By Paul McRandle

Posted: 02.25.10 | Tagged: energy-saving, home, savings

Coal may be king in America—almost half the electricity generated in the country comes from coal—but depending on where you live, the facilities that bring the spark to your outlets may range from nuclear to natural gas to big hydro, wind, biomass and beyond. Coal certainly has many environmental consequences. Just one example of the harmful effects of our demand can be seen in West Virginia, where whole mountain ranges and watersheds are being wiped out as coal mining companies blow the tops of mountains and dump the rubble in valleys and streams to get at the layers of coal beneath. To see if your utility uses coal from mountaintop removal, enter your zip code at ilovemountains.org.

With such troubling effects, now seems like a good time to consider your renewable energy options. As with any decision made on a limited family budget, you'll have to consider what difference your choices will make to your monthly bills. The U.S. Department of Energy lists green power providers, but your family may also have many additional cost-control options. Here is a rundown of the steps to take as you switch to cleaner power for your home.

In the United States, 48 percent of the electricity generated comes from coal.

1. Conserve
If you're trying to be more environmentally friendly, using less energy ought to be your top priority. Conservation reduces the number of power plants that need to be built, decreases demand for coal and, of course, saves money at the individual level. The best approach is to start with a comprehensive home energy audit to see where exactly your house is wasting energy. NRDC's Simple Steps provides a detailed plan to help conduct an energy audit, and once the audit is complete you should implement the recommendations, starting with sealing and insulating your home. The payoff? According to Lane Burt, building energy policy manager at NRDC, implementing these recommendations can save you over $500 a year on your energy bills.

2. Look for Green-e Certified Options
Next, you'll want to ensure that the money you spend is actually going to build new renewable facilities. Green energy isn't regulated and the electrons that will come to your home are the same electrons that have been there before, so you want to be certain your money is going to operations that will reduce pollution and global warming. The non-profit Center for Resource Solution's Green-e certification has become the industry standard for ensuring green power purchased is produced by the renewable facilities. To find certified providers, check out Green-e's listings, which allow you to select the type of generation you prefer and where it was generated.

3. Regional Renewable Energy or RECs?
If your energy provider purchases its renewable energy from out of state, or if your provider doesn't offer a green power option, consider buying a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC). These are sold in kilowatt-hour increments, allowing you to purchase renewable power to cover a year's worth of consumption. You will still have to pay your regular energy bill, but you are offsetting the fossil fuel derived power by purchasing renewable energy elsewhere. Why bother? Because RECs give you a wide variety of pricing options. To find some REC options, visit the DOE's National Retail REC Products Chart (visible after selecting your home state here). Green-e also lists REC options.

Whatever your choice, remember that you don't have to rely on the utility's rates to save cash—conserving energy will help save you money and buying renewable will help save the planet.

credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/owenbushell/ CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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