With every passing year, the importance of using renewable energy sources to power homes and businesses, becomes ever clearer, and ever more urgent. That said, there is still some confusion surrounding this, and what is termed as ‘green energy’. To help you better understand how solar power and green energy can reduce our impact on the environment, here is a brief explanation:
Green energy: what is it?
While the energy market in America offers a variety of services and products run on green energy – which is often referred to as ‘green power’ – it isn’t the same as renewable energy, despite what many may think.
Green energy, such as power produced by solar and wind systems, geothermal and biogas to name but a few, has the most benefit to the environment, and when they enter the power grid, these renewable sources of energy work in much the same way as ordinary sources of energy when a light is switched on or a cell phone is charged, for example.
How is something deemed green energy?
For something to be classed as green energy, it must not produce any form of pollution. A good example of this would be a power station generating power by burning organic materials that come from a sustainable forest; the energy itself is renewable, but the CO2 produced during the burning process, is anything but green.
Green energy sources also tend not to use operations such as mining and drilling in their production, which can be harmful to eco-systems.
Renewable energy: what is it?
Renewable energy, on the other hand, is created when resources that occur naturally and replenish themselves over time, are used. While these resources aren’t available in unlimited quantities, they are not likely to ever run out. Using renewable energy in your home or business can help make it more sustainable.
What is the most common form of green energy?
Typically produced through the use of photovoltaic cells which trap sunlight and convert it into electricity, this type of green energy has become much more affordable over the years, and is now commonly used in a variety of domestic applications, including both small and large scale.
Why is green energy so important?
Coming from natural resources, green energy is both renewable and clean; it emits no greenhouse gases (or very few) and is typically readily available. Even when the entire life cycle of any source of energy that’s green is taken into account, they release so fewer greenhouse gases when compared to fossil fuels, that their benefits in terms of our health, and that of our planet, are clear and compelling.
Additionally, green energy such as solar power can help energy prices to stabilize, and other economic benefits include the creating of a good many jobs.
With local energy production, such as from solar and wind, the energy infrastructure as a whole becomes more flexible and over time, will come to represent a low cost solution for meeting the energy needs of many countries the world over.
To help tackle climate change and power your home using green energy, make the switch to solar power today; it’s the most popular and effective way to do your bit for a dying planet.
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