What Is Green Power?
Green power is electricity generated from renewable resources like solar, wind, geothermal, some forms of biomass, and hydroelectricity with low impact. Customers in markets that are deregulated can add a small premium to their utility bills to help support green energy sources.
Many renewable energy sources are less harmful to the environment than drilling for coal or oil. They can also help us reduce greenhouse emissions of greenhouse gases.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is among the most well-known green sources of power. Solar energy is a renewable resource because it never runs out. It is a safe and efficient energy source which reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. This energy is an excellent alternative to nuclear power, which requires mining and extraction of uranium, as well as long-term storage of radioactive waste.
The sun's energy can be utilized to create electricity in a variety ways such as photovoltaic (PV) panels and concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP), and solar thermal collectors. Solar electricity can either be delivered directly to homes and businesses or to grids that distribute electricity to other. Certain consumers can sell their surplus energy back to the utility company, which can help keep electricity bills low and even offset rising utility prices.
All types of solar energy create no air emissions or pollutants unlike fossil fuels, which produce carbon dioxide and other harmful gases during their combustion. Solar energy can be utilized to power satellites, boats, spacecrafts and other devices in areas where accessing the electric grid is difficult or impossible.
Solar power can be utilized in smaller structures. Many homeowners put PV solar panels on their roofs to produce electricity and passive solar home design allows these houses to take in sun's rays during the day to provide warmth, and then store it in the evening. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require minimal maintenance.
Hydropower is another type of solar energy that uses the natural flow of streams, rivers dams, and streams. Hydropower, similar to wind and biomass is a renewable resource because it can be replenished. If you are seeking to add hydropower to your business or home look into EPA's list of third-party certified options.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal plants use the heat of the Earth to generate electricity. The process uses hot water and steam which naturally occur a few kilometers below Earth's surface. It is an environmentally sustainable and renewable energy source that produces electricity all day throughout the year. Geothermal power could reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. It is also one of the most environmentally friendly forms of energy generation.
The most popular geothermal power plant is the flash-steam plant. This makes use of water at temperatures of around 182deg C (360deg F) to power turbines and generate electricity. The steam can also be used to heat buildings, or other industrial processes. Iceland for instance is dependent on geothermal power to melt snow and heat its streets, sidewalks and parking lots in the frigid Arctic Winter.
Another geothermal energy source is hot dry rock (HDR) power plant that taps underground reservoirs of hot dry rocks that are heated by man-made or natural activities. HDR plants require less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, which makes them more affordable and less costly to construct and operate. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are enough HDR resources in the United States for all of our current electrical needs.
The steam from geothermal power stations can be used as a source of electricity through a steam turbine generator or combined with a gas fired turbine to improve efficiency. The resulting mixture can then be converted to natural gas, which is burned in a traditional boiler to produce electricity.
In addition to being safe and reliable, geothermal energy is the smallest carbon footprint among all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants that utilize an engine to convert steam into electricity produce minimal or no nitrous oxide, methane, and sulphur oxide.
However, despite its benefits geothermal energy doesn't come without its problems. The drilling required to construct geothermal power plants can trigger earthquakes and could cause groundwater pollution. Additionally, the injection of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs may cause subsidence, a slow sinking of the terrain that can cause damage to pipelines roads, buildings, and pipelines.
Biogas
Biogas is an energy source that is renewable and gaseous that can generate green energy. It is produced from agricultural waste, manure plant material and sewage, municipal waste, food waste and other organic waste materials. Biogas can be used to create electricity, heat and combined heat and power and can also be transformed into fuels for transport using the Fischer-Tropsch process. Biogas can also be used to create renewable hydrogen that is used in fuel cells. Fuel cells are predicted to play an important role in the future energy systems of the world.
The most commonly used method for valorisation of biogas is to generate electricity using a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The heat produced by the CHP process is used to support the fermentation process of organic waste, and the electricity is fed to the grid. Biogas can also be compressed into natural gas and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can be used to replace imported mined gas in residential and commercial structures, ground transportation, and other areas.
Biogas is a renewable energy source that can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CCAC is working to provide instruments for measuring, reporting 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 targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
By using biogas as an alternative to traditional natural gas for heating and cooling and to replace fossil fuels used in the production of electricity, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. Biogas is also a sustainable substitute for oil, coal, and other fossil fuels in the production of liquid transportation fuels.
By taking methane and reusing it, we can prevent the release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and the runoff of nitrogen which could otherwise pollute our water resources. The Plessis-Gassot landfill for non-hazardous waste in Claye-Souilly, France, for example, captures biogas and turns it into a sustainable supply of energy for the households that are connected to the system. Small-scale biogas facilities can also be constructed in cities, allowing the collection and utilization of organic waste locally. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from transportation and treatment.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydropower uses the energy kinetics of water to generate electricity. It is the biggest and most affordable renewable energy source in the world. It releases no greenhouse gases directly, but has significant environmental impact. It is a flexible form of green energy that can easily be adjusted to meet changing demand and supply. It has a lifespan of over a hundred years and is able to be upgraded for better efficiency and performance.
Most traditional hydropower plants use dams to harness the energy of falling water. The kinetic energy of the water is converted into electricity through the use of turbines which spin at a rate proportional to the speed of the water. greenpower mobility is then transferred to the grid to be used.
Although constructing an hydroelectric power plant requires an enormous investment in dams, reservoirs and pipes, the operating costs are low. These flexible plants can also be utilized as backups to other renewable energy technologies that are intermittent such as solar and wind.
Hydroelectric power plants can be classified into two kinds which are storage and run of river. Storage plants have huge impoundments that can store more than one season's worth of water. Run-of-river plants use water from rivers and streams that are free-flowing. Hydropower plants are typically situated near or in areas of high population density in areas where demand for electricity is high.
The environmental impact of hydropower is dependent on the size and location of a dam, the amount of water displaced, and the habitat and wildlife affected by decomposition and flooding. These effects can be reduced and mitigated 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, aquatic ecosystems, watershed protection, threatened and endangered species, recreation and cultural resources.
Certain hydropower plants are the world's biggest "batteries" because they generate renewable energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir uphill to a larger reservoir. When electricity is required then the water from the lower reservoir could be used to power generators. The water from the upper reservoir can then be pumped downhill by a turbine to create more electricity.