A Smart Grid for Intelligent Energy Use: The Smart Grid involves the use of communications and computing technology to transmit and distribute energy more efficiently. This video describes the smart grid and how it will reduce our carbon footprint through energy efficiency and the integration of renewable sources of energy. Featuring interviews recorded at the IEEE Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles: Accelerating Innovation Conference (2007) and the IEEE Energy 2030 Conference (2008). Produced by IEEE …

With all the stress on the environment today, carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction has become a major issue. With more than 20 million tons of carbon dioxide being produced globally each year; reducing carbon emissions, curtailing waste, and producing more clean energy are the call of the day. Eco-conscious individuals, businesses, and corporations are all striving towards reducing their carbon footprint. When emissions are reduced as much as possible or until it’s feasible to eliminate the carbon footprint, carbon offsets come into play. A carbon offset is a form of trading, specifically a credit for the reduction in harmful emissions not by the firm’s actions but through the work of another establishment. This credit is generated when the said establishment’s work results in a drop in the level of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions below a certain mandatory or voluntary cap. The mandatory/compliance cap is usually set by governments or an international body. Therefore, a carbon offset essentially lets an entity pay to reduce the level of these harmful pollutants rather than making any improbable or unachievable reductions on its own.

These carbon offsets are traded on a local, national and global scale. An international network of retailers, brokers and trading arenas exist to facilitate the buying and selling of these offsets. The offsets are normally measured in terms of a ton of carbon dioxide equivalents i.e. CO2e. Various activities can help create carbon offsets; for example, the use of renewable sources of energy such as wind power and biomass energy as well as participating in activities like reforestation and agriculture. The use of renewable energy systems can generate a tremendous carbon offset, due to the important fact that they eliminate the dependency on fossil fuels and virtually generate zero emissions.

As far as offset projects go, wind projects tend to be more sustainable and viable, especially since the process does not produce any ozone harming by-products and does not depend on fossil fuels. To quantify how many carbon offsets are generated by a wind farm, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in 2008, the U.S. wind energy industry brought online approximately 8,500 megawatts (MW) of new wind power capacity. This production will help avoid nearly 44 million tons of carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking 7 million cars off the road. Therefore, for every megawatt of installed capacity, a wind farm can potentially earn approximately 5,175 of CO2e – the equivalent of taxing approximately 820 cars off the road. Wind energy generation organizations sell carbon offsets, benefitting both the buyer and the company. Buyers purchase these offsets because supporting wind power not only leads to the creation of a ‘green’ source of energy, but also helps ‘negate’ their own greenhouse emissions, big and small. Buying carbon offsets from wind farms are not only a way to ease the buyers’ conscience and reduce their carbon footprint, but can also be much less expensive than making changes to eliminate emissions. The wind energy generation facility itself profits because selling these offsets makes the project more financially viable and profitable, which helps increase the scale of productivity as well.

With environmental markets growing, it is necessary to understand the scope of emissions today.

There are three different scopes for carbon emissions that occur in the carbon footprint of an organization or business concern:

Emissions that are created directly at the location, through direct sources like on-site machinery and apparatus like a generator located at a factory. Energy related emissions and indirect power based emissions like the electricity purchased by a company to keep the premises well lit up. Emissions that occur via indirect sources of emissions like those related to the use of paper in an office, corporate travel etc.

As the United States has neither ratified the Kyoto Protocol nor mandated any laws to cap its emissions as of July 2009, all carbon offsets are voluntary. Therefore, only two environmental markets coexist in the U.S. i.e. carbon offsets also known as voluntary emission reductions (VERs) and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Although these markets are interrelated, there are marked differences between the two commodities.

VERs or carbon offsets, also called carbon reduction ton, denotes activities that result in a cutting of, reduction and/or getting rid of one ton of greenhouses gases at a given site, to counteract an emission taking place in another. Typically these offsets are used to negate direct emissions or a scope one emission. For example a company can purchase carbon offsets created through a wind power project to ‘clear’ emissions created by a boiler in their office.

Offsets are subject to a rigorous set of guidelines, standards and rules. These guidelines primarily ensure that vital environmental and financial criteria are met so that customers can be assured that the offsets purchased are indeed authentic and verifiable. There is also an additionality requirement that represents the fact that a given greenhouse gas reduction project would not have been made possible without the expectation of additional funds procured from the sale of offsets. This is to ensure that the emissions reduction activity is in addition to regular business practice, hence facilitating a reduction that would not have happened otherwise in previous circumstances. In other words, countries and/ or businesses must make an active contribution to emission reduction in order to earn or sell credits instead of relying on pre-existing projects planned for other reasons with funds already committed. Thereby, ensuring buyers that their purchase will further the betterment of the global climate and environment.

