I was asked, recently, about renewable energy credits, and the person asking was embarrassed to have to admit that they really knew nothing at all about them. So, I put together this list of things that you may find useful to know about renewable energy credits.

1. Definition. A Renewable Energy Credit, generally referred to as an REC or by various other acronyms, is a certificate showing that one megawatt of electrical power has been produced by an eligible, renewable energy source.
2. Purpose of an REC. The certificates created are tradable commodities that hold value in markets where companies or consumers have incentive to claim that they are purchasing power generated by renewable resources.
3. What is the market for RECs? There are two types of markets in which RECs hold value, compliance markets, and voluntary markets.
4. Compliance markets. In twenty-nine states, plus the District of Columbia, companies are required to purchase a certain percentage of their electrical power from renewable resources. For instance, California law requires that, by the year 2020 thirty-three percent of electrical power must be produced by renewable resources. Energy companies can meet this criteria by producing power produced by renewable resources.
5. How do RECs help companies in compliance markets? Companies in states with compliant markets, may find it is too expensive to convert their energy production facilities, or to build new production facilities that comply with the renewable resource requirements in their market. These companies can purchase RECs to meet the minimum requirements in their markets.
6. Voluntary markets. In voluntary markets, customers or companies may wish, for their own reasons, to purchase electric power that is produced by renewable resources. They may do so by purchasing power and credits from companies that produce electricity from renewable resources. RECs generally sell at lower dollar values in voluntary markets than is the case in compliance markets.
7. Who certifies RECs? The United States currently has no national registry for certifying Renewable Energy Credits. The Center for Resource Solutions is a nonprofit organization that administers a voluntary program attempting to provide accountability for Renewable Energy Credit claims. Their website is here: http://www.resource-solutions.org/index.php
8. State REC related policies, incentives, and information. The US Department of Energy provides a database of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. It can be found here: http://www.dsireusa.org/
9. EPA. The US Environmental Protection Agency also provides information on regional tracking systems that have been set up for compliance markets, on its website. That information can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/gpmarket/tracking.htm
10. What are the benefits, to us as consumers and citizens, of Renewable Energy Credits? RECs can provide us with some assurance that electric power production is using fewer non-renewable, carbon-based resources. This helps to reduce the amount of oil that needs to be imported for electric power production, and also helps us to reduce the amount of pollution produced to supply the electricity that we need in our homes and businesses.

Having done this research, I conclude that Renewable Energy Credits are one of the pieces that help in our ability to provide for our growing needs for electricity, while limiting the amount of pollution we produce in doing so, and are a small part of reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources.

source

Moving can be a stressful time for anyone. Whether you have planned your move for weeks (or even months), or are moving with little to no notice, it is always difficult to pack your entire life into boxes and transport it to your next abode. For those who are environmentally-responsible, minimizing your carbon footprint – the effect that your activities have on the environment – is an important consideration to make. Here are some suggestions on planning an effective, eco-friendly move:

Plan ahead. By taking the time to plan your move, and mapping out your exit strategy, you can solve problems before they arise. Plan your route with fuel-efficiency in mind, and if you have time, calculate your anticipated carbon footprint. If you find that you will be creating too large of a carbon footprint, it may be a good idea to rent a moving truck so you can get everything in one trip, rather than making repeated trips that waste fuel and increase your carbon dioxide output.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! I have moved several times, and I have never bought boxes or packing materials. Free boxes can be found at most stores, or on websites like Craig’s List. Packing peanuts and foam wrap can be replaced with old newspapers, towels, or old t-shirts, which can be used to wrap delicate objects, and wadded up and stuffed into boxes to protect your valuables. Finally, don’t cover your boxes with tape. Securely tape the bottom, fold the flaps together at the top, and the box will be secure for your move. This will not only save money, but help the environment, as well.

Pack carefully. While you don’t want to cram everything into one box, it is a good idea to be as efficient as you can be, in order to have smaller loads and fewer trips whenever possible. If you will be moving from state-to-state or have a lot of belongings, I suggest hiring professional movers. They know how to pack boxes and a truck properly, which will reduce wasted fuel.

