You may not be able to install solar panels on your home for a variety of reasons. Your roof might not be big enough, or sunny enough, or your home is not facing the sun, or maybe you just don’t have the resources to buy a solar electric system at this time. In any of these cases and others not mentioned, if you support going green, solar energy and the idea of reducing greenhouse gases and slowing global warming here are three ways to make a difference. Consider Green Pricing, Green Marketing, Green Tags.
Green Pricing - Buy Renewable Energy From Your Electric Company
One of the quickest and easiest ways to make a difference is by checking with your electric utility company to see if they have a program that allows you to purchase renewable energy from them. This is called Green Pricing. More and more power companies are purchasing green energy from sources such as: solar electric from large photovoltaic power generation facilities; wind generation companies; geothermal power generation and other low impact electric generation companies.
If your power company has this type of program you will probably be able to elect how much green energy you want to buy per month. Typically, buying green energy is a bit more expensive than just the regular electricity that you have been accustomed to buying. Green energy is still a little more expensive than traditional electricity but the gap is narrowing every year. Experts suggest that by 2013, many renewable electric sources will cost the same as fossil fuel generated sources.
To see if your power company or the power company to where you might be relocating offers Green Pricing see Green Power Markets on the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Webpage.
Green Marketing - Competing Power Company With Green Energy
In some areas around the U.S. you can purchase energy from sources other than your power company. This is called Green Marketing. A little over a dozen states have competitive energy markets where more than one power company can offer you power. Often competing power companies offer green energy alternatives for consumers in those respective areas to purchase that the regular power company doesn’t offer.
To see if your state offers competing green power energy choices see Green Power Marketing on the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Webpage.
Green Tags - Purchase Renewable Energy Certificates
One last option to discuss is the option of purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates – REC’s . REC’s are also known as Green Tags or Green Certificates. No matter whether you have the ability to purchase green power from your utility or from competing green power companies in your state you can always purchase REC’s as a way of making a difference for the environment in buying green energy.
In purchasing green tags you are essentially purchasing green energy in the same fashion as you would if you were purchasing power from alternative sources directly from your power company, or from a competing green power company in your area.
To locate a REC – Green Tag – seller see Renewable Energy Certificates on the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Webpage.
No Matter What - Buying Green Energy Makes a Difference
No matter how you buy green energy, you cannot tell exactly where your energy comes from when it comes into your home. Electricity is electricity and it all gets mixed up in the nation’s electric power grid. When you purchase green power, you are paying for additional green energy to be produced and added to the grid.
With more green energy produced, there is less demand for fossil fuel produced electricity, which reduces the environmental impacts. Reducing fossil fuel energy demand reduces the U.S. dependency on foreign oil and petroleum products which stabilizes our economy and economic as well as national security. As more and more green energy is produced the rate of global warming is also slowed.
Buying green energy so far has proven to be more expensive than fossil fuel energy. However, as the cost of oil and other fossil fuels continue to rise due to decreasing supply and increasing world demand, the idea of buying green is more and more realistic. You can make a difference and can say that you power your home with green energy if you purchase green energy in the form of Green Pricing, Green Marketing and Green Tags even without the purchase of a home solar electric system at this time.
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