[Equest-users] Green power

Tue Sep 11 13:16:04 PDT 2018

Hi Tejas,
Try this EPA document<https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-01/documents/purchasing_guide_for_web.pdf>, newly updated, for explanations of the variations of “Green Power”.

My attempt at an explanation: Green power and RECs are products that capture the benefit of renewable electricity generation at an off-site location.
You can think of RECs as the added value of renewable electricity versus fossil-fuel generated electricity. Solar power is awesome! Coal-fired power is still pretty impressive. If you want to pay for the difference between awesome and impressive, you buy RECs.

What if you want to buy all the awesome, including the electricity itself? You buy Green power/energy. You purchase green power through an electric utility (or an energy supplier, depending on how the electricity market is regulated where you live). You pay for the same electricity that was going to come in through your electric service no matter who you bought it from or how much you paid for it. But you also pay for the added value of an equivalent amount of renewable energy that was generated somewhere else. Buying green power is basically buying dirty power + RECs.

Note: “Green power” is not the same as “on-site renewables”. Installing solar PV or wind power etc. on the building or building site is covered in LEED V4 “Renewable Energy Production”.

I have a cynical view of carbon offsets and will just leave it at that.

Regards,
~Bill

William Bishop, PE, BEMP, BEAP, CEM, LEED AP
Senior Energy Engineer

[Pathfinder-EA-logo-2]T: (585) 698-1956                        F: (585) 325-6005
bbishop at pathfinder-ea.com<mailto:wbishop at pathfinder-ea.com>        www.pathfinder-ea.com<http://www.pathfinder-ea.com/>
[cid:image004.png at 01D449EA.FEF85710]134 South Fitzhugh Street
Rochester, NY 14608                                Ask me why Carbon Fee & Dividend may be right for you.

From: Equest-users [mailto:equest-users-bounces at lists.onebuilding.org] On Behalf Of Dante Garcia via Equest-users
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 10:49 AM
To: equest user <equestuser00 at gmail.com>
Cc: equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org
Subject: Re: [Equest-users] Green power

Hi.

Carbon offsets mitigate the carbon dioxide produced due to source energy consumption in your building. For instance, if your building generate 1 Ton CO2, a carbon offset of 1 Ton CO2 indicates that your CO2 generated is absorved anywhere in the world. You buy this certificate.

RECs are certificates that electricity is generated by a renewable sources. For instance, if your site building consumption is 1 MWh, a REC of 1 (MWh) indicates that the energy your building use is also generated by renewable sources anywhere in the world.  You buy this certificate. For LEED RECs should be Green-e certified or equivalent.

Green Power is renewable energy produced on-site and also used in your building.

Hope that helps,

On Tue, Sep 11, 2018 at 3:20 AM, equest user via Equest-users <equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org<mailto:equest-users at lists.onebuilding.org>> wrote:
Hi all eQUEST users,

Can anyone enlighten me on what is the exact difference between Carbon offsets, REC and green power.

This query is regarding the LEED V4 rating system credit: green power and carbon offsets.

I am kinda confused with this, would really appreciate if someone helps!!!

Thanks,
Tejas

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--

SUMAC

Dante Garcia // LEED AP BD+C

Analista LEED Energía

Tel: + 511 253.5355 Anexo 10(Lima, Perú)

dgarcia at sumacinc.com<mailto:dgarcia at sumacinc.com>

www.sumacinc.com<http://www.sumacinc.com/>
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