Bloom Energy is catching attention for its green energy product “Bloom Box.” The Bloom Box is an innovation from a California based company “Bloom Energy Company”. Bloom Box is a power generation capacity in a box. Bloom Box generates electricity by means of hydrocarbons like propane or gasoline.

Bloom Energy was launched by K.R. Sridhar in 2002. Since its operations has started Bloom Enery’s Bloom Box has been highly successful and much appreciated. Bloom Box is currently adopted by many large companies such as Google.

The Bloom Boxes are being observed as a prospective gadget that would assist to offer a green energy foundation. Bloom Energy claims that Bloom Box comes with a power generation capacity to cater to the needs of more than 100 homes.

According to Bloom Energy, the Bloom Box is conventional fuel cell masses made up of earthenware and proton switch membranes divided by metal catalyst plates. The innovation and differentiation comes in the form of an engineered inexpensive metal alloy alternative. Bloom Energy claims that one Bloom Box packed with 64 ceramic disks can generate enough power to run a Starbucks.

The present price for each hand-made Bloom Box of the business range is $700,000-800,000. Meanwhile eBay’s 5 bloom boxes run on waste bio-gas and produce extra electricity than the 3,000 solar panels generate. “When averaged out over 7 days, the Bloom Box generates 5 times as much power that eBay can use”, eBay’s CEO John Donahoe stated.

Green Energy Sidewalk:
It was a green idea that boogied straight off the dance floor and onto the city streets. Residents in the French city of Toulouse are testing out a special stretch of pavement in the city center that produces energy every time someone walks across it.

The pavement is embedded with special sensors that convert energy from motion into electricity. It’s an green idea that was first implemented in a Rotterdam nightclub by the Dutch company Sustainable Dance Club ( SDC ), where the company installed special modular dance floors that harvested the dancers’ energy.

Green Energy Body Heat:
Meanwhile, in Sweden, experts have figured out a way to harness body heat from morning commuters at the busy Stockholm station and transfer it to the heating system of a nearby building. It’s a system that is already in use at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, but the Swedes have worked out a way to move the heat between buildings.

The station is toasty in the morning as more than 250,000 Swedes rush about getting to work; the station’s ventilation system traps their body heat, which is then used to warm water in underground tanks. That water is then pumped through pipes to a nearby 13-story building about 100 yards away and used to heat that building.

source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2010/04/15/europes-newest-green-energy-sources-pedestrians-and-body-heat/

As citizens, businesses and non-profit organisations seek to transition to cleaner greener power sources like solar and wind, some big energy firms whose business models rely on polluting sources are standing in the way.

In Georgia, the energy company Georgia Power has lobbied for favorable public policies at the Public Service Commission ( PSC ) and State legislature that are making it difficult for the state’s residents to transition to solar power.

IPS learned that the Dekalb County school system wanted to put solar panels on their schools, but could not do it because of state policies like the Territorial Electric Service Act of 1973 which gives Georgia Power a monopoly over the purchase of energy.

“In Georgia, we have about a dozen state policies preventing creation of green solar energy,” James Marlow, vice chair of the Georgia Solar Energy Association, told IPS. “One of those is the Territorial Act.”

“If you’re looking at a school, one of the common ways [of setting up solar panels] is using a power purchase agreement or PPA,” Marlow said.

Typically, one of the biggest obstacles for businesses and organisations to switch to solar energy is the initial cost of obtaining and installing the panels. A PPA allows a school system, for example, to obtain the panels for no cost from a solar installation company which finances the panels.

Then, the school can purchase the green energy from the solar installation company, which would own the panels, for a 20-year period. Marlow said that a PPA client typically pays for the panels after the first five years and then saves money on energy for the next 15, all the while avoiding the use of dirty energy.

However, because of Georgia’s Territorial Act, individuals, organisations, and businesses with solar panels can only sell their energy to Georgia Power. This means they cannot enter a PPA with a solar installation company and may have difficulty affording the panels in the first place.

Other states like Colorado have taken a different approach to encourage the use of solar panels. They charge all energy customers 50 cents a month, a very low amount, to support the purchase of solar energy from producers.

MORE >>>> http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50862

India has more than 250,000 cellphone towers which consume 3-5 kilowatts power depending on the number of operators using the tower. These towers consume about 2 billion litres (about 530 million gallons ) of diesel every year.

