New methodology for assesment of socioeconomic aspects of bioenergy systems

For a complete evaluation of biomass as a renewable energy source, different socio-economic impacts should also be taken into account. Using biomass provides better employment opportunities, increase of local and regional economic activities and additional income. New methodology proposed by the authors contains principles and procedure for the analysis of the investigated area (types and ways of data collection), ways of collected data processing as well as a spreadsheet model. During the elaboration of methodology for evaluating the energy, economic and social impacts of using biomass, all segments of bioenergy sector (processes, products and activities) were analysed in details. The described model represents the most significant part of this new methodology and it is made of various spreadsheets. Model user inserts the input data on an introductory sheet (Input) and then follows the calculation and results shown as tables and diagrams. Model user deals directly with the following parts of the model: Input, Biomass, Bioenergy Plants, Earnings and Jobs and Results. Application of the model in real projects results in an extremely high level of accordance with practice and literature values. Application results (eight bioenergy plants were modelled in real conditions of Karlovac County and the region of Zgornja Savinjska) show significant socio-economic impact of using biomass for energy production. Direct, indirect and induced jobs were analysed.