Benefits of Going Green

“Going Green” seems to a phrase that is everywhere these days.  It is why we recycle, it is why hybrid cars were created and it’s why we continue to seek out ways to use the earth’s natural resources to preserve our planet for generations to come.

You may have heard of the “Greenhouse Effect” but are not really sure what it means.   No, it has nothing to do with those glass buildings that you go to for plants and are always hot and muggy inside.  No, it is actually something much more important.  Our atmosphere is a thin layer of air that allows the right amount of the sun’s heat to pass through to our surface.  Without it, the earth would be cold and lifeless.  However, over time, the carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide that we’ve been releasing into the air from electric power plants, cars, diesel trucks and buses, and other sources are responsible for most of the smog and harmful particulates in the air. This combination has helped deteriorate the atmosphere and now increased levels of heat and harmful energy are passing through, reaching earth and aren’t allowed to escape (kind of like what an actual greenhouse does).  This can have catastrophic consequences over time:

  • Ice caps will melt and flood lands near sea
  • Some places will be too hot to live
  • Agriculture will no longer flourish

One big way that you can help is to cut down on the use of energy - shut off the lights when you aren’t in the room, try carpooling to work and look to use natural commodities to reduce the burdens placed on this earth.  

Clean energy can be harnessed to produce electricity more cheaply than conventional sources. While the historic demand for electricity has increased at a rate of two to ten percent per year, electric utilities have been unable to meet this growing energy demand or support customers’ needs for reliable service. The premise of on-site energy or “distributed generation” is to move to smaller and more flexible alternatives developed with environmental forethought, fuel efficiency and consumer utility.

Truly “green” systems using a combination of renewable energy (wind/solar) with cogeneration technology such as microturbines and fuel cells should be able to provide anywhere from 50% to 97% reductions in energy use while improving Indoor Air Quality. It is possible to install properly designed “green” systems at costs equal to, or less than, conventional design.

Consumers are witnessing especially steep energy price increases and intermittent service outages. As a result, states such as California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and the Federal government support alternative energy technologies by offering incentives, rebates and tax credits for on-site power and/or renewable electric generation. Now, with the technological advancement of smaller-scale equipment Distributed Generation can be effectively deployed at schools, hotels, light manufacturing, homes and many other applications.

Reduced Demand on Power Grid

With ever increasing economic concerns related to rising energy costs, power interruptions, and environmental challenges, the need to install renewable and alternative energy technologies is greater then ever.