Decision Support System to Assess Regional Biomass Energy Potential

Abstract

Biomass is a renewable source that accounts for nearly 33% of a developing country's energy needs. In India, it meets about 75% of the rural energy needs and the rural population constitutes 70% of the total population. Sustainable management of these resources requires better and timely decisions, which can lead to increased cost-efficiency and productivity. This would help in regional energy planning and conservation through appropriate decision interventions. To assist in strategic decision-making activities, considering spatial and temporal variables, Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSS) are required. Spatial decision support system is an interactive computerized system that gathers data from a wide range of data sources, analyze the collected data, and then present it in a way that can be interpreted by the decision maker to deliver the precise information needed to make timely decisions. Decision support system (DSS) framework is designed and implemented to ease and speed up the use of environmental systems. In this regard, to assist planners to plan and manage bioresources in a sustainable way, Biomass Energy Potential Assessment (BEPA) decision support system is designed and is being implemented at regional levels through proper training. Overall objective of this DSS is the development of a set of tools aimed at transforming data into information and aid decisions for bioresources. This article outlines the design and implementation of DSS for assessment of biomass energy potential of a region considering the resources available and the demand. It is designed with user friendly GUI's (Graphic User Interface) using VB (Visual Basic) as frontend with Microsoft Access database as the backend. This helps to build executive information systems and reporting tools that tap vast data resources and deliver information in the context of daily processes. This tool can be used to form a core of practical methodology that will result in more resilience in less time and can be used by decision-making bodies to assess the impacts of various scenarios and to review cost and benefits of decisions to be made. It also offers means of entering, accessing and interpreting the information for the purpose of sound decision making.

Keywords:

• Biomass
• Bioenergy
• DSS
• Sustainable management
• Regional energy planning

Acknowledgment

We are grateful to the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and Indian Institute of Science for the infrastructure support and financial assistance. We thank Mr. B. K. Vijay Prasad, Mr. Rajeev Kumar Jha and Ms. Samapika Phady for the assistance in data compilation and analysis, and Mr.Joshua Delay David and Mr.Sanjeev Kumar for proof reading the manuscript.