What Is Green Power?
Green power is electricity produced by renewable resources such as geothermal, solar, wind and biomass, as well as other forms of biomass, and hydroelectricity with low impact. It is available to consumers in markets that are deregulated who want to support cleaner energy sources by paying the cost of their utility bill.
Many renewable energy sources are less harmful to the environment than drilling for coal or oil. They also reduce our greenhouse gas emission.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a favored green power source. Solar energy is a renewable resource because it never runs out. It is a safe and efficient energy source which helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. This energy source is also a good alternative to nuclear power, which requires extraction and mining of uranium, as well as long-term storage of radioactive waste.
Photovoltaic panels, and concentrated solar-thermal energy (CSP) are all ways to harness the sun's power. Solar electricity can either be distributed directly to homes and businesses or to grids which distribute power to other. Some customers even have the option of selling their surplus energy back to the utility company, which can help keep electricity costs low and even offset rising utility prices.
All types of solar energy create no air emissions or pollutants unlike fossil fuels, which create carbon dioxide and other harmful gases when they burn. Solar energy can also be used to power other types of devices, including spacecrafts, satellites, and boats, where accessing the electrical grid is impractical or impossible.
On a smaller scale solar power can also be used to power buildings. Many homeowners put PV cell panels on their roofs to generate electricity and passive solar home design allows these houses to welcome in the sun's rays during the day to provide warmth and then retain it in the evening. Solar-powered houses also have the benefit of needing very little maintenance.
Another form of solar power is hydropower, which makes use of the natural flow of water in rivers, streams and dams to generate electricity. Hydropower, similar to wind and biomass is a renewable resource because it can be replenished. Check out the EPA's list of third-party certified hydropower options if want to add it to your office or at home.
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal plants use heat from the Earth to produce electricity. The process uses steam and hot water, which naturally occur a few kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. It is a renewable and sustainable energy source that produces electricity all day long all year round. Geothermal power could reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. It is also among the most environmentally friendly methods of energy production.
The most popular type of geothermal power plant is a flash-steam power station. This makes use of water heated to 182degrees C or 360deg F to generate electricity and power turbines. Steam can be utilized to heat industrial processes or even buildings. Iceland for instance is dependent on geothermal power to melt snow, heat its streets, sidewalks and parking areas during the frigid Arctic Winter.
Another geothermal energy source is the hot dry rock (HDR) power plant, which taps underground reservoirs of hot dry rocks that have been heated by man-made or natural activities. HDR plants require significantly less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, making them more affordable and less costly to construct and operate. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there is enough HDR resources in the United States for all of our current electrical requirements.
Steam from geothermal power stations can be utilized as a source of electricity through steam turbine generators or combined with a gas fired turbine to boost efficiency. The resultant mixture can be converted to natural gas, which can be burned in a conventional boiler to generate electricity.
In addition to being clean and reliable, geothermal energy has the smallest carbon footprint among all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants that utilize an engine to turn steam into electricity generate minimal or no nitrous oxide methane, sulphur and oxide.
Geothermal energy has its own problems, despite the advantages. The drilling required to construct geothermal power stations can cause earthquakes and pollute groundwater. Additionally, the injection of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs could cause subsidence, which is a gradual sinking terrain that can cause damage to pipelines roads, pipelines, and even buildings.
Biogas
Biogas is a natural gaseous energy source that can be utilized to produce green energy. It can be made from manure, agricultural wastes, plants, sewage food wastes, municipal garbage, and other organic wastes. Biogas can be used to generate electricity, heat and power and heat or converted into transport fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process. Biogas can also be used to create renewable hydrogen, which is then used in fuel cells. Fuel cells are predicted to play an important role in the future energy systems of the world.
The most common way to maximize the value of biogas is producing electricity through a combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant. The heat produced by the CHP plant is used to fuel the fermentation of organic wastes, and the electricity is fed back into the grid. It can be further compressed into natural gases and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can be utilized to replace imported mined gas in commercial and residential constructions, ground transportation and other areas.
Biogas is renewable energy source that can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CCAC is working to provide tools for measuring reporting and confirming (MRV) healthy cooking practices in households in low to middle-income countries. This will aid the 67 countries that have included clean-cooking goals in their Nationally Determined Contributions.
Biogas can be used as an alternative to conventional 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 viable substitute for coal, oil and other fossil fuels for the production of liquid fuels for transport.
Capturing and recovering methane from food and animal manure waste helps to prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, as well as preventing nitrogen runoff that could otherwise pollute water resources. The Plessis-Gassot landfill for non-hazardous waste in Claye-Souilly, France, for example is a biogas capture facility that transforms it into a sustainable source of energy for homes connected to the system. Additionally, small-scale biogas plants can be set up in cities to permit the collection and utilization of organic waste that is generated locally which will reduce greenhouse gases that are generated by the transportation and treatment of these materials.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydropower is a renewable energy source that uses the kinetic energies of flowing water. It is the most powerful and cheapest renewable energy source in the world. It doesn't emit greenhouse gases directly but it does have significant environmental effects. It is a flexible form of green power that is able to be adjusted to meet the changing needs of supply and demand. It has a service life of over a hundred years and is able to be upgraded for better efficiency and performance.
Most traditional hydropower plants harness the energy of falling waters by using dams. A series of turbines converts water's kinetic energy into electricity at a rate proportional to its velocity. The electricity is then transferred to the electric grid to be used.
Hydroelectric power plants require a significant investment in pipes and reservoirs. However the operating costs are low. Furthermore, these plants can act as backups to other intermittent renewable power technologies such as wind and solar.
Hydroelectric power plants can be classified into two kinds which are storage and run-of-river. Storage plants have large impoundments that can store more than a season's worth of water. mobility power -of-river plants use water from rivers and streams that are free-flowing. Hydropower plants are typically located 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 the project, the amount of water that is dispersed, as well as the habitats and wildlife affected by decomposition and flooding. These impacts can be reduced and reduced through the use of Low Impact Hydroelectricity Standards (LIHI) for the construction and operation of the hydropower projects. The standards contain measures to protect river flows as well as water quality passage for fish and protection and watershed protection, threatened and endangered species, recreation, and cultural resources.
Certain hydropower plants are the largest in the world "batteries" because they can generate renewable energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir uphill to a bigger reservoir. When electricity is needed the water from the lower reservoir can be used to power generators. The water from the upper reservoir is then pumped downhill via a turbine in order to create more electricity.