15 Things You've Never Known About Green Power

What Is Green Power? Green power is electricity produced by renewable resources such as geothermal, solar, wind and some forms of biomass, and hydroelectricity with low impact. Customers in markets that are deregulated can add a small premium to utility bills to support green energy sources. Renewable energy sources are generally less harmful to the environment than coal mining or oil drilling mining. They also can help us reduce our greenhouse emissions of greenhouse gases. Solar Energy Solar energy is one of the most well-known green energy sources. Solar energy is a renewable resource because it is never depleted. It is a clean, efficient and safe energy source that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as air pollution from conventional fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil. This energy is a great alternative to nuclear power, which requires the mining extraction, storage and storage of radioactive waste. My Mobility Scooters , and concentrated solar-thermal energy (CSP) are all methods to harness the power of the sun. Solar electricity can either be distributed directly to businesses and homes or to grids that supply power to others. Certain consumers have the option of selling their excess energy back to the utility company which can help keep electricity costs low and even offset rising utility prices. All forms of solar energy produce zero emissions of pollutants or air unlike fossil fuels, which generate carbon dioxide and other harmful gases when they burn. Solar energy can also be used to power other types of devices, like spacecrafts, boats, satellites and other vessels that cannot connect to the electrical grid is impractical or impossible. On smaller scales solar can also be used to power buildings. Many homeowners use PV cells on their roofs in order to generate electricity. Passive solar homes allows for these homes to absorb the sun's heat during the day and store it in the evening. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require minimal maintenance. Another form of solar power is hydropower, which makes use of the natural flow of water in rivers, streams and dams to produce electricity. Like wind and biomass hydropower, hydropower is a renewable resource because it can be replenished. If you're looking to add hydropower to your home or business 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 makes use of hot water and steam that naturally occurs just a few kilometers below surface of the earth. It is an incredibly sustainable and renewable energy source that generates electricity all day long all year round. Geothermal power could reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. It is also one of the most eco-friendly methods of energy production. The most commonly used geothermal power plant is the flash-steam plant. It uses water at a temperature of about 182deg C (360deg F) to power turbines and generate electricity. Steam can be utilized to heat industrial processes or even buildings. Iceland, for instance, uses geothermal power to melt snow and heat its streets, sidewalks and parking spaces in the frigid Arctic Winter. Another source of energy from geothermal sources 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, which makes them less expensive and easier to build and operate. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that there are enough HDR resources in the United States to meet all of our current needs for electricity. Geothermal power stations that produce steam can be utilized as a source of power via steam turbine generators or combined with gas-fired turbines to increase efficiency. The mixture can be transformed into natural gas, and then burned in a boiler, generating electricity. In addition to being safe and reliable, geothermal energy is the smallest carbon footprint of all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants that employ an engine to convert steam into electricity produce little or no nitrous dioxide methane, sulphur, or methane oxide. However, despite its advantages geothermal energy has its problems. The drilling required to construct geothermal power stations can cause earthquakes and could pollute groundwater. Additionally, the injection 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, and buildings. Biogas Biogas is a renewable gaseous energy source that can be utilized to generate green energy. It can be produced from manure, agricultural waste plant material, municipal waste, sewage food waste, and other organic waste materials. Biogas can be used to generate electricity, heat and combined power and heat and can also be converted into transport fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process. Biogas is also a valuable source of hydrogen that can be produced renewable for use in fuel cells, which are likely to play a major role in the future of energy systems. The most popular method to maximize the value of biogas is producing electricity through the combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant. The heat from the CHP process is used to assist in the fermentation of the organic waste and the electricity is fed into the grid. Biogas can also be converted into natural gas and incorporated into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can also be used as a substitute for natural gas imported from mines in commercial, ground transportation and residential constructions. In addition to providing renewable energy, biogas can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and pollution from traditional cooking. The CCAC is working to develop instruments to measure, report and verification (MRV) of the clean cooking practices within communities and households in low-to-middle income countries in order to assist the nations that have included clean cooking goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Utilizing biogas to substitute fossil fuels to generate electricity and as a substitute for conventional natural gas in cooling and heating will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as other air pollutant emissions. Biogas can be used in the production of liquid transport fuels as a sustainable alternative to coal, oil, and other fossil fuels. Capturing and recovering methane from animal manure and food waste prevents the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and also preventing nitrogen runoff that would otherwise cause water pollution. 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 households connected to the system. In addition small-scale biogas facilities can be installed in cities to permit the collection and utilization of organic waste that is generated locally, avoiding greenhouse gases caused by transport and treatment of these materials. Hydroelectric Power Hydropower is a renewable energy source that uses the kinetic energies of water flowing. It is the most powerful and most affordable renewable energy source in the world. It doesn't produce direct greenhouse gases but it does have significant environmental impacts. It is a flexible form of green power that is easily adjusted to meet changing supply and demand. It has a lifespan of more than 100 years and is able to be upgraded to improve efficiency and performance. The majority of traditional hydropower plants utilize dams to harness the power of falling water. A series of turbines converts water's kinetic energy into electricity at a rate that is proportional to its velocity. The electricity is then transferred to the electric grid for use. Although constructing an hydroelectric power plant involves an enormous investment in dams, reservoirs, and pipes, the operating costs are relatively low. Furthermore, these plants are able to serve as backups for other intermittent renewable power sources such as wind and solar. Hydroelectric plants can be divided into two kinds that are storage and run-of-river. Storage plants are characterized by large impoundments that store more than a season's worth of water, whereas run-of-river facilities have a small impoundment and use water from free-flowing rivers or streams. Hydropower plants are usually located near or in areas with high density, where electricity demand is high. The environmental impact of hydropower is dependent on the size and area of the project, as well as the amount of water that is being displaced, and the wildlife and habitats affected by decomposition and inundation. 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 include measures for the flow of rivers, water quality protection and fish passage, as well as protection of aquatic ecosystems endangered and threatened animals, recreation and cultural resources. In addition to generating renewable energy Hydropower plants also function as the world's largest “batteries.” They are called storage facilities pumped by the government and work by pumping water uphill from a lower reservoir to a larger reservoir. If there is a requirement for electricity, the water in the lower reservoir is released to power generators, and the water in the upper reservoir is pumped back downhill by an engine to produce more electricity.