Are Green Power The Best There Ever Was?

What Is Green Power? Green power is electricity that comes from renewable sources like geothermal, solar and wind biomass, energy and hydroelectricity with a low environmental impact. Customers in deregulated markets can add a small premium on utility bills to help promote renewable energy sources that are cleaner. Renewable energy sources are typically less harmful to the earth than coal or oil mining. They also can aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Solar Energy Solar energy is a well-known green power source. Solar energy is considered to be as a renewable resource since it will never run out. It is a clean, efficient and secure energy source that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as pollution of the air from fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil. This energy is a great alternative to nuclear power that requires the mining, extraction and storage of radioactive waste. Solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar-thermal energy (CSP) are all methods to harness the power of the sun. Solar power can be channeled directly into homes and businesses or it can be sent to grids that distribute power to other customers. Some consumers even can sell their excess energy back to the utility company, which could help keep electricity costs low and even offset rising utility prices. All forms of solar energy produce zero air emissions or pollutants unlike fossil fuels, which create carbon dioxide and other harmful gases during their combustion. Solar energy can be used to power satellites boats, spacecrafts, and other devices where accessing the electric grid is a challenge or even impossible. On a smaller scale, solar can be utilized to power buildings. Many homeowners put PV cell panels on their roofs in order to generate electricity and passive solar home design allows these houses to let in sunlight during the day to provide warmth and then retain it in the evening. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require very little maintenance. Hydropower is another type of solar energy that utilizes the natural flow of rivers, streams and dams. Hydropower, just like biomass and wind, is a renewable resource since it can be replenished. Take a look at the EPA's list of third party certified hydropower options if are looking to include it in your home or office. Geothermal Energy A geothermal energy plant draws heat from the Earth's interior in order to produce electricity. The process involves hot water and steam which naturally occur just a few kilometers below the 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 can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and is among the most eco-friendly forms of power generation. The most common type of geothermal power plant is a flash-steam power station. This uses water at temperatures of around 182deg C (360deg F) to generate electricity and power turbines. Steam can be utilized to heat industrial processes and buildings. Iceland for instance, utilizes geothermal energy to melt snow and heat its streets, sidewalks and parking areas in the cold Arctic winter. A hot dry rock power plant is another geothermal source of energy. It taps underground reservoirs that are comprised of dry, hot rock heated by man-made or natural processes. HDR plants are less difficult to construct and operate as they require less infrastructure. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that there is enough HDR resources in the United States to meet all of our current electricity needs. The steam from geothermal power stations can be used as a source of electricity by using steam turbine generators or combined with gas-fired turbines to boost efficiency. The resultant mixture could be converted into natural gas, which can be burned in a conventional boiler to produce electricity. Geothermal energy is not just safe and reliable, but also has the lowest carbon footprint among all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants that use an engine to convert steam into electricity produce very little or no nitrous dioxide methane, sulphur, or methane oxide. Geothermal energy is not without its difficulties, despite its benefits. Exploring for geothermal power plants can trigger earthquakes and pollute groundwater. Injection of high-pressure streams in geothermal reservoirs may also cause subsidence. This is a slow sinking that could damage roads, buildings pipelines and buildings. Biogas Biogas is a gaseous renewable energy source that can be used to generate green power. It is made from manure, agricultural wastes, plants and sewage food wastes, municipal garbage and other organic wastes. Biogas can be converted to transport fuels, electricity heat and energy, combined heat and energy, or electricity, using the Fischer-Tropsch method. Biogas is also a viable resource for producing renewable hydrogen for use in fuel cells, which are expected to play an important role in the future of global 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 generated by the CHP plant is used to fuel the fermentation of organic wastes, while the electricity is fed back into the grid. It can also be compressed into natural gas and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can also be used as a substitute for natural gas imported from mines in ground transportation, commercial and residential structures. In addition to generating renewable energy, biogas can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants from conventional cooking. The CCAC is attempting to provide instruments to measure, report and confirming (MRV) of clean cooking in communities and households in low- to middle-income countries, to help the nations that have included clean cooking goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Utilizing biogas as an alternative to traditional natural gas for cooling and heating and to substitute fossil fuels in the production of electricity carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. Biogas is also a sustainable substitute for oil, coal, and other fossil fuels for the production of liquid fuels for transport. Recovering methane from animal manure and food waste helps to prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and also preventing nitrogen runoff that could otherwise cause water pollution. Plessis-Gassot is a non-hazardous waste disposal in Claye-Souilly (France), for instance, captures and converts biogas into a renewable source of energy for homes who are connected to the system. Small-scale biogas facilities can also be installed in cities, allowing for the collection and utilization of local organic waste. This will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with transport and treatment. Hydroelectric Power Hydropower is a renewable source of energy that makes use of the kinetic energy of water flowing. It is the biggest and most affordable renewable source of power worldwide. It does not emit direct greenhouse gases but it does have significant environmental impacts. It is a flexible form of green energy that can easily be adjusted to meet the changing demand and supply. It has a lifespan of over a hundred years and can be upgraded to improve efficiency and performance. The majority of traditional hydropower plants harness the energy of water falling through dams. A series of turbines converts the kinetic energy from the water into electricity at a rate proportional to its speed. The electricity is then transferred to the electric grid to be used. Hydroelectric power plants require a significant investment in reservoirs and pipes. However, operating green mobility scooter mymobilityscooters are low. Moreover, these flexible plants can act as backups for other intermittent renewable power technologies like wind and solar. There are two main types of hydroelectric power plants: storage and run-of-river. Storage plants have huge impoundments that can store more than one season's worth of water. Run-of-river facilities draw the water of streams and rivers that are free-flowing. Hydropower plants are typically located close to or in areas of high density of population and where the demand for electricity is high. The environmental impact of hydropower depends on the size and location of the dam, the amount of water that is displaced, and the wildlife and habitat affected by inundation and decomposition. These impacts can be minimized and reduced through the use of Low Impact Hydroelectricity (LIHI) standards for construction and operation of hydropower projects. The standards contain measures to protect the river's flow and water quality, fish passage and protection, watershed protection, endangered and threatened species, recreation, as well as cultural resources. Hydropower plants can also be the largest in the world “batteries” because they can produce renewable energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir uphill to a larger reservoir. If electricity is required, the water from the lower reservoir can be used to power generators. The water from the upper reservoir can then be pumped downwards via a turbine in order to generate more electricity.