Paramount Energy Management is committed to promoting environmentally friendly energy plans for consumers. Many of the suppliers we work with offer Green alternatives to energy. These Green alternatives are fueled by solar, wind, and hydro power.
Paramount Energy Management is committed to promoting environmentally friendly energy plans for consumers. Many of the suppliers we work with offer Green alternatives to energy. These Green alternatives are fueled by solar, wind, and hydro power.
Solar energy is generated using the sun’s powerful rays. Because sunlight is inexhaustible, solar energy is a valuable renewable energy source – capable of directly generating heat, light and electricity. According to the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL), the amount of energy from the sun that falls to the earth in one day could supply the entire world’s energy needs for 27 years.
Wind energy is becoming one of the most commonly discussed forms of renewable energy. When the wind blows, it turns the blades of large wind mills (or turbines) that connect to a generator and turn it into electricity. Modern wind turbines are very large, with the diameter of the blades ranging from 150 to 300 feet.
Hydro energy is generated when the force of moving water spins the blades of a turbine to generate electricity. Currently, hydroelectricity is the world’s overwhelming renewable energy of choice, supplying about 19 percent of the world’s electricity. Hydro power also supplies an estimated 10 percent of electric generating capacity in the United States via dams and turbines.
“Sustainability is the concept of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
Several of the suppliers Paramount works with offer natural gas supply that is environmentally friendly. Some suppliers are beginning to offer enhancements to their standard natural gas plans such as carbon offsets. Carbon offsets are defined as financial instruments aimed at a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases. One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.
Offsets are typically achieved through financial support of projects that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the short- or long-term. The most common project type is renewable energy, such as wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams. Others include energy efficiency projects, the destruction of industrial pollutants or agricultural byproducts, destruction of landfill methane, and forestry projects. Some of the most popular carbon offset projects from a corporate perspective are energy efficiency and wind turbine projects