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So you want to make the switch to green energy, but looking up info on solar technology is inducing flashbacks to high school science class, you're not sure what an REC is, and you haven't the faintest clue where to start looking for a green energy supplier in your community!
Relax. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has great resources for finding suppliers, and we've created a basic primer to guide you through the different types of green energy.
The DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website includes a database of green power across the country. Simply click on your state for a list of all solar, wind, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydroelectric energy providers in your area. The database lists the utility name, the program name, the type(s) of green power they offer and the premium.
Some of the companies run on Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)—also called green certificates, green tags or tradable renewable certificates—which means you're buying power from a company that buys some green power.
If you buy from a company that buys RECs, you may not actually get any green power fed into your home because all sources of energy are fed into the same grid in the United States. But buying power from a company that generates its own green power or one that purchases RECs does ensure your share of the electricity market is green, so both options are eco-friendly.
When it comes to deciding between solar, wind, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydroelectric, it's important to realize not all green power is created equally.
Low-impact hydroelectric uses a river or canal's natural drop in elevation rather than a dam to produce energy, eliminating negative environmental impacts.
Biogas is produced when the methane gas produced by the breakdown of organic materials—animal manure, sewage treatment sludge, food waste—is burned to generate heat and electricity. The process converts the methane gas into carbon dioxide, reducing the total pollution created by the decomposing materials.
Biomass energy is created when a living or recently living organism (think plants, waste from livestock farming, food processing, and domestic organic waste) is burned to create energy. Biomass includes burning wood, crops, manure and organic garbage. The main drawback of biomass energy is it produces carbon dioxide, but the industry maintains it doesn't increase the total carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since it just releases the CO2 already in the plant.
Using the wind to generate power with wind turbines seems like a 100 percent green option, but there is one pitfall: Wind turbines are noisy, and since they often end up in rural areas, farmers—and, many say, their livestock—aren't too happy with the noise. But the notion that turbines present a significant hazards to birds is largely myth.
Solar power is the cleanest of all green energies. Photovoltaic cells (also called solar cells) collect energy from the sun's light, filtering the electricity directly into the power system. There are zero emissions and zero noise pollution, and while solar cells are quite inefficient—they only perform at 10 to 25 percent efficiency—the "sun generates enough clean energy in one day to provide a year's supply of energy for your home or office," according to the DOE's website.
Whichever you prefer, green energy options are growing in the U.S. and they're worth the investment.
Cara Smusiak writes on behalf of NaturallySavvy.com about how to live a more natural, organic and green lifestyle.
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