Going Green With Renewable Energy
Find out how to make energy-efficient, green business choices, and which green businesses to support.
Green power is the term for energy sources that are not only renewable, but that also offer the most environmental advantages. These are in sharp contrast to non-renewables like oil and coal that are in limited supply and cause the highest environmental impact to find and use. More companies than ever are focusing on ways to make their business green by becoming more energy efficient, and using renewable energy sources to power their operations.
Energy Efficient Options for Businesses
There are several renewable green power options that businesses can consider. The best option for any given business depends on the type of company it is, and what the company wants to accomplish by becoming a green business. Possible sources of renewable energy and green power include:
- Biomass (organic matter)
- Solar (sun)
- Geothermal (heat from below the earth’s surface)
- Hydropower (moving water)
"With green power, you're thinking more of electricity-producing technologies," says Emily R. Hickey, program coordinator for the Renewable Energy Program at the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation. "So that would be solar electric, also called photovoltaic or PV, and wind electric power."
Solar and wind energy are most common and often the easiest sources of renewable energy to implement, says Hickey. Solar panels can be installed just about anywhere — on a south-facing section of a roof, on roof racks, and even on poles near a building.
Wind turbines are a little trickier, says Hickey. "You have to have enough open space" to operate them, she says, and turbines have to be mounted at least 30 feet higher than any other obstructions within 500 feet, meaning trees, buildings, and other tall structures. "Otherwise, the quality of wind isn't as strong for producing power," Hickey notes.
"There are also zoning regulations to consider with a wind project and a significant permitting [process], so wind is often easiest to permit in a rural area. There are other technologies as well, like bio-gas, which is rather farm specific, and more industrial type technologies like biomass combustion," says Hickey.
These types of renewable energy require that the green business produce waste that is safe to burn. A wood cabinet or flooring manufacturer would be a good candidate for biomass combustion, for example, because they have a wood waste product that could be burned for fuel to provide energy to power the business.
Dairy and other farms could consider bio-gas because the methane produced by manure can be used to power the farm — and there's no shortage of manure available for collecting on livestock farms.
How Green Business Works
Electric companies across the United States often power businesses and homes by burning coal and other non-renewable methods.
One alternative, solar energy, uses solar panels to capture sunlight and convert it to energy to provide power to businesses or homes that would normally have gotten it from a local electric company. Similarly, wind turbines capture wind energy and convert that into power.
These green power methods are cleaner and better for the environment than burning coal or natural gas, and wind and sun are renewable energy resources — we'll never run out. They're also easy to use, don't cause pollution, and don't require any destruction to the environment to get.
Which Businesses Have Gone Green?
A number of major U.S. companies have already invested in green power, including:
- PepsiCo; Pepsi Americas, and the Pepsi Bottling Group
- Johnson & Johnson
- Whole Foods
To find more green businesses, see the National "Green Pages."
Costs and Benefits of Green Business
Why would a business want to switch to renewable energy sources and become a green business? Not only is it good for the environment, but it's also good for business, says Hickey. Being a green business, especially one with a very visible renewable energy source like solar panels or wind turbines, is great for public relations. It also raises public awareness about renewable energy sources.
What could be holding companies back? Shortsightedness. There's an ultimate cost savings involved in switching to a renewable energy source, but the upfront investment is often pricey — roughly between $8,000 and $9,000 per kilowatt of energy that the system provides, says Hickey. Depending on how much energy it needs, a company would have to purchase anywhere from 2 to 50 kilowatts to completely or partially power the business.
Paying back the original investment can take 10 to 20 years, says Hickey. But many companies understand that investing in renewable energy is worth the time it takes to recoup their investment. Green power is about doing the right thing for the public and for the environment.