How to Green Your Electricity

So You Wanna Do More

Not content with just getting by? Go hardcore.

1. TreeHugger offers tips on how to be more energy efficient on your computer.

2. In drier climates an evaporative cooler, or swamp cooler, cool the air with low energy use and without chemical coolants.

By the Numbers

Want the real deal? Here's where the rubber meets the road.

1. In the U.S., buildings account for approx. 72% of all energy consumption.

2. The U.S. power grid is 98% non-renewable energy (51.7% coal, 19.8% nuclear, 15.9% natural gas, 7.2% large hydroelectric, 2.8% oil).

3. Demand for RECs is growing fast. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has estimated that in 2004, the size of the voluntary REC market was three million megawatt hours, valued at between $15 and $45 million. They estimate that by 2010, the market will grow to 20 million MWh, and $100 to $300 million.

Getting Techie

Not content with the high level? Here's the nitty gritty.

1. We use them, we pay for them, we talk about them. But do we really know what in tarnation a kilowatt-hour is?

2. What are certified renewable energy credits (RECs, also know as “green tags”)? Certified. Green-e,. A label created and administered by the Center for Resource Solutions, a San Francisco-based NGO.

Its Green-e label certifies that the power is renewable, and came from solar electric, wind, geothermal, low-impact hydropower, biodiesel, or fuel cells running on hydrogen produced with renewable power. Among other things, it specifies that the energy was not generated under mandate from state or federal requirements, and is not “double dipping”.

3. Net-metering is a very important concept in the world of home power generation. Net-metering means that if you produce your own electricity (with solar, wind, etc.) you can use this energy to offset the power you would otherwise buy from the utility company.

Your NET power use refers to the balance of energy consumed from the grid and energy produced by your home system. Not all states have net metering laws in effect. For more info visit the DOE’s page on the subject.