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The Green Power Market Development Group-Europe is exploring several approaches to purchasing and utilizing green power including on-site systems, grid-connected green electricity, and renewable energy certificates. Three forms of green power are being pursued:
- Green electricity: Power from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, low-impact hydro
- Green thermal energy: Heat from renewable resources such as biomass, solar, and geothermal
- Clean energy technologies: Electricity and/or heat from hydrogen fuel cells
Green power technologies emit less conventional pollutants, such as SO2, NOx, mercury, particulates, and less greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as CO2, than conventional fuel sources. Public pressure for environmental improvement makes it likely that new regulations will emerge to reduce these emissions. Depending on the precise form of new policies, this pressure either could lead to increased costs for fossil fuels (especially coal) or could spawn new market mechanisms that offer financial rewards to customers and developers of emissions-free technologies (e.g., wind farms). Either way, green power would benefit relative to conventional energy sources.
Continuing environmental concerns, particularly regarding climate change, force energy managers to consider how existing energy costs might be affected by new regulations. More overtly, in a growing number of companies that have made voluntary commitments to reduce greenhouse gases, energy managers as well as environmental managers are effectively being asked to tap new energy sources with lower emissions profiles. These and other factors place new demands on energy managers - demands which green power technologies can help to meet. Not just an energy purchase anymore, buying green power can provide a hedge against price volatility and regulatory uncertainty, enhance a company's profile, and may even, in the near-future, generate income streams for corporations in the form of emissions reduction credits.
The Group has formed technology-based working groups to focus on specific renewable energy resources and technologies that support the development of green power. Workgroup activities include assessment of renewable energy resources and their environmental attributes, electricity conversion technologies, financial assessment, regulatory incentives and market analysis. The Group has enlisted the assistance of both technical and policy experts to provide guidance on technical issues and regulatory policy.
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To determine the emission reductions from different
green power technologies, try our Emissions Tool.
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Renewable Energy Technology Resources
Please follow the links below for further information on the renewable energy technology of your choice.
Landfill Gas
UK Department of Trade and Industry - Biomass
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