type of alcohol that can be used as fuel. The process involves fermenting the sugars in the plants and then distilling the alcohol to concentrate it for use in gasoline blends. | ~20 gallons of ethanol per U.S. ton of corn stalks ~84 liters of ethanol per metric tonne of corn stalks (E85 fuel needed for FFV vehicles is up to 85% ethanol, and 15% regular gasoline) |
Bioenergy System Costs
| Technology | Notes |
|---|---|
| Biodigester | With investment, the town could have its own; scalable, and may qualify for government grants |
| CHP System | With significant investment and possibly government support, the town could have its own; paired with the biodigester |
| Biodiesel Processer | Comparatively low cost and very feasible at a small scale |
| Ethanol Refinery | Not feasible for Springville alone; regional partnership needed |
3. Discuss with your group and choose your investigation!
| Springville Bioenergy Investigations |
|---|
| 1. Can the school greenhouse run on cow manure biogas? 2. Can restaurant grease biodiesel fuel Springville’s school buses? 3. Can ethanol from corn stalks fuel the town’s municipal FFV vehicles? 4. Create your own investigation question! Make sure to get it approved by the teacher first, before moving to the next step. |
4. Write your chosen investigation question below.
5. Using the data charts above, investigate your biomass resources, and answer the questions below.
| A. What is your biomass source? B. How much of it does Springville produce per year? Show your calculations if needed. |
6. Select your processing technology from the charts above, and answer the questions below.
| A. What type of fuel does your biomass produce? B. What technology is needed to process it? C. Would Springville be able to build this technology themselves, or partner with other towns or organizations? Explain. |
7. Calculate your energy output.
| Use the energy yield information to calculate how much usable energy or fuel Springville can make per year from your biomass source. Show your calculations. |
8. Match energy supply with energy demand.
| A. Calculate the total energy demand per year. |
| B. Can your total bioenergy supply meet the total energy demand? Yes No Partially; explain in detail what part of the demand can be met (e.g. how many buses or vehicles, etc.). |
9. Plan infrastructure and investment.
| A. What technology or equipment does the town need to build or buy? B. Will the system be built solely by Springville will additional outside support be needed? |
| C. What kind of support or funding might be needed? Local investment Government grants Regional partnership Community fundraising Other (explain): |
| D. Outline your plan, moving forward, to raise the necessary funds. |
10. Consider trade-offs. No energy system is perfect. What are some advantages and disadvantages of your plan?
| Advantages (Pros) | Disadvantages (Cons) |
|---|---|
11. Finalize your bioenergy plan! In a full paragraph, summarize your plan. Include:
- What biomass do you propose to meet what energy demand?
- How will that biomass be processed, and what investment and/or partnerships will be needed to access the necessary equipment and technology?
- Why your plan is helpful and realistic for Springville.
12. Create a visual diagram or poster!
Make a model (digital or physical, at teacher discretion) that shows your plan for Springville and how your bioenergy flows. Your diagram will be part of your group presentation!
- From source to processing to energy use.
- Include key numbers for Springville (how much will be used, produced, and converted).
- Label each step clearly and include neat and creative illustrations.
13. Assessment Rubric
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Developing | Needs Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Usage | Uses data accurately in calculations and decisions; demonstrates strong understanding of quantities and units | Minor errors or omissions in data use; shows understanding of quantities and units | Data used inconsistently or with major errors; shows lack of understanding of quantities and units | Limited or no use of data; inaccurate or missing calculations |
| Design Logic | Plan is realistic and well thought-out; parts fit together logically and choices are clearly explained | Plan mostly makes sense with minor gaps in reasoning or explanations | Plan includes unrealistic, unclear or weakly connected elements | Plan is confusing or impractical; poor to no explanation of reasoning |
| Design Challenges | Plan clearly identifies and explains key limitations and trade-offs | Plan mentions at least one trade-off or limitation with some explanation | Touches on challenges but lacks depth or clarity in explanation | Ignores potential challenges; plan appears overly ideal or unrealistic |
| Visual Plan | Diagram poster is clearly detailed, well-labeled, and creatively presented; energy flow is easy to follow | Diagram poster is mostly clear and complete with some creative elements; minor labeling issues | Diagram poster lacks clarity or visual organization; limited creative elements | Visual is messy, unclear, or incomplete; lacks effort or originality |
| Collaboration | Group worked together efficiently and respectfully; all members contributed and shared ideas | Group worked mostly well together and participated equally, with minor issues | Some collaboration occurred; uneven participation | Little to no collaboration |
| (Optional) Presentation and Defense | Clear, confident presentation, with strong explanation and defense of decisions | Clear presentation with good explanations of reasoning and defense of decisions, with minor omissions | Weak presentation, with limited explanation or unclear defense | Poor or no explanation or defense of choices |