RECs or renewable energy certificates denote one megawatt hour (MWh) of energy produced by a ‘clean’ renewable source. Energy produced by sources like wind, hydro, and biomass represents an offset because an environmentally friendly procedure replaces one using environmentally degrading fuel; emitting little to no carbon in the process. Emission reductions take place during energy creation, by replacing fossil fuel, at the utility itself. RECs are typically used to counteract indirect scope two emissions, wherein ‘clean’ megawatts of electricity by the REC can neutralize the unclean ones used by a company. RECs, however, are generally not held to the same standards and more importantly the additionality requirements like VERs. As a result, they can be supplied from resources that are running as is, or in part from additional business activities.

It is interesting to note that only renewable energy projects such as wind farms and solar power plants meet the highest standards required of carbon offsets, as the risks they pose to the environment are negligible and they encourage a much needed departure from fossil fuel usage.

The Kyoto Protocol is a UN-led international agreement reached in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan to address the problems of climate change and the reduction greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol went into force on February 2005.

Signatory countries are committed to moving away from fossil fuel energy sources – oil, gas, and coal, to renewable sources of energy such as hydro, wind and solar power, and to less environmentally harmful ways of burning fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are mainly generated by burning fossil fuels. Higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions cause global warming and climate change.

The Protocol commits 38 industrialized countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2008-2012 to overall levels that are 5.2 percent below 1990 levels. Targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction were established for each industrialized country. Developing countries including China and India were asked to set voluntary targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

The Canadian target for Kyoto is to reduce by 2012, greenhouse gas emissions by six percent below their 1990. The United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and in February 2002 introduced the Clean Skies and Global Climate Change initiatives, in which targets for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions are linked directly to GDP and the size of the U.S. economy.

Trading of carbon emissions is linked to a program called Cap-and-Trade. Understanding this concept is necessary to begin effective trading. A central authority (usually a government or international body) sets a limit or cap on the amount of emissions discharged into the atmosphere. Companies that exceed the cap may be subject to fine or regulatory sanction. Therefore, those who find they cannot meet the conditions of the cap will look to buy credits from those who pollute less.

Many older established companies are forced to spend considerable sums of money modernizing plants. In many instances this takes time, usually years to achieve. In contrast to new generation technologies which are not faced with up-grading facilities to comply with 1990 emission standards. Trading emission credits is a way for low emission companies such as wind farms to sell credits to benefit higher emitting companies. Cap-and-trade programs ultimately aid in being a net benefit to the host country by enabling it to meet it’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol Agreement.

From the very beginning, this first phase of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, or EU-ETS, was intended to be a learning period to work out the kinks and entice major greenhouse gas emitters on board.

On January 1, 2005, the EU-ETS came online with the cap-and-trade program covering approximately 12,000 installations including electricity production and some heavy industry. These 27 member countries of the European Union represents roughly 45 percent of total European CO2 emissions.

Now three years later, amid a flurry of expectations and public controversy, the European Union has credible results to back up its claim of success. Recently, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology analysis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) affirms that despite rather unstable beginnings, the system has been an unprecedented success. More importantly, it opens the door for skeptical countries like the United States to follow suit.

The United States would have been required to reduce its emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels had it accepted ratification of Kyoto. Instead, U.S. emissions have now risen more than 16 percent between 1990 and 2005.

The Bush administration and Republican lawmakers opposed to emission caps have been touting the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which consists of Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. The aim of the initiative, which began in 2005, is to foster cooperation on ways to improve clean energy development and lower emissions without global mandates. But since the initiative started, the United States, India, and China have come under increased domestic pressure to move toward mandatory emission controls. California is among several U.S. states that have entered into partnerships or passed laws for controlling greenhouse gases ahead of the federal government, leading to a showdown with congressional lawmakers. Major U.S. cities have also instituted a host of policies designed to cut greenhouse gases.

Without the United States entering into a binding commitment, it is feared that several developing countries which have not yet signed plus some Kyoto signatories may be unwilling to agree to additional international commitments.

If you live in the UK the car insurance you choose can make a difference in the carbon footprint you and your car leave behind.  Companies like The Co-operative allow drivers to do their part to fight global climate change by allowing those drivers to offset 20% of their car’s CO2 emissions.

Why Carbon Offsets?

Many drivers do not realize just how big an environmental impact is created by their daily driving habits.  While many people need a car to get back and forth to work and school, there are steps drivers can take to reduce their impact on the environment.  One of the most effective methods is to use carbon offsets.  Each time we drive our cars carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, and that CO2 contributes to global climate change.

When you buy carbon offsets – or let your insurance company buy them for you – you will be funding projects designed to reduce emissions, and this in turn reduces your impact on the global environment.  When you buy a policy from The Co-operative the company offsets 20% of your CO2 emissions, helping you feel better about your driving while helping the environment.

In order to provide those offsets The Co-operative calculates the amount of carbon dioxide the average car put out.  The company then makes a donation equal to 20% of that amount to fund projects that are designed to offset the damage.  These projects include rainforest reclamation, energy efficiency projects and funding for alternative sources of energy.

For instance, The Cooperative may invest in research projects designed to make solar power and wind power more affordable and available to average consumers.  Or they might fund research into natural gas and how it can be used to power vehicles, or projects that help to bring plug in electric vehicles to market more efficiently.  All of these projects are designed to lessen the driver’s impact on the environment at no additional cost.