Cellphone towers are quite energy intensive as they use power non-stop without any interruption. Air conditioning of the equipment housed in the nearby hubs also takes up substantial amounts of energy. Thus any change in the power generation method of cellphone towers would make tremendous impact in terms of resource savings and reduction in carbon emissions.

India has about 500 million mobile phone subscribers, more than even the population of any country except China, but continues to be one of the two fastest growing telecom markets. With telecom operators looking to expand operations in the rural areas, even more telecom towers are set to come up.

Reduction in carbon emissions

Taking a conservative approach and assuming no increase in number of towers India.

Number of towers = 250,000

Diesel used every month = 530 million gallons

Carbon emissions from diesel = 22.2 pounds/gallon

Total carbon emissions from cellphone towers annually = 11.76 billion pounds or 5.3 million tons

Cost of diesel every year (average price of diesel = $0.7) = $1.4 billion (INR 6400 Crore)

Thus by replacing diesel generators with solar panels in cellphone towers more than 5 million tons of carbon emissions could be prevented from entering the atmosphere.

Americans are looking for clean energy, that’€™s been confirmed by many polls conducted to see whether people support green, renewable energy.

And though the economy has to some extent slowed progress in the world of renewable energy, there are still many amazing green energy innovations popping up across the globe as both artists and engineers play with how to create energy sustainably.

Green Energy Innovation #1. Cross-wind Bridge
By far one of the most interesting bridges you’€™ll ever see, the cross-wind bridge developed by designers Tiago Barros + Jorge Pereira and their team harnesses wind energy from passing cars.
As drivers pass under the bridge, they help to increase the wind velocity within the bridge, which in turn helps to rotate the 2,188 lightweight panels that generate energy and send it through an electromagnetic band. The energy is then used to light up the bridge at night, providing illumination in the local community.

Located in Lisbon, the bridge also houses a pedestrian and cycling bridge that connects people to the nearby residential park. To add to the green credibility of this design, the structure is made of punctured cladding that is sourced from recycled steel from the auto industry.

Green Energy Innovation #2. Invisible Streetlight
Modeled after tree branches and leaves, the Invisible Streetlight, which was presented at the International Design Excellence Awards, brings solar-powered illumination and beauty together. Collecting solar energy throughout the day, these lights then provide soft, elegant light throughout the night.

Intertwined with branches of existing trees, these lights also minimize the resources needed to construct them (although one has to ask about the risk of theft). They not only enhance the scenic beauty of a local park or sidewalk, they make it safer without contributing to climate change.

Green Energy Innovation #3. Solar Curtain Walls
Konarka, one of the leading manufacturers of printable solar cells, has recently announced a pilot project to test the viability of solar curtain walls. Although perhaps less dramatic than the other two renewable energy systems on offer here, when applied to surfaces as ubiquitous as windows and walls, the potential to create energy on virtually any building goes through the roof.

Their Power Plastic is extremely flexible and versatile, making it possible to apply solar energy generators to a wide variety of surfaces €”everything from sun shades to bags to vehicle surfaces. The technology could also make renewable energy much more affordable for the average consumer and transferable to developing nations, too.

Green Energy Innovation #4. Blights
The Power Plastic technology is not unlike that used on these highly practical Blights (think blind + light). Providing both protection from solar heat gain (important for areas that face higher air conditioning bills due to hot weather) and surfaces through which to generate renewable energy, the Blights are another example of bringing the extraordinary into real life.

They can be adjusted throughout the day to obtain maximum solar collection and shielding from solar glare. Applicable for really any window—in homes, offices, and industrial facilities alike—they provide convenient solar energy.

Green Energy Innovation #5. Solar Impulse
Putting a new spin on sustainable travel, Solar Impulse is working on a solar airplane that could potentially be used for taxiing people and other transport purposes. They’re attempting to go around the world in the Solar Impulse.

Green Energy Innovation #6. Solar Highway
The world’s first Solar Highway project opened in Oregon to rave reviews. Providing 104 kilowatts of energy through a ground-mounted solar array, the energy generated will power lighting for the site.

