Biomass energy is the oldest form of solar energy storage, and can be a renewable, local, affordable, low-carbon fuel if harvested sustainably and burned cleanly. Today nearly 40% of the world relies on woody fuels as their primary source of energy, with the majority using rudimentary three-stone fires for cooking and heating. In the US, approximately 7.8 million Americans are using uncertified, polluting wood stoves to heat their homes. Both of these applications lead to health-related concerns about air quality and contributions to climate change, and many policymakers are pushing a shift away from wood for this reason. However, wood and other biomass can and should remain in the low-carbon energy mix, especially for low-income and rural users – the key is learning how to burn it more cleanly. This talk highlights how technological advancements generated to meet the stringent emissions targets for biomass cookstoves in the developing world are now also being applied to biomass heating in the US through a multidisciplinary, multi-organizational effort.
Dr. Nordica MacCarty is an associate professor of mechanical engineering and Richard and Gretchen Evans Scholar of Humanitarian Engineering at Oregon State University, director of OSU's humanitarian engineering program, as well as Executive Director of the non-profit Aprovecho Research Center. Her work is focused on the development of technologies and tools to increase and quantify the environmental and social impacts of household energy projects in the developing and developed world, primarily for cooking and heating. She has authored over 45 peer-reviewed articles and received OSU’s 2020 International Service Award. Her research and teaching efforts are funded by the US Department of Energy, US Environmental Protection Agency, US National Science Foundation, VentureWell program, and other private and university foundations.