Going Green

GreenLight

GreenLight is Neighbourhood Energy's Accredited GreenPower product.

How does GreenPower Work?

Electricity cannot be stored in large quantities so nationally, demand must equal production. Each megawatt of electricity consumed must be matched by a corresponding amount of electricity fed into the grid by a generator. When you buy ‘green energy’ it ensures that the electricity you consume is generated from a renewable source not from coal fired ‘black energy’ generators. In a nutshell, every megawatt of ‘green energy’ consumed means one less megawatt of ‘black energy’ is produced. Without GreenPower, the energy you purchase is replaced with electricity generated from fossil fuels. All renewable energy offered by Neighbourhood Energy is fully accredited by the Victorian Government. This accreditation provides assurance that the renewable energy purchased will not only decrease greenhouse pollution but actively contribute to the development of a renewable energy industry in Australia.

What does Renewable Energy Mean?

Renewable energy is essential in reducing greenhouse emissions. Renewable energy is limitless, clean and reliable and is produced with minimal environmental impact. Commonly used renewable energy sources are: Hydro, Biomass, Geothermal, Wind, Tidal, Solar, Landfill methane. However not all renewable energy meets the Victorian Government’s specifications as 100% accredited GreenPower. For example, energy obtained from existing large scale hydro sources is renewable as it is not derived from fossil fuel or carbon dioxide but does not qualify for GreenPower accreditation. The reason being is because such power plants were built decades ago and are already feeding as much renewable power into the grid as they can. If your power comes from this source then your ‘green dollar’ is not being invested back into the building of new generators producing renewable energy and most importantly not contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. This is also how some retailers can claim to provide you with renewable energy at no extra cost! The building of large scale hydro power plants has also been responsible for damaging of fragile ecosystems both where they are located and further downstream.

100% Accredited GreenPower

To qualify as Accredited GreenPower, electricity must be sourced from generators built after 1997 so they comply with stringent environmental standards. This also ensures that every dollar you spend on 100% Accredited GreenPower is invested back into the development and building of new generators producing energy from renewable sources. Unlike non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal and oil, renewable energy is easily replenished. It creates far less carbon emissions which are the major source of climate change. Currently 100% Accredited GreenPower is more expensive to produce than coal or gas fired power. However with more customers choosing GreenPower the industry will continue to grow stronger making renewable energy cheaper.