As we try to move away from the use of fossil fuels, elephant grass (miscanthus) is a perennial grass that should be a useful plant for the efficient collection of solar energy. It can produce very high yields of dry matter without heavy use of fertiliser or pesticides, so the energy balance is good. At the present time it is being used for electricity generation, sometimes co-fired with coal. It would seem ideal for local combined power and heat plants where the waste heat is utilised rather than being wasted.
Looking ahead, it will likely be a good crop to use for the production of cellulusic ethenol.
You can learn more about elephant grass at www.myelephants.co.uk, a site which educates children and families about environmental issues.
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:59 pm
That is very informative - I had not realised how efficient it was at converting solar energy.