What are Carbon Capture and Storage Technology?

Often called carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CCS) technology, CCS is a set of technologies that significantly reduces the CO2 emissions from existing plants and industrial facilities that burn fossil fuels. Once the technology is in place, a three-step process is implemented that extracts CO2 from a plant’s regular emissions and stores them off-site.

Those three steps include:

• Capture: CO2 is separated from other gasses at the various facilities where it is produced (power plants, steel mills, factories, etc.).
• Transport: After separation, CO2 is compressed and transported to a suitable location for storage. This transportation usually takes the form of pipelines.
• Storage: Once the CO2 arrives at a suitable storage location, it is injected deep beneath underground rock formations, often at depths of a mile or more!

Instead of trying to counteract the adverse effects of carbon dioxide pollution, technologies like CCS stop them directly at their source. This clever change makes a big difference!

Benefits of CCS Technology

CCS technology can drastically reduce the quantity of CO2 emissions from facilities that implement the technology, often seeing emissions tests that are between 80 and 90% lower! This huge reduction in CO2 emissions would be equivalent to:

• Planting more than 62 million trees—and waiting at least 10 years for them to grow and suck up CO2!
• Completely ignoring the electricity-related emissions from more than 300,000 U.S. homes.

Curious to learn more about CCS? Click here to visit the CCSA website for further information!

Check out the rest of our Bright Insights blog for more information on renewable energy and energy efficiency advice!

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Sure, switching to renewable energy sounds great—but can you afford it? These days, new technology and manufacturing trends are making renewable energy more and more affordable, increasing its legitimacy and ability to dethrone fossil fuels once and for all.

According to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the cost of generating power from renewable energy sources has reached parity or dropped below the cost of fossil fuels in many parts of the world. “It has never been cheaper to avoid dangerous climate change, create jobs, reduce fuel import bills, and future-proof our energy system with renewables,” said Adnan Amin, director-general of IRENA.

So, what is causing these prices to drop and become competitive with fossil fuels?

Technological Innovation

Innovations in renewable energy technology allow for more efficient creation of electricity. Increased efficiency in creating energy means more energy can be created overall. You don’t need to be an expert in economics to see how this lowers prices: It’s supply and demand principles at work.

Expanded Manufacturing and Infrastructure

Those technological innovations aren’t worth much if they aren’t implemented properly, though. Improvements to the manufacturing process of renewable energy products and the creation of a sustainable energy infrastructure play a huge role as well. By expanding and refining these manufacturing processes, renewable energy technology becomes more affordable for consumers, which makes renewable energy even easier to get your hands on.

The acquisition of the necessary land for renewable energy is also important. Space has to be set aside for the purpose of renewable energy generation, whether that means wind turbines on a coast or in the plains, or solar panels on roofs. This is an especially important consideration for large-scale energy operations, as they require much more space.

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property may seem like an outsider on this list, but it’s here for good reason. The way intellectual property impacts renewable energy prices is largely through the patents system.

In the industry, patents are doled out for specific improvements and features to existing renewable energy systems. So, while nobody can create a patent on renewable energy generation as a whole concept, different companies can create their own unique methods of capturing and selling renewable energy. This indirect competition keeps monopolies from forming and allows the competitive aspect of capitalism to keep prices at an affordable range for consumers.

Click here to learn more about how renewable energy is becoming more and more affordable and widely available!

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BioLite CampStove

This product might be the most widely hyped renewable energy on the market right now, and for good reason: the smashing Kickstarter success is a must-have for the modern camper or outdoors enthusiast!

The BioLite CampStove allows you to boil water and cook meals in mere minutes, as well as charging any of your devices that can be plugged into a USB port. But here’s the best part: This unit creates its cooking heat simply by burning twigs and pinecones that are readily available in nature, then uses the excess heat to generate electricity for charging your devices.

At $130, this unit is a real game changer!

Trinity Wind Energy Charger

The Trinity is basically a tiny wind turbine that is roughly the size of an umbrella. When fully deployed, it has three tripod legs and vertical fins that run the length of the unit. When the blades are open, it functions just like a real wind turbine, generating clean electricity that can be used to charge devices via a USB port.