Green Energy Innovation #7. I-SWARM bots
An interesting twist on solar enery, these three-legged I-SWARM bots are solar-powered gadgets that could one day form the foundation for other larger-scale renewably-powered computer systems. Measuring about 4 mm square, they can do ant-sized jobs totally powered by the sun.

source: http://alternativeenergymutualfunds.us/?p=631

Ferrari and Porsche showed us recently at the “Geneva Motor Show”. Priyadarshan Bawikar infers that the greens may not take over the future after all.

The green parade was out in full force at the “Geneva Motor Show” this year with auto makers displaying everything from fully-electric cars to the increasingly popular hybrids to even highly efficient diesel burners. While this might be good news for all the eco-mentalists out there, this whole trend towards environmentally conscious motoring does feel like it might be the death knell for supercars and it’s enough to leave all us petrol-heads sweating under our collars. But while true blue supercars might indeed become a thing of the past in the foreseeable future, it seems green ones might just be the salvation of auto aficionados everywhere. And this year’s Geneva Motor Show played host to just such ‘green supercars’ from two of the biggest names in the business.

The first one of these was from none other than Ferrari – and even the least informed auto enthusiast knows that car doesn’t get any more ’super’ than Ferrari. At the Geneva show, the Maranello-based supercar maker showed off its popular 599 GTB Fiorano grand tourer armed with an advanced new hybrid transmission. Now Ferrari has been working towards making its high performance cars more efficient over the last few years, and this new HY-KERS system is the latest technology to come from the company’s know-how learned through years of making ultra-fast road cars and an equal number of years of mastery in the cut-throat world of Formula 1. The system actually derives a part of its name (KERS) from the kinetic energy recovery system that was an integral part of Ferrari’s Formula 1 cars in the 2009 Grand Prix season.

More >>>> http://www.zigwheels.com/News/Supercars-go-green-at-Geneva-Motor-Show-2010/Supercars_20100312-2-3

CBS News correspondent Celia Hatton reports wind turbines that can be seen slicing the sky above rural Minnesota were manufactured more than 6,000 miles away by a Chinese company. They’re helping to power the nearby town of Pipestone.

” The wind is blowing nearly all the time, ” said Pipestone resident Elmer Stoltenberg. ” We should take advantage of that. ”

In New Jersey, one Rutgers University campus gets 10 percent of its energy from 7,000 solar panels also made by a Chinese company.

China has a dirty reputation as the world’s factory, but its emerging green energy sector is threatening to leave the United States in its dust.

The overall environmental report card is not pretty for either country. China is the world’s top producer of greenhouse gases. The United States is a close second, followed by Russia, India and Japan.

China burns mountains of coal–the dirtiest form of energy–for 70 % of its power. The nation consumes 2-and-a-half billion tons each year. Twenty-three percent of America’s energy also comes from coal, using 1.2 billion tons annually.

source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/09/eveningnews/main6282499.shtml

The energy efficiency program is the first comprehensive approach that integrates many steps to use energy more productively. The program is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to 38 percent and will provide a replicable model for similar projects around the world. Work has already commenced, and building systems work is slated to be completed by year-end 2010. The balance of the work in tenant spaces should be concluded by end of 2013. Work that is scheduled to be completed within 18 months will result in over 50 percent of the projected energy savings. The balance will be an additional 36 months completed by 2013.

The project will prove the viability for energy efficiency retrofit projects to dramatically increase building energy efficiency and reduce its overall carbon output with sensible payback periods and enhanced profitability.

At the end of the project definition process, the team analyzed the steps to be taken in conjunction with other steps towards sustainability as part of the Empire State ReBuilding program within the framework of the existing USGBC LEED rating system. Internal calculations show that the Empire State Building will be able to qualify for GOLD certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings, and ownership intends to pursue such certification.

“Commercial and residential buildings account for the majority of the total carbon footprint of cities around the world – over 70 percent in New York City. Beginning in February 2008, the Empire State Building has been used as a test bench to create a replicable process to reduce energy consumption and environmental impacts,” said Anthony E. Malkin of building owner, Empire State Building Company. “Most new buildings are built with the environment in mind, but the real key to substantial progress is reducing existing building energy consumption and carbon footprint.”

“This innovative process, which has developed new techniques for modeling and organizing an integrated program, offers a clear path to adoption around the world, leading to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” according to Malkin. “Along with other steps taken, in recycling waste and construction debris, use of recycled materials, and green cleaning and pest control products, the model built at the Empire State Building will meaningfully speed the reduction in energy consumption and environmental impact and allow more sustainable operations – while simultaneously enhancing profitability and tenant comfort. This is a real program, happening in real time, creating real green jobs.”

