|
|
Home 
Green Energy |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green energy is electricity that is generated from resources such as solar, wind,
geothermal, biomass, and low-impact hydro facilities. Conventional electricity generation,
based on the combustion of fossil fuels, is the nation's single largest industrial
source of air pollution. The increasing availability of green power enables electricity
customers to accelerate installation of renewable energy technologies. As more green
power sources are developed - displacing conventional generation - the overall environmental
impacts associated with electricity generation will be significantly reduced.
Benefits of Green Energy
Choosing green power offers a number of benefits to businesses and institutions,
including:
|
|
Environmental stewardship - Many innovative organizations are establishing environmental
commitments to make their operations and practices sustainable.
Choosing green power is a simple
step towards creating a more sustainable organization.
Public image - Green power can help improve
an organization's public image by demonstrating
environmental stewardship.
Customer loyalty - Demonstrating environmental
stewardship through green power may help
increase an organization's customer and investor loyalty.
Employee pride - Employees prefer to work
for companies that give back to their communities
and to the environment.
Power portfolio management - Because some
green power sources have no fuel costs, green
power can help
protect your power portfolio from volatile
prices of fossil-fuel-generated electricity.
Power reliability - On-site renewable generation
can be a more reliable source of power than
power distributed through the electric grid.
|
Green Power Options
Green power is available in four basic forms, the availability of which partially
depends upon the status of electric utility restructuring in the state where the
purchase is being made.
|
|
Blended products
Block products
Green tags or renewable energy certificates
On-site renewable generation |
Blended Products
Also known as "percentage products," blended products allow customers, primarily
in states with competitive electricity markets, to switch to electricity that contains
a percentage of renewable energy. The renewable energy content of blended products
can vary from 2 percent to 100 percent according to the renewable resources available
to utilities or marketers.
Block Products
Block products allow customers served by monopoly utilities to choose green power
from the electric grid in standard units of energy at a fixed price, which is converted
to a premium and added to their regular electric bill. Customers decide how many
blocks they want to purchase each month.
Green Tags or Renewable Energy Certificates
Green tags allow customers to purchase the renewable attributes of a specific quantity
of renewable energy. Green tags are sold separately from electricity and can be
purchased for a location anywhere in the U.S. In this way, a customer can choose
green power even if the local utility or marketer does not offer a green power product.
One green tag typically represents the renewable attributes associated with one
megawatt hour of green power.
On-Site Renewable Generation
Customers can install their own renewable energy generating equipment at their facility.
On-site renewable generation can increase power reliability, provide stable electricity
costs, and help manage waste streams. Furthermore, in many states, excess green
power generated on-site can be returned to the electric grid, in effect allowing
customers to obtain credit from their utility. (This is also known as "net-metering.")
Certification and Accreditation
Green power certification and accreditation programs help ensure that customers
get what they pay for when they choose green power.
|
|
Green-e is a voluntary certification and
verification program for green power products developed by
the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions. Analysts/Developers who understand
your business
The Green Pricing Accreditation Initiative,
developed by the Center for Resource Solutions, accredits
green pricing programs operated by regulated electric
utilities.
|
|
|
1. Green Computing: |
|
|
 |
Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently.
Typically, computing products that integrate green computing principles take into
account of economic viability, social responsibility, and environmental impact.
This differs somewhat from traditional or standard business practices that focus
mainly on the economic viability of a computing solution.
A typical green computing solution attempts to address some or all of
|
these
factors
by implementing environmentally friendly products in an efficient
system or by intelligently
configuring the power management of computers.
An average desktop PC wastes nearly half the power delivered to it. This wasted
electricity needlessly increases the cost of powering a computer, and it also increases
the emission of greenhouse gases. Improving the energy efficiency of computers is
a cost-effective way to reduce electricity consumption and the emission of greenhouse
gases that contribute to climate change.
We are currently working with our team and partners to provide a one stop solution
for Green Computing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. Carbon Trading: |
|
|
 |
Carbon / Emissions trading are an administrative approach used to control pollution
by providing financially viable incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions
of pollutants.
In such a plan, a central authority (usually a government agency) sets a limit or
cap on the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. Companies, other groups or
individuals that emit are required to hold an equivalent number of credits or allowances
which represent the right to emit a
|
specific amount .The total amount of credits cannot exceed the cap, limiting total
emissions to that level. Companies that need to increase their emissions must buy
credits from those who pollute less. The transfer of allowances is referred to as
a trade. In effect, the buyer is being fined for polluting, while the seller is
being rewarded for having reduced emissions.
The overall goal of an emissions trading plan is to reduce emission. The cap is
usually lowered over time - aiming towards a national emissions reduction target.
In other systems a portion of all traded credits must be retired, causing a net
reduction in emissions each time a trade occurs. In many cap and trade systems,
organizations which do not pollute may also buy credits. Environmental groups that
purchase and retire pollution credits reduce emissions and raise the price of the
remaining credits according to the law of demand.
Soon, investment banks, private equity funds, hedge funds, carbon funds, project
developers and lenders, clean tech companies, energy companies, major corporations,
and other active carbon players will start to trade Carbon credits, Green certificates,
and Green tags in the open market.
|
|
|
Top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3. Green Energy Basics: |
|
|
 |
World currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. Fossil
fuels are non-renewable, that is, they draw on finite resources that will eventually
diminish, becoming too expensive or too environmentally damaging to retrieve. In
contrast, renewable energy resources-such as wind and solar energy-are constantly
replenished and will never run out.
Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. Sunlight,
or solar energy, can be used directly for heating and lighting
|
homes and other buildings, for generating electricity, and for hot water heating,
solar cooling, and a variety of commercial and industrial uses.
The sun's heat also drives the winds, whose energy, is captured
with wind turbines. Then, the winds and the sun's heat cause water to evaporate.
When this water vapor turns into rain or snow and flows downhill into rivers or
streams, its energy can be captured using hydroelectric power.
Along with the rain and snow, sunlight causes plants to grow. The organic matter
that makes up those plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be
used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. The use of biomass
for any of these purposes is called bioenergy.
Hydrogen also can be found in many organic compounds, as well as
water. It's the most abundant element on the Earth. But it doesn't occur naturally
as a gas. It's always combined with other elements, such as with oxygen to make
water. Once separated from another element, hydrogen can be burned as a fuel or
converted into electricity.
Not all renewable energy resources come from the sun. Geothermal energy
taps the Earth's internal heat for a variety of uses, including electric power production,
and the heating and cooling of buildings. And the energy of the ocean's tides comes
from the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun upon the Earth.
In fact, ocean energy comes from a number of sources. In addition
to tidal energy, there's the energy of the ocean's waves, which are driven by both
the tides and the winds. The sun also warms the surface of the ocean more than the
ocean depths, creating a temperature difference that can be used as an energy source.
All these forms of ocean energy can be used to produce electricity. |
|
|
Top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|