There are four different sizes that are currently available for preorder, so you can choose the one that is right for you!

GoSun Stove

The GoSun Stove is an incredibly impressive leap forward in renewable energy technology. This solar-powered grill is incredibly portable, safe, and easy to use, requiring only the light from the sun to function!

The GoSun Stove’s parabolic reflectors collect 80% of all incoming sunlight as heat, which charges an internal battery. This battery is then used to cook your food inside the internal chamber of the unit. Here are our two favorite features of the GoSun Stove:

1. Since power comes from the battery (and this battery can actually hold its charge for quite a while), you can even grill on cloudy days!
2. Vacuum tubing keeps all of the heating on the insides of the unit, so it’s cool to the touch at all times and incredibly safe.

Check out their website to learn more!

Looking to buy one of these gadgets? Make your purchase through the Star Energy Rewards app on iOS or Android to receive cashback on your purchase!

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Renewable energy and energy efficiency tax credits are just one way to get some help on your tax return this year. These tax credits are a great way for the government to incentivize investment in clean energy technology, and they can save you some serious money if you take full advantage.

Federal Tax Credits Were Recently Extended

At the end of 2015, the U.S. Congress extended two renewable energy tax credits as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, meaning that you can qualify for some hefty tax credits this year if you made qualifying renewable energy or energy efficiency upgrades to your home during 2015.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit

If your family wants to take advantage of renewable energy tax credits, you’ll want to start with the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit. This is a personal tax credit that allows you to claim up to 30% of the costs of qualified renewable energy systems. Some of the qualifying systems include:

• Small wind-energy systems
• Fuel cell systems
• Geothermal heat pumps
• Solar energy water heaters
• Solar electricity generators

Within these groups, there are limitations and stipulations for qualifying and determining what percentage of the system’s cost can be filed for. Visit energy.gov to learn more about the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit.

Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit

Previously, this tax credit expired at the end of 2014, but it was retroactively renewed from the start of 2015 until the end of 2016. Since 2015 was included, you can claim energy efficiency purchases during the past year on this year’s tax return!

The following list includes eligible products for tax credits:

• Building envelope improvements
  • Insulation materials and systems
  • Exterior doors and windows, including skylights
  • Roofs—pigmented roofs designed to reduce heat gain and asphalt roofs with cooling granules
• Heating, cooling, and water heating equipment
  • Advanced main air circulating fan
  • Natural gas, propane, or oil furnace or hot water boiler
  • Electric heat pump
  • Electric heat pump water heater
  • Central air conditioner
  • Natural gas, propane, or oil water heater
  • Biomass stoves

As with the other tax credit, there are specific requirements that are necessary to fully qualify for this tax credit. Be sure to review the Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit requirements before sending in your claim.

Want to learn more about renewable energy or energy efficiency? Check out the rest of our Bright Insights blog for some further reading!

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These three cities are Burlington, VT; Greensburg, KS; and Aspen, CO.

Burlington, Vermont gets its power solely from wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass sources. In fact, the entire state of Vermont has a statewide goal of achieving 90 percent of its energy from renewables by 2050—that’s everything from electricity and heating to transportation! Considering that Burlington is the largest city in the state, they are off to a great start.

Greensburg, Kansas’s journey to complete renewable energy dependence is an incredibly inspirational one. After a 2007 tornado that killed 13 and injured more than 60 others, the town was left in shambles. The devastation was so bad that over 95 percent of the town was completely destroyed.

In the process of rebuilding their city, the citizens of Greensburg decided that their town should have a better infrastructure. This resulted in the development of a plan to achieve 100% renewable electricity. Greensburg rose from the ashes as clean energy and environmental champions, and the town is now known as “America’s greenest little town.” Such a great story!

Aspen, Colorado is the most recent entry into the list. Aspen gets the vast majority of its energy from wind and hydroelectricity, though they also get some energy from solar and geothermal sources. Aspen had been at the ~80% mark for quite a while, finally reaching 100% with an August 2015 agreement to get wind farms from the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska.

