Region-specific indicators for assessing the sustainability of biomass utilisation in East Asia

© 2015 by the authors, licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This paper presents the findings of an expert working group of researchers from East Asian countries. The group was tasked with developing a theoretically sound and practically implementable methodology for assessing the sustainability of biomass utilisation in East Asian countries based on the needs and potential of biomass resources in this region. Building on six years of research conducted between 2007 and 2013, the working group formulated a set of main and secondary indicators for biomass utilisation under three pillars of sustainability. For the environmental pillar, the main indicator was life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and secondary indicators were water consumption and soil quality. For the economic pillar, the main indicator was total value added and secondary indicators were net profit, productivity, and net energy balance. For the social pillar, the main indicators were employment generation and access to modern energy, and the secondary indicator was the human development index. The application of the working group methodology and indicators in sustainability assessments of biomass utilisation will enable decision makers in East Asian countries to compare the sustainability of biomass utilisation options and to make decisions on whether or not to launch or sustain biomass utilisation initiatives

Is the water footprint an appropriate tool for forestry and forest products: The Fennoscandian case

The water footprint by the Water Footprint Network (WF) is an ambitious tool for measuring human appropriation and promoting sustainable use of fresh water. Using recent case studies and examples from water-abundant Fennoscandia, we consider whether it is an appropriate tool for evaluating the water use of forestry and forest-based products. We show that aggregating catchment level water consumption over a product life cycle does not consider fresh water as a renewable resource and is inconsistent with the principles of the hydrologic cycle. Currently, the WF assumes that all evapotranspiration (ET) from forests is a human appropriation of water although ET from managed forests in Fennoscandia is indistinguishable from that of unmanaged forests. We suggest that ET should not be included in the water footprint of rain-fed forestry and forest-based products. Tools for sustainable water management should always contextualize water use and water impacts with local water availability and environmental sensitivity

Biofuels: Economic, environmental and social benefits and costs for developing countries in Asia

Biofuels are being supported by many governments for a range of perceived benefits including improved domestic energy security, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared with fossil-fuel counterparts, and economic development and employment generation, particularly in rural areas. Life-cycle, cost-benefit, and systems analyses, however, indicate that the expansion of biofuels can have complex effects on, and interactions with, land use and food and fuel prices. This article reviews the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of biofuels using experiences from developing countries in Asia. The review reveals the following: (1) biofuels are generally not economically competitive with fossil fuels and government support, though prevailing, is costly and questionable. (2) Although biofuels are generally viewed to be a threat to food security, if properly managed, their development could lead to improved productivity in the agriculture sector over the long term with benefits for rural livelihoods and food security. (3) Even though reducing GHG emissions is a key driver for the development of biofuels, effects in terms of soil quality, biodiversity, and water quality must also be assessed; the environmental benefits of biofuels are debatable and depend on a range of fuel-specific factors, management, and agricultural practices. On the basis of this assessment a range of strategies are suggested to further improve the sustainability of biofuels in Asia. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Energy return on investment (EROI) of mini-hydro and solar PV systems designed for a mini-grid

With dramatic cost declines and performance improvements, both mini-hydropower and solar photovoltaics (PV) now serve as core options to meet the growing demand for electricity in underserved regions worldwide. We compare the net energy return on energy invested (EROI) of mini-hydropower and solar electricity using five existing mini-hydropower installations in northern Thailand with grid-connected solar PV simulations. Both assessments use a life cycle perspective to estimate the EROI. We find that distributed mini-grids with penetrations of solar PV up to 50% of annual generation can exceed the EROI of some fossil-based traditional centralized grid systems. The analysis will help planners and engineers optimize mini-grids for energy payback and utilize local resources in their design. The results suggest higher EROI ratios for mini-hydropower plants than solar PV, though mini-hydropower plants typically yield lower EROI ratios than their large-scale hydropower counterparts

Energy return on investment (EROI) of mini-hydro and solar PV systems designed for a mini-grid

With dramatic cost declines and performance improvements, both mini-hydropower and solar photovoltaics (PV) now serve as core options to meet the growing demand for electricity in underserved regions worldwide. We compare the net energy return on energy invested (EROI) of mini-hydropower and solar electricity using five existing mini-hydropower installations in northern Thailand with grid-connected solar PV simulations. Both assessments use a life cycle perspective to estimate the EROI. We find that distributed mini-grids with penetrations of solar PV up to 50% of annual generation can exceed the EROI of some fossil-based traditional centralized grid systems. The analysis will help planners and engineers optimize mini-grids for energy payback and utilize local resources in their design. The results suggest higher EROI ratios for mini-hydropower plants than solar PV, though mini-hydropower plants typically yield lower EROI ratios than their large-scale hydropower counterparts

Costs and Benefits of Biofuels in Asia

Agro-based liquid transportation fuels, or biofuels, have been promoted in several countries in Asia because of the relatively large potential availability of feedstock biomass. Furthermore, they may contribute to energy security goals and have received support due to perceived greenhouse gas emissions benefits. Employment generation, particularly in rural areas, has been another anticipated benefit. However, there have also been fears of negative impacts on land use, freshwater resources, and competition between food and fuel especially for the more vulnerable sections of society. After several years of biofuels promotion, it is interesting to evaluate past experiences and make recommendations for the future. To what extent have the perceived benefits of biofuels actually been achieved? What have been the associated costs - socio-economic as well as environmental? What are the pitfalls and what are the conditions under which benefits are possible? What are the other issues that need further consideration? What are the possible strategies to further improve the sustainability of biofuels? These questions are looked at from the point of view of both theory and practice in Asia

Sustainability assessment methodology of biomass utilization for energy in East Asian countries

In response to the importance of assessing both positive and negative impacts caused by biomass utilization for energy, number of initiatives in the world are currently working on development of criteria and indicators for sustainable biomass utilization. Although there is abundant biomass to be utilized in East Asia, it is difficult to say that countries in this region are at forefront of those initiatives. In this context, in order to provide a decision-making methodology to evaluate sustainability of biomass energy utilization in East Asia, the authors were formed as an expert working group in 2007 and since then has been conducting researches to assess its sustainability with the concept of triple bottom line; namely, environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability. In addition to the development of a methodology and indicators for sustainability assessment for biomass energy utilization, we have field-tested the applicability of the methodology in selected four East Asian countries. This paper firstly explain the methodology the working group developed, secondly the results and lessons learned from the field-tests of the methodology, and thirdly the latest works based on those lessons, aiming at comprehensive assessment of the sustainability of biomass energy initiatives at small to large scale in East Asian countries