The project partners used existing and newly created modeling, measurement and projection tools in a new and repeatable process to analyze the Empire State Building and establish a full understanding of its energy use as well as its functional efficiencies and deficiencies. This provided actionable recommendations along a cost-benefit curve to increase efficiency and without harming bottom line performance. In reviewing more than 60 optional activities, the team identified eight economically viable projects, applicable to building-wide renovations, electrical and ventilation system upgrades and tenant space overhauls that will provide a significant return on investment, both environmentally and financially.

“Not only will this project dramatically reduce the Empire State Building’s environmental impact, but now we’re able to do it in a way that provides meaningful costs savings to the building as well as its tenants,” said Raymond Quartararo, International Director, Jones Lang LaSalle.

With an initial estimated project cost of $20 million, additional savings and redirection of expenditures originally planned in the building’s upgrade program, and additional alternative spending in tenant installations, the Empire State Building will save $4.4 million in annual energy savings costs, reduce its energy consumption by close to 40%, repay its net extra cost in about three years, and cut its overall carbon output through eight key initiatives, including:

There are a wide variety of professions available in the renewable energy industry. This fact can make it challenging to find the right professional niche, but it also provides the opportunity for individuals with many different types and degrees of training to get involved with renewable energy.

Some jobs—such as those in communications, community outreach, sales/marketing, and business support (e.g., corporate planning and finance, accounting, human resources, law, and information technology)—can be found in almost every renewable energy field. Other jobs are specific to individual renewable energy technologies, as shown in the following discussion of the five main renewable energy power sources: wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydropower.

Wind Power

People have been using energy from the wind for hundreds of years. Windmills have been used for pumping water or grinding grain. And today, the windmill’s modern equivalent—a wind turbine—can use the wind’s energy to generate electricity. A single, small- or intermediate-sized wind turbine can generate enough electricity to power a house or farm, while a number of large, utility-scale wind turbines can form wind plants or wind farms that generate enough electricity for tens of thousands of homes.

As the cost of generating electricity from wind power continues to fall, many electricity providers are starting to view wind as an attractive, renewable alternative to fossil fuels (such as coal and natural gas), which are not renewable. The wind industry has grown at a rate of 25 percent per year, making wind power the fastest-growing source of electricity-generation in the world during the 1990s. Although Europe has experienced the majority of growth in the wind industry, the United States installed 905 megawatts (MW) of capacity in 1999—a record year for new wind projects. The nation’s total wind capacity reached 2500 MW in December 1999 and is expected to approach 5000 MW by the end of 2001.

Jobs in Wind Power
The wind industry employs both professional and skilled workers in a number of different capacities. New wind projects require people with business, meteorological, and engineering experience to plan and build projects. Meteorologists help engineers identify appropriate sites with suitable wind conditions. Engineers then design the wind plant, working with the utility companies and communities. Construction workers are needed to build the wind plant. And mechanical and electrical technicians, called “windsmiths,” are required to operate and maintain the wind turbines.

Both industry and research laboratories constantly try to improve the design and efficiency of wind turbines. These research and development (R&D) groups generally employ mechanical, electrical, and aeronautical engineers with advanced degrees, as well as experienced technicians. However, others with technical backgrounds may also find jobs.

Solar Power

Anyone who has visited Florida in July knows that the sun can produce heat. And in 1839, French physicist Edmund Bequerel discovered that sunlight could also produce electricity (known as the photoelectric effect). Knowledge of the sun’s ability to produce both heat and electricity has led to the invention of numerous technologies for capturing the sun’s energy. The most common technologies produced and used in the United States today include photovoltaics, concentrating solar power (also known as solar thermal electric) systems, solar hot water systems, and passive solar building design.

Photovoltaics
Photovoltaic (PV) cells, also known as solar cells, produce electricity directly from sunlight. When a PV cell is exposed to the sun, the cell, which is made of semiconductor materials, absorbs a portion of the light that strikes it. If the energy from the absorbed light strikes electrons in the outer shell of an atom, these electrons are freed from their parent atoms. Free electrons can then travel into a circuit in the form of electricity. PV cells can be hooked together to meet many different types of electricity requirements, from pumping water to operating calculators and watches, and lighting homes and communities.

