Hi everyone,
I just had someone ask me an interesting question. We are looking at getting people to use more gas instead of electric hot water and cooking. The person said to me that buying Green Power electricity (renewable sources) must be better than using gas as renewables result in no greenhouse gas emissions and gas does. I couldn't argue that point obviously but I also know that even though I buy 100% Green Power the actual source of electricity might be a coal fired plant and that my money goes towards investing in renewables. Should I therefore change my home over to gas (as I had planned) or should I carry on using the 100% Green Power? I still feel inclined to convert to gas...anyone got any feedback?
Cecilia Kemp
Residential Energy Liaison Officer
Manly Council
P: (02) 9976 1665
F: (02) 9976 1400
Green Power VS. Gas?
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Hi Cecelia,
As I see it, buying Green Power is more effective in the longer term as it puts the 'pull' on renewables being sourced by your electricity provider. As Mike says, watch out for the green washing though. Also, having recently read 'Gaia's Revenge' by James Lovelock, he explains that natural gas as we know it actually has some heavy impacts in an unseen way - gas is not easy to see, obviously. The issue comes from leaks at source, along the pipelines and inefficient appliances and according to him, unburnt gas contains noticeable quantities of methane, 24 times more greenhouse making that Co2, so perhaps less 'friendly' than we think. Maybe others want to comment on this point as I am not a scientist as Lovelock is and perhaps there is a bias towards other sources of energy. If this is correct however, then to use gas is a less preferred option, even if only as a transitional source. Go renewable at any opportunity mighty the catch call. By the by, Gaia's Revenge is a good read and poses some valuable questions I feel.
Kind regards,
Paul Payten
GEENI
Cecelia,
When you buy accredited green power the energy companies must purchase additional renewable power to meet your needs. The two issues with this are that; you need to ensure that it is accredited (there are more and more marketing ploys around that confuse/mislead people about greenpower options) and; it relies on the occupants continuing to purchase green power. This can be a problem when people move house and the new occupants don't purchase greenpower. For those people who are in Melbourne this weekend, the ATA (www.ata.org.au) is presenting a seminar on Greenpower at the Sustainable Living Festival (www.slf.org.au) at Federation Square on Sunday at 3:00pm. If you can't make it to the festival have a look at the websites for more information.
Cheers
MOC
Hi Cecilia,
When you purchase green power, your electricity supplier must provide to the relevant authority in your state renewable energy certificates from a greenpower generator to prove they have purchased enough green power to cover your supply and the greenpower purchased by their other clients. Although the actual power reaching you may come from another source you can be sure that a quantity of greenpower equal to your consumption has been provided to the system by a renewable energy generator. The fact that this energy had to be generated by a renewable energy source is the driving force that creates a market for renewables to help them become established. Sustainability Victoria is the certifying authority for Renewable Energy Certificates in Victoria. In NSW the relevant authority is the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability.
Regards
John
John Osborne
Renewables, Sustainability Victoria
T: 03 8626 8783
F: 03 9663 1007
Level 28, Urban Workshop,
50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000
www.sustainability.vic.gov.au