Frequently Asked Questions

Green power or renewable electricity is environmentally friendly electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass or small hydro. It has low impact on human, animal and ecosystem health.

There are three ways of running on green power.

• Install an on-site system like solar panels or wind turbines: This option can be prohibitively expensive and requires spacial, operational and maintenance considerations to account for
• Enroll in a green power program offered by a local utility: While this is an available option, it can be 2-3 times the cost of purchasing certified renewable energy credits that has the same impact
• Certified Renewable Energy Credits: Renewable energy credits (RECs) are a simple and cost effective way to address emissions from electricity consumption

One Renewable Energy Credit (or REC) represents proof that 1 Megawatt-Hour of renewable electricity was injected into the grid on your behalf. Electricity is like a tub of water with dirty and clean water (dirty and clean electricity) flowing in from each end and the combination of the two flowing out the other. It is impossible to separate the dirty electricity from the clean electricity once injected into the grid just as how it is impossible to separate dirty and clean water once mixed together. What is important is that clean electricity gets injected into the grid. When this happens the dirty electricity gets backed out and emissions are reduced. The following picture illustrates.

Carbon Offsets or carbon credits represent a certain amount of CO2 avoided from entering the atmosphere as a result of the buyer's financial contribution. A carbon reduction project includes planting trees, methane landfill capture or renewable energy projects like wind turbines amongst others. One Carbon Offset is equal to one metric tonne of CO2 reduced.

• Renewable Energy Credits are associated with offsetting emissions from electricity generation whereas carbon offsets can also include emissions from transportation, fuel usage and any other pollution causing activity
• Renewable Energy Credits are a form of Carbon Credits whereas a Carbon Credit can be a Renewable Energy Credit. Renewable Energy Credits are a form of Carbon Credits if they are "additional"

You might not be reducing emissions at your facility when you buy Renewable Energy Credits, but you are reducing emissions somewhere in the country. Think of electricity like a tub of water with clean water (or clean electricity) and dirty water (or dirty electricity) flowing in from each end and the mixture flowing out the other. Once the two mix, it is impossible to separate the clean and dirty water. Similarly, it is impossible to separate clean and dirty electricity once injected into the grid.

What is important is that clean electricity gets injected into the grid. When this happens the dirty electricity gets backed out and emissions are reduced. As long as emissions are reduced, you are making a difference because gases in the atmosphere mix overtime regardless of where they are produced.

One of our customers, Codero, a web hosting company purchased 100% renewable electricity through Renewable Energy Credits. Their purchase was equivalent to eliminating the emissions from 1700 cars.

Yes. While our primary focus is offsetting the emissions from your electricity consumption through Renewable Energy Credits, we supply carbon credits as well.

Consumers today want companies to adopt sustainable initiatives, according to our research and research by Center for Resource Solutions. Green power will

• Emission Reduction: Green power reduces your organization's environmental footprint significantly
  
• Increase leads coming in through your marketing funnel. Each month about 100,000 people search for ‘green companies' just on Google. Our Landing Page Solutions will deliver such leads to your marketing funnel
• Increase customer satisfaction: Our research shows that consumers are more satisfied doing business with sustainable companies. They would even pay a premium for sustainable products and would have a positive brand image of a sustainable company