PV has traditionally been used in locations where it is expensive or impossible to send electricity through power lines. An increasing number of utility companies are experimenting with using PV to fill their small or more expensive power needs. Some homeowners and commercial building owners are integrating PV systems into their building designs to offset utility power demand and improve power reliability.

The growing demand for reliable electricity internationally has contributed to the growth of the U.S. PV industry—approximately 70 percent of PV systems manufactured in the United States are sold to other countries.

Concentrating Solar Power
Although the mechanics of each method differs, all three concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies—parabolic troughs, power towers, and parabolic dishes—use mirrors to focus incoming sunlight onto a receiver. The receiver collects the sun’s energy in the form of heat, which can then be used directly or converted into electricity using a generator.

These technologies are currently in different stages of development. Troughs have a proven track record as a technology that can function effectively for large-scale power needs (such as those of a utility company) and are currently the least expensive way to produce solar electricity. Power towers have also demonstrated an ability to function on a large, utility scale, while parabolic dish systems, still under development, show promise for small-scale projects.

CSP technologies have caught the attention of some U.S. utility companies, as well as others interested in tapping into the projected consumer demand for green power supplies, even though the cost of using these technologies to generate electricity is still somewhat high.

Solar Hot Water
Energy from the sun can also be used to heat water for buildings and swimming pools. Solar water heating systems for buildings typically include a solar collector, in which fluid is heated by the sun, and a storage tank, which holds the hot fluid after it has been heated by the collector. Systems using fluids other than water require the additional step of passing water through a heat exchanger to heat the water. Swimming pool systems are very simple; they generally consist of collectors made of black plastic or rubber through which pool water is pumped to be heated.

Advances in solar hot water technology for buildings have dramatically cut the cost of solar water heaters from about $.20 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 1980 to $.08 to $.10 per kWh in 2000. As a result, solar hot water systems are increasingly being installed in schools, hospitals, prisons, and other government-owned facilities across the country. However, the number of solar hot water systems purchased in the United States is still quite small compared to the number purchased in the rest of the world. In 1997, for example, Americans purchased approximately 25,000 systems. Of the systems purchased, the majority were for heating residential swimming pools.

Passive Solar Building Design
Building orientation, types of construction materials, glass selection, and architectural features all affect the overall energy performance of a building. For a passive solar building, designers consider these features early in the design process along with taking advantage of solar energy to heat and light a building. They also design the building to be cool in summer.

It may cost more to design a passive solar building, but the savings achieved from decreasing the size of the mechanical and electrical systems to heat/cool and light the building, as well as energy cost savings, more than make up the difference.

Jobs in Solar Power
Growth of the solar power industry creates high-wage, skilled jobs throughout the country for individuals with many different types of training. R&D groups at national laboratories, universities, and private companies develop and continually improve solar products to lower their costs and improve their reliability. Individuals employed in solar R&D generally have professional degrees in electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering; materials science, and/or physics. Many of the people involved with technologies that are still under development, such as parabolic dish systems, focus on R&D.

As each technology progresses from the R&D phase toward full-scale commercialization, an increasing number of both professional and skilled workers are needed to sell, manufacture, design, install, and maintain equipment. The PV and solar hot water industries currently employ the majority of these workers, including electricians, engineers, technicians, and technical managers. As utility-scale CSP technologies become commercially viable, the CSP industry will eventually require an increasing number of these workers, as well as engineers and construction workers to design and build power plants. The passive solar industry involves many of these professions as well, but also employs architects and builders.

Bioenergy

The energy stored in biomass (organic matter) is called bioenergy. People have been burning biomass, such as trees and straw, to cook and warm themselves for thousands of years. Today we not only heat 25 million homes with wood, we also produce 10.2 billion watts of electricity (less than 1 percent of what we use as a nation) from wood waste and waste from other biomass. And we derive up to 0.4 percent of all our transportation fuels (about 1.5 billion gallons) from corn, which is used to produce ethanol.

While we have always used wood and other biomass for heat, the production of electricity and fuels has grown from virtually nothing 20 years ago to what it is today, helping bioenergy become second only to hydropower as the largest source of renewable energy in the world. In addition, we use biomass instead of petroleum to produce between 11 to 15 billion pounds of consumer products, including plastics, glues, furniture, paints, and chemicals.