Idle hands – and idle cars – are not good. Sitting in traffic is not only frustrating, but a waste of fuel, as well. I have always made an effort to move during late morning and early afternoon hours in order to avoid traffic congestion. Additionally, when you arrive at your destination, turn your engine off. Vehicles waste more fuel when idling than any other time.

Waste not, want not. Move during day hours so you don’t need to turn lights on. Unless temperatures are dangerously high, try to avoid using air conditioning, both in your vehicle and in your old and new residences. While this may cause some minor discomfort, you will be reducing your carbon dioxide emissions, which will be worth it in the long run. Finally, pass your boxes and packing materials onto a future mover if possible, in order to continue the recycling chain.

While these may seem like commonsense suggestions to some, not everyone is aware of the effect that such small details can have on our environment. By being knowledgeable about your carbon footprint and being proactive whenever possible, you can make the world a slightly better place one day and action at a time. Good luck, and happy moving!

A large amount of people are starting to realize it’s feasible to continue enjoying all the modern amenities they became used to while also experiencing the independence of off grid living. Off grid living means exactly that – living off the grid. You can enjoy freedom from power lines, electrical bills and the sky-rocketing rates being charged by resources corporations for being hooked up to the electrical grid. Almost every homeowner can experience this environmentally friendly and cost effective lifestyle . The rules of living this way can be applied to any home anywhere in the world, including those currently connected to the electrical supply grid.

More and more folk are showing an interest in breaking free from their reliance on carbon-based fuel burning power plants through the utilizing of alternative power generation strategies such as solar panels, windmills, hydro-electric generators and even magnetic power generators. Technology has advanced and costs have been reduced at the same time. It is very feasible to make off grid living a do it yourself project with the help of the many kits, resources and guides that are accessible these days. While global energy costs are soaring, those that have made the switch to off grid living are secure in the knowledge that their bills are continuously getting less.

The thought of giving up all of their electronic and electrical luxuries shocks a lot of people away from off grid living. This couldn’t be farther from the actual facts. Learning to control your energy use is all that is really required for off grid living. When you leave a room, turn the lights off. You might purchase appliances that don’t use power when not in use like the clocks on microwaves and stoves. Appliances with indicators lights that are always on, like computers, printers and some telephone chargers, are leeching power and adding to your bills. Your luxuries don’t need to be sacrificed when your are trying off grid living, you simply need to learn how to be smarter when using them.

The enlarging recognition of off grid living has led to the production of high potency, modular and portable homes to cater for the demand. Identical in layout to conventional mobile homes, these one or two person units employ passive solar design, solar energy panels and natural gas to make allowance for off grid living wherever they are moved to.

If you’re interested in off grid living, but are unsure where to begin or you need some more success stories to persuade you, use the Internet for your research. Besides the various guides and resources available to get you moving with off grid living, there are many folk who can not wait to share their own experiences and success stories. Probably the better part of off grid living is when there is a blackout in your area and you do not want to break out the candles. You can also experience the freedom of off grid living regardless of where you live as this approach to life is inside close range of any person.

By Congressman Jerry McNerney Ph.D.,
Co-author of Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels

I make it a point to meet with as many people as possible to learn from the experiences of others and stay connected. It’s important to represent my constituents effectively. In the last year, the tone of the conversations has changed. People are afraid for their future. They fear losing their jobs and homes, everything they’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

There are simply not enough family wage jobs to go around. The American dream that has inspired generations to work hard and pursue innovative ideas seems to be slipping away.

We must create a new generation of jobs to give parents the confidence that their children will do better than they have, and we must assure our country’s national and economic security. To make great strides on this path, look no further than the clean energy and energy efficiency industries, the next great frontier for Americans to explore.