You can contribute to America’s renewable energy sources by choosing Star Energy Partners for your electricity needs. Our programs let you choose from several renewable energy options including wind, solar, biomass and hydropower, all while supporting the renewal energy industry. Click here to learn more!

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Washington is the clear winner, and Delaware is the clear loser of this list, coming in at first and last, respectively. Here is the complete top 10 list in order, for measuring amount of renewable energy production:

1. Washington
2. California
3. Oregon
4. New York
5. Alabama
6. Georgia
7. Tennessee
8. North Carolina
9. Iowa
10. Florida

Naturally, we were curious about where the Star Energy Partners service territories showed up on this list, and we were not disappointed! While none of them were in the top 10 in production, they still performed pretty well:

• Illinois–16^th
• Pennsylvania–17^th
• Ohio–26^th
• New Jersey–37^th

Fortunately, there is good news for these states that are lower on the list. Ohio, for instance, ranks first in the number of facilities manufacturing wind components and second for solar equipment, as of 2013. What’s more, Ohio ranked in the top 10 when measuring the most improved renewable energy states since 1990 in terms of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

New Jersey is also an up and coming renewable energy market. The state recently inked a plan to bring offshore wind farms to the Jersey Shore. This will certainly give their score a nice shot in the arm for next time!

Renewable energy is certainly on the rise. Most forms of renewable energy are as cheap as they have ever been. Add to that the Pope’s public advocacy for environmental stewardship and the EPA’s toughened regulations through the Clean Power Plan, and the future of energy is looking bright.

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The Clean Power Plan is the short-hand name for a set of new standards adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on August 3^rd. President Barack Obama worked with the EPA to establish these standards, which are designed to help stimulate the renewable energy industry in the United States with the goal of cleaning up the environment and massaging the economy with new jobs and cheaper energy in the long-term.

The Clean Power Plan will provide the following benefits for the nation by 2030:

• It will provide significant public health benefits—by cleaning up the atmosphere and reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. That means cleaner air and healthier bodies for everyone! As a result, we will greatly reduce premature deaths from power plant emissions, with the goal of 90% reduction by 2030. These efforts will keep our nation’s children healthy, as well as:
  • Preventing up to 3,600 premature deaths
  • Preventing 1,700 non-fatal heart attacks
  • Preventing 90,000 asthma attacks in children
  • Preventing 300,000 missed workdays and schooldays
• It will strengthen the economy—by setting an impressive goal of 30% energy generation from renewable energy sources by 2030. This will help to strengthen the American economy:
  • The continued lowering of the costs of producing renewable energy will be felt by the public in the form of lower electricity prices from these sources.
  • To successfully reach the 30% goal, a great deal of infrastructure will need to be put into place—this means tens of thousands of new jobs!
• It will save money for every American family—nearly $85 on their annual energy bill by 2030, to be exact! The road to 2030 should see Americans as a whole save a total of $155 billion!

The EPA knows that these are ambitious goals that will take some time to implement, which is why they have extended the start date for mandatory emissions reductions to 2022 in order to give utilities the time they need to invest in and install new technology.

We are excited about a more aggressive approach to clean energy technology—bring on the Clean Power Plan!

If you’re looking for ways to support clean power in your own home, you’ll definitely want to check out our #TipTuesday posts on Facebook!

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Centralized energy grid

A centralized energy grid has the benefit of being able to spread huge quantities of energy over large spaces very quickly. It keeps all of our communities connected and is much cheaper and more reliable than on-site energy generation—there’s a reason why the current energy grid in America is set up this way! This system is especially beneficial for low-income families, who wouldn’t be able to afford to invest in the necessary equipment to reliably generate power on-site in their homes.

However, creating such an expansive network of towers, cables, and relay stations costs a lot of money, labor, and time. So while this might seem like the better option in the long term, it costs a lot initially.