But as bioenergy technologies and biobased products stand poised to help achieve energy independence for our nation, the conversion of biomass into fuels and products still remains more difficult than the processes used for petroleum or coal.

Jobs in Bioenergy
Universities, national laboratories, and industry are working together to find solutions to the difficult problems surrounding the production and use of biomass for energy and products. These R&D efforts require chemists, agricultural specialists, microbiologists, biochemists, and engineers, just to name a few.

Biofuel, biopower, and biobased product plants are most cost-effective when located near their source of biomass. Thus, bioenergy industry development has a special appeal because it creates direct and indirect jobs in rural areas of the country, and may prove to be a profitable complement for many existing agricultural and forestry businesses.

Engineers and construction workers are needed to design and build bioenergy plants, while electrical/electronic and mechanical technicians, engineers (mechanical, electrical, and chemical), mechanics, and equipment operators are needed to run and maintain these plants. Some may even require individuals cross-trained in areas such as engineering and biology, or chemistry and agriculture.

Jobs in bioenergy today cut across a wide spectrum of specialties and skills. And if R&D and industrial efforts succeed in making bioenergy more commercially profitable, we may see a dramatic increase in the number of bioenergy-related jobs. We’ll need more farmers and foresters to produce and harvest biomass resources, more truckers to transport the resources to the power and fuel plants, and more operators to run facilities.

Geothermal Energy

Heat from the earth, called geothermal energy, is yet another renewable energy resource that people have used over the years. Geothermal energy heats water seeping into underground reservoirs, which can then be tapped for a variety of uses.

Low to medium temperature (70° to 225°F) water reservoirs can be used directly to heat buildings, grow and dry crops, melt snow on sidewalks, and for fish farms. This is called the direct use of geothermal energy. The energy produced from high temperature reservoirs (225° to 600°F) can spin a turbine to generate electricity.

Current drilling technology limits the development of geothermal resources to relatively shallow, water- or steam-filled reservoirs, most of which are found in the western part of the United States. Researchers are developing new technologies for capturing the heat in the deeper, “dry” rocks, which would support drilling almost anywhere.

Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) allow us to take advantage of the Earth’s constant temperature (around 55°F) just a few yards beneath the surface to heat and cool buildings, and to produce hot water. GHPs transfer heat between the building and the ground by circulating fluid through underground pipes. Currently, the majority of GHPs produced in the United States are purchased domestically, primarily in the Midwest. But as technology improvements reduce the costs of installing GHPs, the demand for this technology will continue to grow throughout the country.

Jobs in Geothermal Energy
The geothermal industry employs both skilled workers and those with professional degrees.

Developing hot water reservoirs requires geologists, geochemists, geophysicists, hydrologists, reservoir engineers, mud loggers, hydraulic engineers, and drillers to locate, assess, and access the reservoirs. Environmental scientists prepare environmental impact studies, and permit and leasing specialists obtain the land rights.

Geothermal direct-use technologies create jobs for heating engineers, and in the building and agricultural industries. For electricity production, engineers (electrical and mechanical) and construction workers—along with electrical technicians, electricians, electrical machinists, welders, riggers, and mechanics—are needed to design and construct power plants.

Mechanical engineers, geologists, drilling crews, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractors are needed to manufacture and install GHPs. In addition, mechanical and electronic engineers, geologists, chemists, and materials scientists are required for ongoing R&D.

Hydropower

Hydropower, which uses the energy of flowing water to produce electricity, is the largest and least expensive source of renewable energy produced in the United States today. In fact, hydropower now generates approximately 10 percent of the electricity used in our country (wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass combined produce less than 1 percent). Most hydropower projects use a dam and a reservoir to retain water from a river. When the stored water is released, it passes through and rotates turbines, which spin generators to produce electricity. Water stored in a reservoir can be accessed quickly for use during times when the demand for electricity is high. Other hydropower plants, called “run of the river” projects, do not require dams. Instead, a portion of a river’s water is diverted into a canal or pipe to spin turbines.

