It matters very litte in real life, that much of the energy (cheap) is wasted; that much of the energy comes from (cheap, external) sources.
you are just arguing that the production of bio fuels is cheap and that hence they are economically viable. obviously you'll make a profit with selling bio fuels, but that's because the market incentives are botched and a lot of the external costs have not been internalized in agriculture. ultimately the production of bio fuels is not ecologically viable - it competes against the food production and requires significant energy for the conversion (as you say) into hydrocarbons.
If biofuels are viable, they can be seen as a conversion of energy to hydrocarbons: of (comparatively) cheap electricity and methane/hydrogen to expensive liquid fuel. Not as a primary energy source. It's the carbon that's valuable.
that doesn't make any sense, because hydrocarbons have a very small intrinsic value - the (most common) usage you derive from hydrocarbons is motion energy. and the most efficient source for motion energy is again the electric motor (which could be powered more efficiently by electricity from solar panels).
you are just arguing that the production of bio fuels is cheap and that hence they are economically viable. obviously you'll make a profit with selling bio fuels, but that's because the market incentives are botched and a lot of the external costs have not been internalized in agriculture. ultimately the production of bio fuels is not ecologically viable - it competes against the food production and requires significant energy for the conversion (as you say) into hydrocarbons.
If biofuels are viable, they can be seen as a conversion of energy to hydrocarbons: of (comparatively) cheap electricity and methane/hydrogen to expensive liquid fuel. Not as a primary energy source. It's the carbon that's valuable.
that doesn't make any sense, because hydrocarbons have a very small intrinsic value - the (most common) usage you derive from hydrocarbons is motion energy. and the most efficient source for motion energy is again the electric motor (which could be powered more efficiently by electricity from solar panels).