15 Things You Don't Know About Green Power

What Is Green Power? Green power is electricity produced from renewable sources like solar, wind and geothermal biomass, energy and hydroelectricity with a low environmental impact. Customers in deregulated markets are able to add a small fee to utility bills to support cleaner energy sources. Renewable energy sources are generally less harmful to the environment than drilling for oil or mining coal. They also reduce our greenhouse gas emission. Solar Energy Solar energy is a favored green energy source. Solar energy is a renewable source since it never runs out. It is a clean, efficient and safe energy source that reduces greenhouse gas emissions as well as air pollution caused by conventional fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil. It is also a good alternative to nuclear power, which requires the mining and extraction of uranium and long-term radioactive waste storage. Solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar thermal energy (CSP) are all methods to harness the power of the sun. Solar electricity can be directly channeled into homes and businesses or it could be delivered to grids that supply power to other customers. Some consumers even have the option of selling their surplus energy back to the utility company which can help reduce electricity bills and even offset rising utility costs. All forms of solar energy produce zero air emissions or pollutants, unlike fossil fuels that produce carbon dioxide and other harmful gases during their combustion. Solar energy can also be utilized to power other kinds of devices, including spacecrafts, satellites, and boats that cannot connect to the electrical grid is either impossible or not practical. Solar power can be utilized in smaller structures. Many homeowners put PV cells on their roofs to produce electricity. Passive solar homes allows these homes to receive the sun's warmth during the day and retain it in the evening. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require very little maintenance. Another form of solar power is hydropower, which utilizes the natural flow of water in rivers, streams and dams to generate electricity. Hydropower, similar to wind and biomass is a renewable resource because it can be replenished. Look through the EPA's list of third party certified hydropower options if you want to add it to your office or at home. Geothermal Energy A geothermal energy plant draws heat from the Earth's interior to produce electricity. The process involves steam and hot water, which naturally occur a few kilometers below surface of the earth. It is renewable and a sustainable energy source that produces electricity 24 hours a day, 365 of the year. Geothermal energy is a great way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of energy generation. The most commonly used geothermal power station is the flash-steam plant. This makes use of water heated to 182deg C or 360deg F to power turbines and produce electricity. Steam can be utilized to heat industrial processes or buildings. Iceland for instance relies on the geothermal power to melt snow and heat its sidewalks, streets and parking lots in the frigid Arctic Winter. Another source of geothermal energy is a hot dry rock (HDR) power plant, which taps underground reservoirs of hot dry rock that have been heated by man-made or natural activities. HDR plants require less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, making them less expensive and easier to construct and operate. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are enough HDR resources in the United States for all of our electrical needs currently. The steam generated by geothermal power plants can be used to generate electricity by using a steam turbine generator, or be combined with a gas-fired generator to increase efficiency. The mixture can be converted into natural gas and then burned in a boiler, generating electricity. In addition to being clean and reliable, geothermal energy also has the smallest carbon footprint of all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants that employ an engine to turn steam into electricity create minimal or no nitrous oxide methane, sulphur, or methane oxide. However, despite its advantages geothermal energy has its problems. The drilling required to construct geothermal power plants can trigger earthquakes and pollute groundwater. Furthermore, the dumping of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs may lead to subsidence, which is a gradual sinking of the terrain that can cause damage to pipelines roads, pipelines, and even buildings. Biogas Biogas is a renewable gaseous energy source that produces green power. It can be made from agricultural wastes, manure, plants, sewage, food wastes, municipal garbage, and other organic wastes. Biogas can be used to transportation fuels, electricity, heat combined with energy, or electricity by using the Fischer-Tropsch method. Biogas is also a valuable source of hydrogen that can be produced renewable to be used in fuel cells which are expected to play an important role in the future of energy systems. The most common method of valorisation of biogas is to generate electricity using the power of a combined heat and (CHP) plant. The heat produced by the CHP process is used to support the process of fermentation of organic waste, and the electricity is fed into the grid. Biogas can be further converted into natural gas and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can be used to replace imported gas in commercial and residential constructions, ground transportation and other areas. Biogas is a renewable energy source that can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CCAC works to provide tools for measuring reporting and confirming (MRV) clean cooking in households of low- to middle-income countries. This will aid the 67 countries that have included clean-cooking goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions. By using biogas as an alternative to conventional natural gas for heating and cooling and to substitute fossil fuels for the generation of electricity, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. Biogas is also a viable substitute for oil, coal and other fossil fuels for the production of liquid fuels for transport. By taking methane and reusing it to prevent the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere as well as the runoff of nitrogen that would otherwise pollute our water sources. The Plessis-Gassot landfill for non-hazardous waste in Claye-Souilly, France, for instance is a biogas capture facility that transforms it into a sustainable supply of energy for the households that are connected to the system. Small-scale biogas facilities can be constructed in cities, allowing for the collection and utilization of organic waste locally. This can reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport and treatment. Hydroelectric Power Hydropower is a renewable energy source that uses the kinetic energies of water flowing. It is the biggest and cheapest renewable power source in the world. power electric scooter doesn't emit greenhouse gases directly, but it has significant environmental impacts. It is a flexible type of green energy that can easily be adjusted to meet the changing demand and supply. It is able to last a life of more than 100 years and is able to be upgraded for improved efficiency and performance. The majority of hydropower plants that are traditional use dams to harness the energy of falling water. The energy generated by the water is converted into electricity through the turbines which spin at a rate proportional to the speed of the water. This electricity is then transmitted to the grid of electricity for use. While building an hydroelectric power plant involves an enormous investment in dams, reservoirs, and pipes, the operating costs are low. These plant types can be utilized as backups to other renewable energy technologies that are intermittent like wind and solar. There are two types of hydroelectric power plants: storage and run-of-river. Storage plants are characterized by large impoundments that store more than a season's worth of water. Run-of-river facilities have small impoundment and utilize water from free-flowing streams or rivers. Hydropower plants are often located near or in areas with high population density, where electricity demand is high. The environmental impact of hydropower depends on the size and location of a dam as well as the amount of water that is displaced, and the wildlife and habitat affected by decomposition and flooding. These effects can be reduced and reduced through the use of Low Impact Hydroelectricity (LIHI) standards for construction and operation of hydropower projects. The standards provide measures to safeguard the river's flow, water quality as well as protection of fish passage, watershed protection, endangered and threatened species, recreation, as well as cultural resources. In addition to producing renewable energy and power, some hydropower plants function as the world's largest “batteries.” These are referred to as storage facilities that are pumped and operate by pumping water upwards from a lower pool to a higher reservoir. When electricity is needed, the water from the lower reservoir could be used to power generators. The water from the reservoir above is then pumped downhill via a turbine in order to generate more electricity.