It is important to note that this centralized energy grid could run on renewable energy, though this is not the only option.

On-site energy generation

While a centralized energy grid could run on any number of different energy sources, on-site energy generation in our nation’s homes would almost certainly be from renewable energy sources.

It isn’t such a stretch to imagine American homes generating their own electricity. Some homes have generated their own power for hundreds of years: fireplaces, wood-burning furnaces, and on-site propane power have been in use a long time to provide heat and electricity to homes. However, our power needs have become more sophisticated as our technology becomes more and more advanced, meaning that renewable energy generation will likely replace these sources in the future.

In fact, three American cities run on 100% renewable energy, and some homes can actually produce energy instead of consuming it. That’s going a step above just being self-sufficient!

What does the future hold?

The most likely scenario is that we’ll some combination of these options in the future. Neither are likely to go away. A centralized grid is a safe and reliable option for supplying such a large nation, but on-site energy generation can be a great back up to have during power outages.

Stay on top of what’s happening in the energy world by visiting the rest of our Bright Insights blog!

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Everyone loves that renewable energy is great for the environment! So why doesn’t everyone use it already? Some people just don’t believe that renewable energy is a reliable long-term option. Will renewable energy be able to affordably lead us into a bright new future?

“Yes” was the consensus reached on a recent GreenBiz webcast according to reporters Sureya Melkonian and Barbara Grady. An article on GreenBiz notes they talked about long-term sustainability and how renewable energy can prepare us for a clean, green future.

“Renewable energy can reduce your energy costs—full-stop,” said Blaine Collison, managing director of Altenex, succinctly summarizing the thoughts of a great deal of the energy industry.

The sticking point here is economics. The benefits of renewable energy for the environment are widely known, but many people still question whether or not renewable energy is truly affordable.

On the side of renewable energy, another consensus was reached during the webcast: “The business case is straightforward: volatility in the price of fossil fuels represents nothing but massive, massive risk exposure for anyone who is responsible for an operational portfolio.”

It turns out that there are certain aspects of sustainability that run counter to continued fossil fuel use, especially when viewed through the eyes of an investor. The unpredictability of fossil fuel costs in the coming years means they may not be a good long-term investment—especially when you consider that it’s possible we’ll run out of fossil fuels altogether!

In comparison, renewable energy is quite predictable. Given the large amounts of data and experience we have with weather forecasting, we can accurately predict how much energy can be obtained through renewable energy sources. This kind of control makes renewable energy a safe and predictable investment: you know what you’re going to get!

Want to learn more about renewable energy and green energy products? Learn about the green products that we offer at our Green Energy page!

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Basic wind energy facts

• The U.S. currently ranks among the top 10 countries in the world in wind power per capita. Considering the large size of the U.S. population compared to the rest of the countries in this range on the rankings, it is a very encouraging sign for U.S. wind power.
• In fact, wind energy is also the #1 source of new power capacity in the U.S., and offshore wind farms are a growing percentage of that market.

Why offshore wind farms?

One concern about renewable energy is the cost associated with obtaining the amount of land required to create an amount of energy that could power a large group of homes. However, the main draw of offshore wind farms is the fact that they exist offshore, cleverly out of the way of most of society.

Offshore wind farms could be deployed all over the planet in the future. When you consider the huge percentage of the Earth’s surface area that is covered by water, you can fully realize the potential that offshore wind farms could have on our planet’s energy future.

Like other forms of renewable energy, offshore wind farms are better for the environment than continued fossil fuel usage. What’s more, the creation and installation of all necessary machinery related to offshore wind farms would be a boost to local economies where these offshore farms are being installed.

From a logistical standpoint however, offshore wind farms would have to be placed in areas where they would not interrupt shipping lanes, meaning that port cities might not be prime locations.

But despite that, off shore wind power has enormous potential. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates a gross wind potential of 4,223 gigawatts (GW) off the coast of the United States alone – about four times the generating capacity of the entire electric grid in the US.

Looking to learn more about offshore wind energy? Click here for some further reading about the benefits of offshore wind farms!

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