So, ok…it’s not Debbie. But how about Larry Hagman being the newest spokesman for solar energy? Go Larry! Could this be an indication that more solar power is coming to America?
I had really never thought about where the electricity that I use on a daily basis comes from until just a few years ago. I had never really connected the dots between those hunks of black rock, those red and white-striped smokestacks and the plugs on my wall. Am I the only one?
I have learned a lot about solar power and am excited about this alternative for coal and oil. The image I had stuck in my head of the solar panels on my house as a kid and asking my mom if we were making “homemade hot water.”
Now, solar energy is more visible and there are several different types. I’m sure you have seen the PV panels on people’s rooftops. You also may have heard about concentrating solar power (CSP), which uses mirrors to reflect the sunlight on a certain focal point, either a tube filled with liquid or a point on a tower. Both PV and CSP use sunlight to produce clean energy. Yes, no byproducts…no carbon greenhouse gas emissions…just clean power.
I had the pleasure of visiting this solar plant outside of Seville, Spain last year. Solar installations, residential and commercial, are commonplace in Europe.
CSP plants like this one pictured here are planned for the West and Southwest of the United States. It is all powered by sunlight and mirrors.
Why have we not seen more solar here in the U.S.?
There are many factors. First, coal and oil are cheap and pretty plentiful. Also, there are many more tax incentives for the fossil fuel industry that are not there to help the renewable energy companies. Things are starting to change, though, and development is well underway.
Other obstacles that face the solar industry are environmental concerns with land use, and also the amount of water used to cool these plants. Ways these obstacles can be circumvented are by using land that had already been used for something else, thus is not “pristine,” and by using a dry cooling system. Both are more expensive routes, so the solar companies are doing the best they can to make their product more cost effective so that the American people can have clean energy like a lot of the rest of the world already does…
Check out the great video with J.R., and “shine, baby, shine!”
Did you know that some of your favorite retail stores actually generate some of the energy they use onsite? Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a list of the top twenty on-site energy generators in the country. You might be surprised to find some retailers you frequent on the list.
Just to name a few, Macy’s, Khols, Wal-Mart, Safeway, and even Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, are just a few of the companies that together help generate millions of kilowatts of green power onsite. This is a great start, but of course there is always more that can be done to increase the amount of green power we use in this country. Learn more about the others who made the top twenty list of onsite green energy producers.
Businesses, however aren’t the only ones getting in on the efforts to generate the energy needed to operate daily onsite. Around the country, cities and municipalities are helping too. From San Diego and San Francisco to Ann Arbor, Michigan and Iowa University, public offices are getting in on the green energy action by generating their own wind, solar and biogas power.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. On-site green power is deployed directly at energy users’ facilities rather than at central power plants. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
If you have a small business, or a business of any size that wants to purchase green power, take a glance at the Green Power Partnership program operated by US EPA. While you may not make the top twenty list next year, you will be helping to reduce your company’s carbon footprint – a sales point your customers will appreciate.
Every time you purchase anything, you are voting with your wallet. At the same time, each of the retailers you purchase from, votes with their revenues. Its important for any person working to live a greener life to pay attention to not just their own purchasing habits, but that of the retailers and manufacturers from which you purchase. The good news is that it is getting easier to learn more about the purchasing habits of corporations as they learn that consumers want to know more, and how that information affects consumer behavior.
Nearing the top of the list is Kohls department store, ranking number three on the list of the National Top 50 list and number one on the list of the Top 20 Retailers list. Kohl’s is purchasing more than 600 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 50 percent of the organization’s purchased electricity use. Kohl’s Department Stores’ commitment to green power helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also supporting the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide.
Along with its announcement of corporate green energy purchasers, the EPA also announced the top green energy powered communities in America. Among the new additions to the list is Stoughton, Wisconsin (#19), Cordova, Alaska (#23), and Hood River, Oregon (#12). Leading municipalities across the nation are partnering with EPA to become Green Power Communities (GPCs). GPCs are cities, towns, and villages in which the local government, businesses, and residents collectively buy green power in amounts that meet or exceed EPA’s Green Power Community purchase requirements. If you are wondering how your community ranks, check out EPA’s list of Green Power Communities is available at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/index.htm.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass and low-impact hydro. Green power sources produce electricity which produces no human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and are more environmentally sensitive than conventional energy production. Companies which participate in purchasing green power also help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.
These corporations are not just spending more money to do their part to save the environment and increase the demand for clean energy, they are hoping that their good deeds pay off. Last weekend at the National Earth Day Festival on the National Mall, FedEx passed out bookmarks with wildflower seeds attached and information about their green power ranking. They aren’t the only ones trying to make hay out of their act of greenness. Many of the listed companies will advertise their ranking as one of the nation’s largest green power purchasers in an effort to get you to spend your next purchase with them, and not a competitor.
So the question is, does learning that a company purchases green power in some of the greatest quantities in the nation drive you to want to support them over their rival? Comment below and let us know how a list like this affects your purchasing habits.
“Green” Wines Bring an Eco-Flair to Thanksgiving Dinner
There is no shortage of information about eco-friendly wines on the internet, but how may of you are taking this information with you when you visit your local package store?
Vineyards are bringing green innovation to their businesses in all sorts of ways. Some are rebuilding and improving their facilities to meet LEED certification. Using geothermal heating and cooling and recycled materials,Stratus Winery, Niagara, Ontario Canada became the first LEED Certified winery in North America. While the vineyard uses innovative, gravity-driven methods to process grapes and wine, they are not certified organic.
Certified organic vineyards are using traditional methods of farming which improve the land’s soil while eliminating or limiting the use of synthetic pesticides. The details of organic versus conventional practices are significant. Organic wineries focus upon increasing biodiversity as a means to better the soil and therefore allow the growth of other kinds of vines in vineyards. These wineries also pay attention to the methods of production of the wines just as much as the growth of the grapes.
Looking for ways to implement a green angle to your wine consumption? Drink local! Whether the winery is organic, LEED certified, or operating off the grid, buying local will significantly decrease the number of miles your bottle traveled and therefore reduce its overall carbon footprint.
