The aims with this handbook

The handbook aims to be a guidance for anyone who needs not understand all the fundamental aspects of biomass-based energy systems but who needs a conceptual and over-all understanding. Target groups are those who are involved in planning, who take strategic decisions and who are involved in the procurement process, but who feels inferior to the consultants and suppliers during the process.
The handbook aims to explain the underlying logics and properties that make biomass-based energy systems different from fossil-fuel based energy systems.
The handbook aims to remove some of the most common misunderstandings still prevalent among many people who have no extensive experience of biomass-for-energy and hence to promote the installation of new biomass-based energy installations worldwide.

How to use this handbook

As you will notice in the table below, the chapter numbering is split in two parts according to a matrix structure.
The columns, 1-5, indicate fundamental properties, resources, supply-chain aspects, process aspects and cost structures respectiviely while the rows, 0-4, indicates general aspects and the biomass quality, ligno-cellulose, herbaceous, putrescible and others.

Hence, the handbook can be used mainly in two ways:
1: If you read along a column, you concentrate on one of the general aspect and you will study how that aspect takes various forms for different biomasses. This is relevant if you - for example - strive to establish a local or regional biomass-producer co-operative and you need to know, for example, how the supply chains differ. Then you should study chapters 03-.. This is one way to use the handbook.
2: Reading along a row, you will study different aspects of one specific group of biomasses. This is the most relevant way to use the handbook if you - for example - are situated in a region where agricultural residues are abundant and you are trying to plan for the utilisation of these partly herbaceous and partly putrescible materials. This is another way to use the handbook.

Tabular structure of the handbook - click any chapter to start

Columns:	1 Fund.properties	2 Resources	3 Supply chains	4 Processes	5 Economy
Rows: 0 Introduction	01-00	02-00	03-00	04-00	05-00
1 Ligno-cellulose	01-01	02-01	03-01	04-01	05-01
2 Herbaceous	01-02	02-02	03-02	04-02	05-02
3 Putrescible	01-03	02-03	03-03	04-03	05-03
4 Other biomass	01-04	02-04	03-04	04-04	05-04

Appendices: Fuel analysis and description, Fuel behaviour general, Ash analysis and properties.

Also use the Spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet is not completely finished but it may still serve as an aid in your planning work.

Copyright waiver

The production of this handbook has been supported by European Federation tax-payers money through EU research funding.
The handbook has been produced as a common effort between specialists in the area and according to good practice in the scientific community.
In spite of this, there may be errors, mistakes or information that is not fully up-to-date and the authors take no responsibility for damage that may be caused by the use of information in this handbook.
Nor do the authors claim exclusive copyright to the information in the handbook but it is offered free of charge and intended for public use.

The handbook reference is "BISYPLAN web-based handbook, 2012, (web-page)"