What Is Green Power?
Green power is electricity generated from renewable sources such as geothermal, solar, and wind energy, biomass, and hydroelectricity with low impact. Customers who are in markets that are not regulated can add a small amount to their utility bills to help support green energy sources.
Renewable energies are often less harmful to the planet than oil drilling or coal mining. They also can aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a popular green power source. Solar energy is a renewable source because it is never depleted. It is an efficient, clean and secure energy source that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from conventional fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil. This energy source is also a viable alternative to nuclear power, which requires the mining and extraction of uranium, as well as long-term storage of radioactive waste.
Solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar thermal energy (CSP) are all ways to harness the power of the sun. Solar energy can be channeled directly into homes and businesses or it can be sent to grids that distribute electricity to other customers. Some consumers even have the option of selling their excess energy back to the utility company which helps keep electricity costs low and even offset rising utility costs.
scooter green power of solar energy create zero emissions of pollutants or air unlike fossil fuels, which produce carbon dioxide and other harmful gases when they burn. Solar energy can also be used to power different types of devices, including spacecrafts, boats, satellites and other vessels that cannot connect to the electrical grid is impractical or impossible.
On smaller scales solar power can also be used to power buildings. Many homeowners put PV cells on their roofs in order to produce electricity. Passive solar homes allows these homes to absorb the sun's heat during the day and retain it at night. Solar-powered houses also have the benefit of needing minimal maintenance.
Another type of solar power is hydropower, which utilizes the natural flow of the water in streams, rivers and dams to generate electricity. Hydropower, similar to biomass and wind, is a renewable resource as it can be replenished. Check out the EPA's list of third party certified hydropower options if want to add it to your home or office.
Geothermal Energy
A geothermal plant uses the heat of the Earth to generate electricity. The process makes use of steam and hot water, which naturally occur just a few kilometers below surface of the Earth. It is a remarkably sustainable and renewable energy source that generates electricity 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year. Geothermal energy can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and is one of the most eco-friendly forms of energy generation.
The most well-known type of geothermal power plant is a flash-steam power station. This makes use of water at temperatures of approximately 182deg C (360deg F) to generate electricity and power turbines. The steam can also be used to heat buildings or other industrial processes. Iceland for instance, utilizes geothermal energy to melt snow and heat its streets, sidewalks, and parking lots during the cold Arctic winter.
Another source of geothermal energy is a hot dry rock (HDR) power plant that taps underground reservoirs of hot dry rock that are heated by either natural or human-made activities. HDR plants require less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, making them less expensive and easier to construct and operate. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that there is enough HDR resources in the United States to meet all of our current energy needs.
The geothermal steam produced by plants can be used to create electricity by using a steam turbine generator, or it can be combined with a gas-fired turbine to increase efficiency. The resultant mixture can be converted to natural gas, which is burned in a conventional boiler to generate electricity.
In addition to being clean and reliable, geothermal energy has the lowest carbon footprint of all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants, that use an engine to convert steam into electricity, generate minimal or no methane, nitrous oxide, or sulphur dioxide.
Geothermal energy has its own problems, despite the advantages. Exploring for geothermal power stations can cause earthquakes and pollute groundwater. Injection of high-pressure water streams into geothermal reservoirs could cause subsidence. This is a gradual sinking that can damage roads, structures pipelines and buildings.
Biogas
Biogas is a renewable gaseous energy source that can be used to produce green power. 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 also power and heat or transformed into transport fuels using 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 commonly used method to valorize biogas is by creating electricity in a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The heat generated by the CHP process is used to assist in the fermentation process of organic waste and the electricity generated is fed into the grid. It can be further compressed into natural gas and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can be used to replace imported gas in residential and commercial buildings, ground transportation and other areas.
In addition to generating renewable energy, biogas can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants from traditional cooking. The CCAC is working to develop tools for measuring, reporting and confirming (MRV) of the clean cooking practices in households and communities in countries with low to middle incomes, to help the 67 countries that have included clean cooking as a goal in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
By using biogas as a substitute for traditional natural gas for cooling and heating and to substitute fossil fuels in the production of electricity, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. Biogas is also a sustainable alternative to oil, coal, and other fossil fuels in the production of liquid fuels for transport.
Recovering methane from animal manure and food waste helps to prevent the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and also stopping nitrogen runoff that could otherwise cause water pollution. Plessis-Gassot, a landfill that is not hazardous in Claye-Souilly (France), for instance, captures and converts biogas into a renewable source of energy for homes who are connected to the system. Additionally small-scale biogas facilities can be constructed in cities to permit the collection and use of organic waste from local sources, avoiding greenhouse gases caused by transport and treatment of these materials.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydropower is a renewable energy source that makes use of the kinetic energy of water that flows. It is the most affluent and cost-effective source of renewable energy in the world. It does not emit greenhouse gases, but it does require significant environmental impacts. It is a flexible type of green energy that is able to be adapted to meet fluctuating demand and supply. Its lifespan spans more than 100 years, and it can be upgraded to improve efficiency and performance.
The majority of traditional hydropower plants harness the energy of falling waters by using dams. The water's kinetic energy is converted into electricity by a series of turbines, which spin at a speed proportional to the velocity of the water. The electricity is then transferred to the grid to be used.
Although constructing an hydroelectric power plant involves a massive investment in dams, reservoirs, and pipes, the operating costs are quite low. These plants can also be used as backups to other intermittent renewable energy technologies like wind and solar.
Hydroelectric plants can be classified into two kinds which are storage and run-of-river. Storage plants have huge impoundments, which can hold more than one season's worth of water. Run-of-river facilities draw the water of streams and rivers that flow freely. Hydropower facilities are usually located near concentrations of population, where there is a high demand for electricity.
The environmental impact of hydropower is largely dependent on the size and area of the project, as well as the amount of water that is displaced, as well as the habitats and wildlife affected by decomposition and floods. The effects of hydropower can be mitigated and reduced through the use of Low Impact Hydroelectricity Standards (LIHI) for the construction and operation of the hydropower project. greenpower mobility scooter provide measures to safeguard the flow of rivers and water quality as well as protection of fish passage, aquatic ecosystems, watershed protection, endangered and threatened species, recreation, and cultural resources.
Certain hydropower plants are the world's largest "batteries" because they can generate renewable energy by pumping water from a lower pool uphill to a bigger reservoir. When there is a need for electricity then the water in the lower reservoir is released to power generators, and the water in the upper reservoir is pumped back downhill by turbines to generate more electricity.