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Switch to "green" power

Wed, 12/26/2007 - 1:13am — efadmin

More and more states are adopting renewable portfolio standards (RPS), also known as renewable electricity standards (RES). These standards require utilities to provide increasing amounts of electricity to consumers from renewable energy resources, like wind, solar and biomass. Congress is now considering passage of a national RPS, and it is only a matter of time before our energy policy shifts from over-reliance on coal, and the harmful effects of CO2 and other toxic air emissions, to investments that increase energy efficiency in homes, businesses and industry, and that develop the full potential of renewable energy resources, which produce little or no emissions and which, unlike fossil fuels, are limitless in supply.

At the same time, there are a number of options for using renewable energy at home. Some options, like generating electricity from small-scale wind turbines or solar photovoltaic panels, require larger up-front investments, but can result in large energy savings over time. Others options are relatively inexpensive and can achieve more immediate savings.

Recent advances in residential wind turbines make them more affordable and easier to use than ever before. "The proliferation of net metering laws [laws that allow homeowners to sell extra energy generated by wind and solar systems back to the utility], in about 40 states, as well as a growing number of state residential wind incentive programs, has given a strong boost to the small-scale wind turbine industry. . . . Many in the small-scale wind turbine industry think residential wind power is about to enter suburbia with simpler, less expensive systems that perform more like household appliances than complicated renewable energy systems. And the potential is enormous; it’s estimated there are at least 15 million homes with the resources necessary to make a wind installation effective."

Whether it makes sense to install a wind turbine in your back yard depends on variables such as your lot size, zoning restrictions, wind speeds in your area, the cost and amount of electricity you use, whether your utility offers net metering, and the availability of state rebates and incentives.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are another option for using renewable energy to support your household electricity needs. The initial investment, while likely to be less expensive than small-scale wind, is still considerable, and may not be cost-effective in all settings, at least not at this time. "The most important factors for making solar an attractive investment include high electric rates, net-metering policies, financial incentives and good sunlight." The good news is that recent advances in technology are making solar PV systems more affordable and easier to install, and these trends are likely to continue.

Passive solar design is another renewable energy strategy, the costs for which are largely in your control depending on your budget. "The best aspect of solar design is that if you’re building or remodeling a home, you can incorporate it at little or no extra expense. With oil and natural gas prices rising, and power blackouts becoming more common, it now makes more sense than ever to take advantage of natural heating and cooling rather than depending on fossil fuels."

"A new home provides the best opportunity for designing and orienting the home to take advantage of the sun’s rays. A well-oriented home admits low-angle winter sun to reduce heating bills and rejects overhead summer sun to reduce cooling bills."

Another use of solar power is for heating water. "If you heat water with electricity, have high electric rates, and have an unshaded, south-facing location (such as a roof) on your property, consider installing a solar water heater. . . . More than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States have invested in solar water heating systems, and surveys indicate over 94% of these customers consider the systems a good investment. Solar water heaters are also good for the environment. Solar water heaters avoid the harmful greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity production. During a 20-year period, one solar water heater can avoid over 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions."

Buying green power from your utility is yet another alternative for supporting renewable energy without having to invest in equipment or ongoing maintenance. Virtually all utilities offer this option, including Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL), Duke Energy, and rural electric cooperatives that serve other portions of Indiana. Presently green power is purchased at a premium, but the additional cost is relatively small. IPL purchases its green power from a Minnesota wind farm and Indiana landfill gas generation plants. "At this premium, a typical residential customer using 1000 kilowatt-hours in a month and enrolled at the 100% level would pay an additional $1.91 on their IPL electric bill."

If your utility doesn’t offer green power purchasing options, consider buying "carbon credits." A number of organizations sell carbon credits, sometimes called renewable energy certificates, or RECs. With these programs, you can calculate how much CO2 you are responsible for and purchase credits to offset that amount. You can access these programs online by doing a search for "carbon offsets" or "carbon credits."

Carbon offsets are a "handy mechanism that allows us to convert our units of personal carbon emissions into dollars for wind farms, reforestation projects and other conscience-cleansing pursuits. The theory is that such investments cancel out the environmental harm we do by burning gasoline and living in warm, gadget-laden homes."

Even if you have actively taken steps to reduce your carbon dioxide footprint, through offsets you can reduce your footprint further, all the way to zero. “When you buy offsets, you essentially pay someone to reduce or remove global warming pollution in your name. For example, when you buy 10 tons of carbon offsets, the seller guarantees that 10 fewer tons of global warming pollution go into the atmosphere. While the pollution you produce yourself is the same, you get the credit for that 10-ton reduction."

Most of the offset companies on the market use third-party certification to provide accountability, so that when you buy carbon credits, you can be assured that they are paying for the renewable resources they are claiming to support, and eliminating the promised amount of greenhouse gas. "The certifying agencies evaluate offset projects on factors such as 'additionality' (whether the greenhouse-gas reduction would happen anyway) and 'double counting' (more than one stakeholder takes credit for the same project). But they don’t weigh in on which type of offset is best."

"Ultimately, the key to reducing carbon dioxide is to shift from using fossil fuels to using renewable energy (wind, solar, small hydro, biomass). This form of energy reduces not only CO2 emissions but also pollutants in the air. It may not be practical to set up a renewable energy source in your own home but you can purchase 'green power' from local electrical utility companies. While this mode of energy is currently a little more expensive . . . you can easily make up for the costs with the energy efficiency cost savings from other actions . . . This action is one of the most effortless ways to reduce your CO2 emissions."
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