You may have heard references to “green energy” in the past, but do you know what this term represents—and whether this is the type of energy keeping the lights on in your home or business?
In recent years, green energy has become far more widespread as a power source across the United States and around the world. Despite this increased demand, many homeowners and small business owners are still unsure of what green energy refers to—and they may not even know whether the electricity in their home is coming from green energy sources.
If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. Read on to learn more about the basics of green energy.
What is Green Energy?
Green energy refers to any renewable power source that creates clean energy free of polluting byproducts.
Traditional fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal release harmful carbon emissions into the environment, and make use of nonrenewable fuel sources to generate electricity. Green energy sources, by contrast, are far more environmentally friendly and rely on fuel sources like solar power, wind power, and hydroelectric power.
Unlike traditional fuels used to generate electricity, green energy sources are virtually limitless. As the technologies enabling these energy sources have improved over time, the value of green energy has also improved dramatically.
How Does Green Power Energy Compare to Traditional Energy Sources?
Trying to decide whether green energy or traditional energy is the best option for your home or business? Here are some differences to keep in mind:
- Energy sources are renewable and sustainable. While fossil fuels create pollution, are nonrenewable and are commodities susceptible to scarcity and price volatility, green energy is unlimited, renewable, cost-effective and stable.
- Certain types of green power are more energy-efficient than fossil fuel energies. As green technology has improved over time, the efficiency and capacity of these energy sources has improved.
- The cost of green energies can be lower than traditional fuel. When properly implemented, solar is now considered to be the cheapest energy source in the world.
- Green energy sources may be more reliable over time. While traditional fuels could have their price and availability affected by supply chains and other potential disruptions, green energy is widely and consistently available, resulting in greater long-term security for home and businesses invested in this energy.
What Types of Green Energy are Available for My Home or Business?
If you’re interested in connecting your home or business to green energy sources, you have several options to explore.
The first place to start is with your municipal energy provider. While renewable energy represents only a fraction of the energy generation currently taking place in the United States, your utilities company may have programs you can enroll in to increase investments into renewable energy sources, gradually reducing the carbon footprint of energy serving your property.
If you’re interested in creating your own source for green, renewable energy, you might want to consider installing solar panels onto your property. Solar panel installation is easier and more valuable than ever before, creating long-term energy savings potential in exchange for the up-front cost of installing the necessary equipment.
A solar panel installation company can assess your property and provide a quote for installation, along with an estimate of how much solar paneling would be required to supply most or all of your property’s power needs.
What if Green Energy Isn’t Offered By My Local Energy Company?
While the use of green energy solutions is becoming more commonplace among municipal power companies, many power plants still generate their energy by burning coal, petroleum, or natural gas. But this doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you don’t have green energy options available to you through your local electricity provider.
If you’re eager to start realizing the benefits of powering your home or business with green energy, all you need to do is find the (green energy companies) providing services in your area. Solar panel installation companies are the easiest and most accessible option for connecting your home to green energy supplies, since these panels can be installed on your property, and can account for a significant part of your home’s energy needs.
If you invest in solar batteries to store this generated energy, your home could even become solely sufficient on green energy, and cut off your consumption of energy generated from fossil fuels or other high-polluting, nonrenewable resources.
Interested in exploring your green energy options? Your next step is to contact a local solar panel installer to request a free quote for installing solar panels on your home. With a trusted green energy installer on your side, you could quickly find yourself reaping the benefits of affordable, renewable solar energy to power your home.
