InsyaAllah No Longer Again, Our Power Generator Only Size of a Refrigerator

Around the mid 1980s, electricity entered into my residence in Bantul, Yogyakarta. While in my grandmother's place in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta even much longer, ie the late 1980s or early 1990s. For almost 30 years electricity has become an integral part of our lives. Various human activities become easier with the electricity. Even some activities and professions are very dependent on the use of electricity, for example in modern manufacturing industries. Some of us may have asked in general, how the electricity is generated, where the power plant is, why not all regions in Indonesia get electricity, with what electricity can be produced, why tariffs or electricity costs continue to rise every time and so on. Even fewer may ask as to whether it is possible to generate and meet their own electricity needs, is there any connection to the electricity production we have been using with increasing carbon (CO2) in the atmosphere, and can be part of the solution to decrease the CO2 in the atmosphere by generating electricity itself. Of course a series of questions above require a long answer that explains one of the important issues about the energy sector, especially electricity.

About 20 years ago, if you have a big interest in go green or renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable environment then it is a strange thing and make the enthusiasts "isolated". But after 20 years passed that interest is now even a part of the way of thinking and living in everyday life, and not impossible will soon become mainstream. The market indication for energy and environmentally friendly technology is growing. Electricity is also a form of energy that is very flexible in its use so it can be converted to other forms, such as mechanics, heat, light and so on.

As Muslims when we read and implement the Qur'an, the biomass, especially woody biomass, is the answer to that source of energy. The Qur'anic guidance in QS Yaasiin: 80, QS Al Waqi'ah: 71-72, and QS An Nuur: 35 and for a more detailed explanation can be read here. Another factor is the awareness of the global community to lower the earth's temperature by not adding CO2 in the atmosphere, so biomass as a precise solution. Wood pellets as woody biomass products for the energy sector are very popular and pay the attention of today's world. Including also for power generation, even the use for this power plant is getting serious attention. By becoming a wood pellet product then the side of transportation, packaging until its use becomes easier. Wood pellet price is very competitive and become the most inexpensive energy products in terms of caloric content or heat value.

Woody biomass comes from trees or plants that can grow almost everywhere in Indonesia. Based on the fact that the power plant should also be deployed in all locations adjacent to the biomass source, even a small power plant for households can also be made. A power plant only the size of a refrigerator as shown below has been used in a number of countries in Europe with wood pellet as fuel. Little modification can be done in Indonesia, because the tropical climate that never experienced winter up to under 0 C, so in addition to power plants can also for cooking, while in Europe in addition to electricity also provides heat for room heating or commonly called CHP (Combine Heat and Power). Stirling engines are widely used in CHP engines because of their small size and effective capacity of up to 100 KW. Gasification and ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) are also widely used for medium capacity. Both Stirling engines and ORCs get heat from biomass burning, whereas in gasification there are air / oxygen restrictions inserted and aims to maximize the gas product. In addition to combustion and gasification, there is another biomass thermal route that is also widely applied ie pyrolysis. The difference pyrolysis more widely used for fuel production, both solid fuel in the form of charcoal, especially with carbonization or slow pyrolysis, as well as liquid fuel or biooil, especially with fast pyrolysis. There is another variant of the pyrolysis process which is mainly to produce biomass fuel which has hydrophobic character such as coal, namely torrefaction or mild pyrolysis. Even before, power plants with smaller capacity could only for small power electronics such as gadgets have been made and installed on cooking stoves.

Then how to continue to produce wood pellets on sustainable basis? The answer is with the energy plantations. Energy plantations have also become a solution in Europe when the oil crisis of the 1970s, because Europe does not have adequate fossil energy sources so that biomass energy becomes the main choice. Including biomass densification technologies such as briquetting and pelleting also flourished during the crisis. And to this day a number of European countries with thousands of hectares of energy plantations to supply their power plants. Some countries in Europe that has a vast energy plantations those are Sweden, England, Germany and Spain. Then how about Indonesia? The concept of energy plantation sounds still strange in our ears, although its potential is also great in Indonesia. After a long time to become a petroleum producer so that the OPEC member at that time, now the condition is different that is to import the petroleum. The current actual condition should encourage biomass energy, especially in the form of wood pellets with raw materials from energy plantations.

Do not get too late when the energy crisis has occurred and then panically take what can be used as energy and bad for the environment. But does not Indonesia still have an abundant source of energy such as gas and coal? According to estimates of gas will runs out in the next 30 years and coal 80 in next years. Yes but the fuel above is carbon positive and not sustainable. Though currently gradually being to be reduced by many countries to lower the temperature of the earth. Certainly it would be better to participate as part of the solution to lower the earth's temperature with energy from the biomass. Another great motivation we can from the hadith of Prophet Muhammad SAW:

"There shall not be the doomsday, until the treasures have been piled up and overflowing, until a man goes everywhere carrying his treasures of zakat, but he has not found one who is willing to receive his zakat, and that the land of Arabs is prosperous again with grasslands and rivers "(HR.Muslim).

The earth will once again prosper before the doomsday. In general such plantations and forests are also the cause of springs (QS 36: 34) which in time will flow into the rivers (QS 19: 24-25) and also be your pleasure and your cattle ( QS 79: 31). Energy plantation and sheep / goat grazing solutions are also like oars, 2-3 islands exceeded, namely energy and food. Indonesia currently only boost one of the elements of food, namely carbohydrates, especially rice because it is also a staple food and the sector is currently not self-sufficient with rice imports reach millions of tons. Whereas in addition to carbohydrates our food composition includes protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. The logic when in the main sector is still not good, then for the other supporting elements will be worse. Sheep / goat farming as a provider of supporting element but very important role of protein. On another occasion, Insha Allah we can discuss energy and food linkage through this energy plantation and sheep/goat farm in more detail.

When are our power plants only about the size of a refrigerator? Soon, when the earth is go green, energy plantations and wood pellet production are scattered everywhere. Insha Allah