What Is Green Power?
Green power is electricity generated from renewable sources such as geothermal, solar and wind energy, biomass and hydroelectricity with a minimal impact. It's available to customers in deregulated markets who want to help support green energy sources by adding a small premium to their utility bill.
Renewable energies are often less harmful to the earth than coal or oil mining. They also reduce our greenhouse gas emission.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a popular green energy source. Solar is considered as a renewable resource since it will never be depleted. It is a clean and efficient energy source, which reduces air pollution as well as greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuels such as coal, oil natural gas, and coal. This energy is a good alternative to nuclear power, which requires the mining extraction, storage and transport of radioactive waste.
The sun's radiation can be used to generate electricity in many ways that include photovoltaic (PV) panels as well as concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP) and solar thermal collectors. Solar power can be distributed directly to homes and businesses or to grids which distribute power to others. Certain consumers can sell their surplus energy back to the utility company, which helps keep electricity bills low and even offset rising utility prices.
Solar energy doesn't produce pollution or emissions to the air, unlike fossil fuels which produce harmful carbon dioxide and harmful gases during combustion. Solar energy can be utilized to power satellites, spacecraft, boats and other devices in areas in areas where accessing the grid is either difficult or impossible.
Solar power can be utilized in smaller structures. Many homeowners use PV solar panels on their roofs in order to generate electricity and passive solar home design allows these houses to let in sunlight in the daytime for warmth and then keep it in the evening. Solar-powered houses also have the advantage of needing minimal maintenance.
Hydropower is a different type of solar energy that uses the natural flow of streams, rivers dams, and streams. Like wind and biomass, hydropower is considered renewable since it can be replenished. If you are looking to add hydropower to your business or home, check out the EPA's list for third-party certified options.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal plants use the heat of the Earth to generate electricity. The process uses steam and hot water that naturally occur just a few kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. It is an environmentally sustainable and renewable energy source that can generate electricity all day throughout the year. Geothermal power could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. It is also one of the most eco-friendly sources of energy generation.
The most commonly used geothermal power station is the flash-steam plant. This uses water at a temperature of about 182deg C (360deg F) to generate electricity and power turbines. Steam can be used to heat industrial processes and buildings. Iceland for instance relies on geothermal energy to melt snow and heat its streets, sidewalks and parking areas during the cold Arctic winter.
A hot dry rock power plant is an additional geothermal source of energy. It taps underground reservoirs comprised of dry, hot rock heated by man-made or natural activities. HDR plants require significantly less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, which makes them easier and cheaper to build and operate. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are enough HDR resources available in the United States for all of our current electrical requirements.
Geothermal power stations that produce steam can be used to generate electricity by using a steam turbine generator or combined with a gas fired turbine to improve efficiency. The mixture is able to be converted into natural gas and burned in a boiler, generating electricity.
Geothermal energy is not just safe and reliable, but also has the smallest carbon footprint of all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants, which use an engine to convert steam into electricity, generate minimal or no methane, nitrous oxide, or sulphur dioxide.
However, despite its benefits, geothermal energy isn't without its challenges. Exploring for geothermal power plants can trigger earthquakes and also pollute the groundwater. Furthermore, the dumping of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs could cause subsidence, which is which is a gradual sinking of the land that can damage pipelines roads, buildings, and pipelines.
Biogas
Biogas is a renewable gaseous energy source that generates green power . It can be produced from agricultural wastes, manure, plants wastewater municipal garbage, food wastes, and other organic wastes. Biogas can be converted to transport fuels, electricity, heat combined with energy, or electricity by using the Fischer-Tropsch method. Biogas can also be used to create renewable hydrogen which is used in fuel cells. Fuel cells are expected to play an important role in the future energy systems in the world.
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 process is used to support the fermentation process of organic waste, and the electricity is then fed into the grid. It can also be converted into natural gas, and then incorporated into the existing natural gas distribution networks. Biogas can be used to replace imported gas in commercial and residential constructions, ground transportation and other areas.
In addition to generating renewable energy, biogas can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from cooking conventionally. The CCAC provides tools for measuring reporting and verifying (MRV) healthy cooking in households in low-to middle-income countries. This will assist the 67 countries who have included clean-cooking targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions.
Using biogas to replace fossil fuels to generate electricity and as a substitute for traditional natural gas in cooling and heating will reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as other air pollutants. Biogas can be used in the production of liquid transportation fuels as a sustainable alternative to oil, coal, and other fossil fuels.
Capturing and recovering methane from food and animal manure waste prevents the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and also stopping nitrogen runoff that could otherwise end up contaminating water resources. The Plessis-Gassot non-hazardous waste landfill in Claye-Souilly, France, for example, captures biogas and turns it into a sustainable supply of energy for homes connected to the system. Small-scale biogas facilities can also be installed in cities, allowing 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 that flows. It is the biggest and cheapest renewable power source in the world. It does not produce direct greenhouse gases however it has significant environmental impact. It is a flexible type of green energy that is able to be adjusted to meet the changing demand and supply. It is able to last a life of more than a hundred years and is able to be upgraded for improved efficiency and performance.
The majority of traditional hydropower plants harness the energy of falling waters by using dams. A series of turbines converts the energy of the water into electricity at a rate that is proportional to the speed at which it travels. The electricity is then transferred to the grid for use.
Hydroelectric power plants require an enormous investment in reservoirs and pipes. However the operating costs are low. Moreover, these flexible plants can be used as backups for other intermittent renewable power technologies like wind and solar.
There are two types of hydroelectric plants that are run-of-river and storage. Storage plants are characterized by large impoundments that can store more than a season's worth of water. Run-of-river plants draw the water of streams and rivers that flow freely. Hydropower facilities are typically located near concentrations of population, and in areas where there is a high demand for electricity.
The environmental impact of hydropower depends on the size and location of a dam as well as the amount of water displaced as well as the wildlife and habitat affected by inundation and decomposition. The effects of hydropower can be mitigated and reduced by using Low Impact Hydroelectricity Standards (LIHI) for the construction and operation of hydropower projects. The standards include measures to protect river flows, water quality, fish passage and protection and aquatic ecosystems, watershed protection, endangered and threatened species, recreation, and cultural resources.
In addition, to generate renewable energy, some hydropower plants act as the world's largest "batteries." These are known as pumped storage facilities and work by pumping water upwards from a lower pool to a larger reservoir. When electricity is needed the water from the lower reservoir could be used to power generators. The water from the upper reservoir is then pumped downhill through a turbine to generate more electricity.