Renewable energy is really getting the attention it needs. Today fossil energy reserves are depleting and focus is shifting to others sources of energy that replace these traditional energy sources. The focus is on these energy sources and not without reason. It is environmentally friendly and an almost unlimited source of energy. International energy ministers and advocates together with different non-governmental organizations and environmentalists are joining efforts to promote utilization of this energy. All over the world governments are awarding grants and incentives for the development of renewable energy systems.

But what is it? How do we use it today and how can we use it better in the future? Will it solve our energy problems we experience today? What price do we have to pay to these new energy sources? All these questions and more are hot subjects that are discussed by many all over the world. Let’s start here with the simplest question and answer it for you.

What is Renewable Energy?

This energy source has been used in many ways, but it has been taking for granted many years now. We usually don’t stop and think about these daily little miracles happening all around us. For instance the sunlight does wonderful things us. Sunlight helps us to grow our plants, fruits and vegetables. You can dry your clothes outside in the sun and white clothes even become whiter with sun rays. Every one loves to have fun in the sun, Disney World and Universal studio’s are build on location where there is a lot of sunshine and not without reason. Simply lying on the beach in the sun is done by many of us. Sunlight keeps us happy and when deprived from it humans become depressed. But sunshine can be used otherwise as well. You can convert sunshine into electricity and use it to power you home and can even give you hot water and heat your pool. Converting sunshine into energy is one of the new sources of energy.

Not only sunshine is seen as one of new sources of energy. The water we use for recreational purposes like kayaking can be used otherwise. This flowing water can also be used to generate energy.
Wind can also be used and is already used by several countries. In England and Germany the wind generators are placed on the shore where there is plenty of wind. There are also smaller wind generators available for home owners that can be used in addition to the traditional grid system.

All these mentioned energy sources are free to use to every one. Sunlight is available during the day and wind is available day and night. Flowing water can be more difficult to make use of because it is not available for every one. The availability of these sources depends where you live. You have to make sure you use the source that is applicable for your personal situation and can even combine several sources together to make the most of it. Although the sources are free, the devices used to convert these energy sources into usable energy for our homes are not. But nearly for all budgets there is a solution.

How does it work?

The traditional fossil energy sources such as coal and oil produce energy by means of combustion or burning fossil fuels. These sources work by directly converting the energy into useful forms. Sunlight is directly converted into electricity which can be used instantly.

Why do we need it?

There are several reasons why we need alternatives for the traditional energy sources. The fossil fuels reserves are diminishing and the demand for energy is rising and will increase even more. The fossil energy sources will become harder to find and even more expensive. To fight these high prices we need alternatives that are in abundance and cheap. Precisely, what these sources are: cheap and in abundance.

The combustion in traditional energy sources results in emission of harmful gases in our atmosphere that causes drastic changes in our climate. These reasons also prompt different governments to prioritize the use of renewable energy to avoid energy shortage, economic, and environmental problems.

Thus, these energy sources can go a long way in helping us achieve a stable and reliable energy supply in the future. The energy sources will be available for all and will be cheaper than traditional energy sources. What is even more important is that we will live in a world that is a better place, for us today and for future generations to come.

Nowadays we all know about the threat of global warming and want to try to do our bit to prevent it. However, most of us are reluctant to radically change our comfortable lifestyles. There are things you can do to help prevent global warming without having to make any major sacrifices, and the most important of these is to reduce your carbon footprint.

Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide that you produce by burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels like coal, gas and petrol are used to provide transport, electricity, heating and many other essentials of modern life.

To be carbon neutral means to remove as much carbon dioxide as you add to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is released when we burn fossil fuels like gas, petrol, coal and oil. The build up of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is a big cause of climate change.

Carbon offsetting is a way to compensate for our production of carbon emissions. Methods for offsetting carbon emissions can vary greatly, from the planting of trees to supporting renewable sources of energy production like wind and solar power.

While it is virtually impossible to avoid using any fossil fuels, we can all reduce our carbon footprint by changing the way we travel. Walk or cycle instead of driving and you will not just save on carbon emissions, but the regular exercise will also make you healthier. For long journeys, try using public transport such as buses and trains. By reducing the number of vehicles on our roads and cutting out unnecessary car journeys, we can really reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we produce.

Carbon emissions from homes and businesses can be reduced in many ways. Turning down our thermostats means we use less fuel for heating, and by making sure our homes are well insulated, less heat energy can escape. Using the economy setting on our washing machines and dishwashers is another small measure that will help lower our energy consumption and move us closer to being carbon neutral.

You may be surprised at the range of green products on the market. From car insurance agencies offering carbon offsetting packages to large energy providers like British Gas offering carbon neutral, dual fuel tariffs, modern businesses are taking environmental protection seriously. These products offer you an easy way of reducing your carbon footprint without compromising your lifestyle.

To find out more about how to reduce your carbon footprint, look online for advice and environmentally friendly products. Remember that even small changes can make a difference to the environment.