As a clean energy engineer and small businessman with over two decades of experience in wind energy, I know the rewards and challenges of the clean energy industry firsthand. During my time as an engineer, I often climbed 200 foot windmills to conduct tests and make repairs. From the top of the windmills, I looked out over the landscape and saw what our innovative spirit can achieve — capturing energy from the wind for our homes and businesses. Energy produced right here in the USA.

I worked for a quarter century developing wind energy technology only to see that same technology go overseas and create jobs in other countries. Much to my disgust, technology that was born of American innovation was outsourced to Germany, which had more favorable utility and energy policies. Jobs were created in Germany that should have been created in America. Today, Germany builds and exports wind turbines back to the United States.

Pursuing a more energy independent future for America will not only lay the foundation for the next generation of good paying manufacturing jobs but will also make us safer and more secure. We are heavily dependent on imported oil from the Middle East. Oil produced overseas fuels our cars, the trucks that ship goods around the country, and perhaps most critically, our military airplanes, tanks, ships and defense equipment. It’s dangerous to be so heavily dependent on oil from unstable regions.

We’re also confronted with the devastating threat of global warming, which is impacting people’s lives across the globe with unprecedented heat waves, freakish storms, increasing acidity of the oceans, droughts, animal migrations, and melting arctic ice. Already, island communities in the Marshall Islands and the Maldives are facing the impending threat of rising ocean levels. These trends will only grow as the effects of global warming continue to accelerate and manifest themselves in our weather.

Fortunately, we have within our grasp the means to address the challenges of a struggling economy, our risky dependence on foreign oil, and the threat of climate change. America has the know-how and innovative spirit to be the world’s manufacturer and exporter of clean energy technology. But this opportunity is rapidly vanishing as other countries, especially China, experience a surge in their clean energy development. We must act quickly or — just like when the wind energy I worked on in the 1980s went overseas to Germany — we’ll miss the boat and soon be forced to buy all of our clean energy technology from other countries.

Our nation needs a directed energy policy that gives businesses the security and predictability to invest in developing and manufacturing here in America. Enacting smart policies like a renewable energy standard and providing the right financial incentives will help us unleash the American innovative spirit.

I’ve seen what we can do when we work on these issues. In the 1980s, I helped develop a new type of wind turbine. After months of hard work, our team invited a group of investors out to turn on the machine for the first time and witness the windmill’s maiden voyage. We flipped the switch and, to our shock, the windmill blades flew apart while everyone ran for cover.

But that moment proved to be an important turning point for the technology. We improved the design — making it better and stronger over time — and now those windmills are an important source of energy production. We’ll likely encounter similar bumps on the road as we work towards becoming more energy independent. But throughout this process, I’m confident that the American spirit of hard work and innovation will see us through.

We have a history of taking on great challenges. Indeed, from our first days as a colony that rose up against British monarchy, Americans have proven that we are capable of hard work and possess ideas that will change the world. Americans have always been eager to explore the last frontier — whether it is new land in the West or the possibility of creating energy from algae. Let’s start that journey toward energy freedom now.

© 2011 Congressman Jerry McNerney, Ph.D., co-author of Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels

Author Bios
Congressman Jerry McNerney, Ph.D., co-author of Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels, was elected to California’s 11th congressional district in November 2006. Reelected in 2008 and 2010, he is a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology; the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment; and the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight. Prior to his time in Congress, he served as an energy consultant for Pacific Gas and Electric, FlowWind, and the Electric Power Research Institute. He lives in Pleasanton, California.

For more information please visit http://cleanenergynationbook.com/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Renewable energy supplied an estimated 16% of global final energy consumption; Emerging and developing economies show rising share of renewables policies, investment, supply, and use

Washington, D.C.—-The newly released REN21 Renewables 2011 Global Status Report shows that the renewable energy sector continues to perform well despite continuing economic recession, incentive cuts, and low natural gas prices.

