Australia’s largest energy retailer, AGL, is putting its energy into innovative and sustainable renewable energy projects, in an effort to minimising the effects of climate change.

Included in its suite of 29 renewable energy assets that it owns or operates, is Suncoast Gold Macadamias in Gympie, Southeast Queensland, which is Australia’s first waste-to-energy (biomass) renewable cogeneration project. ‘Cogeneration’ is generation of both electricity and useful heat that can be used onsite for good use.

What is Biomass?

Biomass is all matter that can be used as fuel for industrial production. It can also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel.

How is Biomass energy created?

Biomass can be thought of as storage of solar energy in chemical form. It can be combusted to generate heat and then subsequently converted into other forms of energy.

How do we create energy from Macadamias?

Creating energy from a waste product like the macadamia nut shells involves the following process:

• Nut shells are burnt in a fire boiler, which creates steam

• Some of the steam is used to dry the macadamia nuts

• The majority of the steam is used to drive a turbine to generate clean, renewable electricity

• About 40% of the electricity is sent to the national power grid as GreenPower

• About 60% goes to the customer.

What this means for the environment

The macadamia plant produces enough energy from the macadamia nut shells to power the company’s entire manufacturing and processing activity, as well as about 250 Queensland homes.

This innovative waste-to-energy project cuts Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 2,500 tonnes per annum – equivalent to taking about 650 cars off the road each year. It has also solved the problem of what to do with the 5,000 tonnes of macadamia shells, enough to fill three Olympic-sized swimming pools, that Suncoast Gold Macadamias processes each year.

Suncoast Gold, which exports Australia’s largest native agricultural crop to more than 20 countries including Japan, Europe and the US, has had its efficiency significantly boosted by the provision of electricity, heat and steam. It has also enhanced its green credentials in the European and Asian markets where consumers are extremely environmentally aware.

By 2010, more than 150 growers throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales are expected to supply Suncoast Gold with about 10,000 tonnes of macadamia nuts each year, doubling the Gympie facility’s output.

AGL’s Asset Manager Neil Cooke says the innovative plant has achieved several firsts. It’s the first of its kind in the world,” he said. “It also has the largest macadamia shell silo (400 tonne capacity, 18 metres high and 10 metres in diameter) in the world and the boiler is showing that it is possible to achieve consistent performance from a renewable energy plant operated on shells.”

AGL is one of Australia’s leading integrated energy companies and the only Australian energy producer with a full suite of renewable generation, providing natural gas and electricity to over 3.2 million customers more than six million Australians.

Other innovative renewable energy assets AGL owns or operates include the ISIS Central Sugar Mill facility in Childers, Queensland, which is AGL’s first renewable cogeneration project to produce energy from sugar cane by-product (bagasse).

Giselle Pethard
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/biomass-energy-from-macadamia-nuts-694116.html

I switch it off for a while it then appears to be OK.

It appears to be overheating, the overflow is a pressure relief valve and suppose to open and release the extra pressure/steam/water if the boiler heats the water too much (a hot water heater will do the same too), it prevents them both from exploding from too much pressure. On the boiler there should be a guage showing the temperature/pressure of the water/steam, it will also have a red line point that indicates the maximum temperature/pressure and it should not cross that red line. If the temperature/pressure is below the red line and normal then it’s probably a malfunctioning/bad pressure relief valve, they do wear out over time and need replacing. Switching it off allows it to cool down as well as release the extra pressure until the relief valve closes again.

If you are looking for ways to save money, especially during the Christmas period to help stretch your budget a bit further, whatever you do, don’t take risks when it comes to your home heating system.

According to insurance giant esure, 30% of their calls this winter have been related to customers’ central heating systems.

And the unfortunate thing is many of the emergencies could have been prevented. Belt tightening can go a bit too far at Christmas, especially when crucial things like boiler servicing or replacement are overlooked. It may be tempting to save a few pounds by putting the annual heating system service off until after the Christmas credit card bills have been paid, but what happens when the boiler breaks down in the midst of the season of goodwill, and engineers are few and far between?

Another common initiative that people undertake in an attempt to save money is to leave their heating off during the day whilst they are at work, or even whilst they go off on holiday over the Christmas period. However, this could prove a seriously false economy because frozen pipes could result, and the problems associated with this are serious – and very expensive to deal with.

Saving money is part and parcel of life during an economic downturn, however, there are better, more sensible courses of action that can be taken. Don’t risk your festive warmth this year! If your boiler is due a service, get it serviced. If you notice that your central heating system is not functioning as well as it should, for example it is noisy or needs bleeding more often than usual, then call an engineer sooner rather than later. Leave your heating on for short periods during the day or ask a neighbour to switch it on for you if you are going on holiday in order to avoid frozen pipes.

A handful of preventative measures may cost you a little more, but they will save you money in the long run!

Ivor Bates
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/dont-risk-a-festive-heating-emergency-686834.html