Many large-scale dam projects have been criticized for altering wildlife habitats, impeding fish migration, and affecting water quality and flow patterns. As a result of increased environmental regulation, the National Hydropower Association forecasts a decline in hydropower use through 2020. R&D efforts have succeeded in reducing many of these environmental impacts through the use of fish ladders (to aid fish migration), fish screens, new turbine designs, and reservoir aeration. Although funding has been limited, current research focuses on the development of a “next generation turbine,” which is expected to further increase fish survival rates and improve environmental conditions.

Jobs in Hydropower
As with many of the other renewable energy technologies, the design, construction, and maintenance of hydropower plants requires electrical and mechanical engineers, technicians, and skilled workers. If the hydropower project also involves managing the reservoir and the surrounding land, the developer will also hire recreation planners, resource managers, and educators. In addition, state and federal licensing laws now require current or prospective hydropower plant developers to assess the environmental effects of their operation. Thus, the hydropower industry now also employs environmental scientists (biologists, hydrologists, ecologists, and wildlife habitat specialists, for example) to assess environmental impacts and address environmental remediation. Environmental scientists, as well as engineers, also participate in R&D efforts through private companies, national laboratories, and universities.

A career in renewable energy is a valuable way for individuals with a wide range of skills and interests to help guide the United States toward a secure, environmentally conscious energy future. For more information on energy careers, specific renewable technologies, and market forecasts, consult the resource list below.

What Is Green Power?

Green power is the solution to a cleaner, sustainable energy system. Renewable energy—power from the sun, wind, plants, and moving water—is a sustainable way to meet our energy needs and protect the environment and public health.

• Wind energy converts the power available in moving air into electricity. Wind power does not produce emissions, generate solid waste, or use water.
  
• Bioenergy is energy from trees and plants. This includes crops grown specifically for energy production and organic wastes ( such as wood residues from paper mills and methane from landfills ). Using bioenergy to generate electricity reduces global warming emissions if new plants are grown to replace those that are harvested.
  
• Geothermal energy uses heat from inside the earth to make clean power.
  
• Solar power captures the heat and light of the sun to generate electricity. Solar energy does not produce emissions, generate solid waste, or use water.
  
• Hydroelectric power captures the energy in falling water. It does not produce emissions or solid waste, but can have a relatively low or high impact on the environment, depending on the site-specific factors such as maintenance of water flow and water quality, fish impacts, and other land use issues.

Why Buy Green Power?

Choosing green power could make a big difference for the environment because electricity generation is the largest industrial polluter in the country. Electricity generation currently produces:

• About two-thirds of the annual U.S. emissions of sulfur dioxide, the main cause of acid rain and very small soot particles. These fine particles are believed to be responsible for the largest share of the 50,000-100,000 deaths caused by air pollution in the United States each year.
  
• About 30 percent of the nitrogen oxide emissions, which stress forest ecosystems and combine with organic compounds in sunlight to form smog. High smog levels can also trigger heart and respiratory problems and contribute to air pollution deaths.
  
• About 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions. This heat-trapping gas causes global warming, which may lead to increased droughts, flooding, disease, ecosystem disruption, and severe weather.
  
• Toxic-metal emissions (such as mercury and lead) and nuclear waste.

What Are the Dirtiest Energy Sources?
All fossil fuels and nuclear power contribute to one or more of the problems mentioned above. Since these power sources currently account for more than 90 percent of the electricity generated in the United States, it is not possible to avoid them altogether. But some are worse than others, and you can try to minimize their use.

Coal. Most electricity in the United States currently comes from coal. But coal burning is the leading cause of acid rain, the largest source of global warming emissions, and a significant source of smog, toxic metals, and tiny-particle pollution. Reducing coal usage is critical to slowing global warming and protecting the environment.

Oil. Oil produces high levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and relatively high levels of carbon dioxide, as well as problems associated with drilling, refining, and transportation, such as tanker spills. Furthermore, the increasing U.S. dependence on imported oil is economically risky and will continue to increase the U.S. trade deficit.

Nuclear power. After coal, the next largest source of our electricity is nuclear power. While nuclear plants don’t cause air pollution, they do create radioactive waste, which must be stored for thousands of years. As accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl proved, nuclear plants also carry the risk of catastrophic failure. And nuclear power can be very expensive.

