Ahmed wrote: But this distances us from the subject, which is the impossibility of biomass to do better than to contribute marginally to current heating needs, otherwise we will devastate our forests entirely.
I agree on the "marginal contribution", I wrote a little higher "
wood biomass is and will remain very expensive because there is not much to expect in terms of technological developments or lower equipment costs. No future, except for "small" local heat production installations."It is obvious that too much pressure on the resource would only increase costs.
But "marginal" is not "nothing". To talk only about gas in France:
- current and future construction standards lead to "marginal" gas savings
- the energy renovation of buildings as well.
- the replacement (progressive of course) of old boilers by similar condensing boilers
- the injection of biomethane is very marginal, but we can think that it will increase in power
- The development of solar energy should bring, at least in the summer, a drop in the consumption of gas-fired plants (provided that it does not close too quickly nuclear power)
- maybe one day "Power to gas" will find an economic model.
- .....
If we add up all these marginalities and we know how to be patient because things are not done in a day, we can arrive at significant things.