Authored by Worldwatch Institute Senior Fellow Janet Sawin in collaboration with a global network of research partners, the report shows that in 2010, renewable energy supplied an estimated 16% of global final energy consumption and delivered close to 20% of global electricity production. Renewable capacity now comprises about a quarter of total global power-generating capacity. Including large and small hydropower (an estimated 30 GW added in 2010), renewable energy accounted for approximately 50% of total added power-generating capacity in 2010. In 2010, existing solar water and space heating capacity increased by an estimated 25 gigawatts-thermal (GWth), or about 16%.

The report was commissioned by the Paris-based Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, or REN21 (www.ren21.net). Sawin was the lead author of the report, which in recent years has become the industry standard for information on the global renewable energy industry. Worldwatch staff Matthias Kimmel and Will Bierbower, Senior Editor Lisa Mastny, Senior Fellow Eric Martinot, and Director of Climate & Energy Alexander Ochs also contributed to the coordination, research, writing, and editing of the report.

“The Global Status Report shows that despite the recession, renewables are growing at an enormous rate,” said Ochs. “Still, there are 1.5 billion people who don’t have any access to energy, and 3 billion people relying on traditional biomass sources and coal. If we want to prevent climate change from spinning out of control, we need to scale up our efforts to accelerate renewable energy development and deployment at all levels. Worldwatch will continue to provide guidance as to how this can be done.”

Renewable energy policies continue to be the main driver behind renewables growth. By early 2011, at least 119 countries had some type of policy target or renewable support policy at the national level, more than doubling from 55 countries in early 2005. More than half of these countries are in the developing world. At least 95 countries now have some type of policy to support renewable power generation. Of all the policies employed by governments, feed-in tariffs remain the most common. Last year, investment in renewables reached a record $211 billion-about one-third more than the $160 billion invested in 2009 and more than five times the amount invested in 2004.

Money invested in renewable energy companies, utility-scale generation, and biofuel projects increased to $143 billion, with developing countries surpassing developed economies for the first time, as shown in the Global Status Report’s recently released companion report, UNEP’s Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2011. China attracted $48.5 billion, or more than a third of the global total, but other developing countries also experienced major developments in terms of policies, investments, market trends, and manufacturing.

Further Highlights from the Report:

* Renewable capacity now comprises about a quarter of total global power-generating capacity and supplies close to 20% of global electricity, with most of this provided by hydropower.

* Developing countries (collectively) have more than half of global renewable energy power.

* Solar PV capacity was added in more than 100 countries.

* The top five countries for non-hydro renewable power capacity were the United States, China, Germany, Spain, and India.

* In the United States, renewables accounted for about 10.9% of U.S. domestic primary energy production (compared with nuclear’s 11.3%), an increase of 5.6% over 2009.

* In the United States, 30 states (plus Washington, D.C.) have Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).

* China led the world in the installation of wind turbines and solar thermal systems and was the top hydropower producer in 2010. The country added an estimated 29 GW of grid-connected renewable capacity, for a total of 252 GW, an increase of 13% compared with 2009.

* Renewables accounted for about 26% of China’s total installed electric capacity in 2010, 18% of generation, and more than 9% of final energy supply.

* Brazil produces virtually all of the world’s sugar-derived ethanol and has been adding new hydropower, biomass, and wind power plants, as well as solar heating systems.

* In the European Union, renewables represented an estimated 41% of newly installed electric capacity. While this share was significantly lower than the more than 60% of new capacity in 2009, more renewable power capacity was added in Europe than ever before.

* The EU exceeded its 2010 targets for wind, solar PV, concentrating solar thermal power, and heating/heat pumps. Countries including Finland, Germany, Spain, and Taiwan raised their targets, and South Africa, Guatemala, and India, among others, introduced new ones.

* Developing countries, which now represent more than half of all countries with policy targets and half of all countries with renewable support policies, are playing an increasingly important role in advancing renewable energy.

* REN21 has also launched its Renewables Interactive Map, a streamlined tool for gathering and sharing information online about developments related to renewable energy, at www.map.ren21.net

A full copy of the Global Status Report can be downloaded here.