What About Natural Gas?
In 2004, natural gas accounted for about 19 percent of the U.S. electricity mix. Use of natural gas is projected to increase dramatically in the next two decades if we continue on our current path, but supplies are limited and imports are increasing. Our growing reliance on natural gas combined with limited supplies makes this fuel subject to price spikes, which can have a significant impact on consumer energy costs. In addition, though natural gas is much cleaner than coal or oil, it does produce global warming emissions when burned. So, while the use of natural gas serves as a good transition to a cleaner future, it is not the ultimate solution.

What are My Green Power Options?

Green Pricing Programs
Green Pricing is an optional utility service for customers who want to help expand the production and distribution of renewable energy technologies. With green pricing, you do not have to change your electricity provider. Instead, customers choose to pay a premium on their electricity bill to cover the extra cost of purchasing clean, sustainable energy. As of March 2006, more than 600 utilities, electricity providers in 36 states offer a green pricing option.

The majority of green pricing programs charge a higher price per kilowatt-hour to support an increased percentage of renewable sources or to buy discrete kilowatt-hour blocks of renewable energy. Other programs have fixed monthly fees, round up customer bills, charge for units of renewable capacity, or offer renewable energy systems for lease or purchase.

• To see what green pricing options are available in your area, visit the Department of Energy’s Green Power Network – Green Pricing page.

Green Marketing
Green marketing is the sale of green power in competitive markets, where consumers have the option to choose from a variety of suppliers and service offerings, much like they can choose between long-distance telephone carriers. The key difference between green marketing and green pricing is that with green marketing, you are actually switching electricity providers. 

Green marketing is offered in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

• To see what green marketing options are available in your area, visit the Department of Energy’s Green Power Network – Green Marketing page.

Renewable Energy Certificates
Consumers throughout the United States have a third green power option: Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs or sometimes “green tags”). A REC represents the environmental attributes or benefits of renewable electricity generation (usually one credit = one kilowatt-hour). RECs can be purchased in almost any quantity and are usually available from someone other than your electricity provider. What you pay for is the benefit of adding clean, renewable energy generation to the regional or national electricity grid. The overall environmental benefit of purchasing a green pricing or green marketing product versus RECs is exactly the same. RECs provide a “green” option for people in any state, but are ideal for people who live in states where green pricing and green marketing options are not available. 

• For a list of REC or green tag marketers, visit the Department of Energy’s Green Power Network – Renewable Energy Certificates page.

How Can You Tell If You’re Buying Green Power?
When power flows from the generator to your house, electrons get mixed together on the wires. You can’t specify which electrons you get, but you can make sure that your money goes to support clean, sustainable  generators, which has the effect of making the whole system “greener”. To do this, you will need to look closely at utility marketing claims and materials. To ensure that the claims are truthful, many states now require disclosure labels, just like the nutrition labels on food packages. But don’t hesitate to ask for more information directly from potential suppliers, including the percentage of power derived from each fuel source and the level of each of the above emissions compared with the regional average.

Other important information to discover is whether a company’s renewable offering will lead to new projects, so that you know your money is adding to renewable energy use in your region, and whether the company provides comprehensive energy-efficiency services to help reduce your power use and your bill. Be skeptical and ask questions.

Green-e is a voluntary certification program for renewable electricity products. The Green-e program establishes consumer protection and environmental standards for electricity products, and verifies that these products meet the standards. The Green-e logo certifies that at least half the power supplied is from renewable sources. Many products will carry the Green-e logo, and the best way to find the most environmentally sensitive providers is by doing some comparison research. To find out which Green-e certified products are available in your state, visit Green-e’s electric choices page. Questions about particular providers can be directed to the Center for Resources Solutions, which administers the Green-e program, at (415) 561-2100.

Power Scorecard is a web tool that rates the environmental quality of electricity offered to customers in California, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. It will help identify products that have the lowest overall environmental impact on our air, land, and water, and those that will lead to the development of the most new renewable energy generation. Power Scorecard will be expanding into other states in the near future.

The Future
Some renewable power sources now cost somewhat more than conventional power, because the market for renewable energy is not fully developed and renewables have received fewer subsidies than fossil and nuclear fuels. Also, the damage to the environment and human health—otherwise known as externalities—caused by fossil fuels and nuclear power is not included in electricity prices. Renewable energy needs your support to overcome these barriers and become less expensive in the future. Look into becoming a green power consumer today!