subject: Green Power Credits - How They Impact Your World [print this page] When you want your business to be a leader in lessening the environmental impact of your activities, using green power is one of the best ways to do this. Relying on power from coal, petroleum and natural gas is the less expensive way to run your business, but it's contributing to worldwide environmental problems. Instead, consider switching to green power credits, which support the additional cost of getting power in an environmentally friendly way.
Common Types of Green Power
Green power is considered to be energy that comes from renewable sources that are readily available to us. Harnessing the natural energy sources the world already has, we can get all the energy we need to power our homes, our buildings and our transportation without the damage we're creating now. Some of the most common types of green power available through power credits include:
Wind power - Taking the wind to turn the blades of a huge windmill creates turbine energy with naturally occurring winds.
Solar power - Includes both photovoltaic cells, which convert light into energy, and solar thermal systems that harness the heat in the sun's rays.
Geothermal Power - This technology traps the heat under the surface of the earth and is converted into power or directly used as heat in a controlled release.
Hydropower - Takes the energy from flowing water by funneling it through a generator to produce electricity.
Worldwide Environmental Impact
When you purchase green power credits, you're helping to encourage companies to develop new and better ways to harness renewable energy. This technology benefits natural environments worldwide in several ways, including:
They are able to protect the natural landscapes and homes for the animals because power companies don't have to dig or drill for non-renewable power sources.
Maintains plant life at the highest levels possible, which in turn improves the quality of the air we breathe by removing carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen.
Climate changes are slowed since the forms of energy that contribute to climate change are used less.
Decreases environmental pollution that results from converting non-renewable resources into energy.
Getting Green Power Credits
When you don't have the funds or the resources available to build your own renewable energy system, participating with green power credits means you're still able to have a positive impact on the environment. Although you can sometimes pay extra for renewable energy through your electric company, it's generally less expensive to purchase renewable energy credits. These credits ensure that the electricity your building uses is added to the grid somewhere else by a company that produces energy from renewable sources.
