EA Credit: Green Power & Carbon Offsets

If you can’t produce clean energy → buy it or offset it

 🔹 Introduction

This credit focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy use by purchasing clean energy or carbon mitigation products from off-site sources.

👉 Unlike the previous credit (Renewable Energy Production), this one does NOT require on-site systems.

🔹 Intent

👉 To:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Support renewable energy markets
• Encourage carbon mitigation projects

🔹 Core Concept

If you cannot generate clean energy on-site → buy clean energy or offsets off-site

⚙️ How It Works

👉 Projects must:

• Enter a minimum 5-year contract
• Purchase 50% or 100% of total energy use

👉 Sources can include:

1. Green Power (direct renewable electricity)
2. RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates)
3. Carbon Offsets

👉 All must be:

• ✔️ Green-e Energy certified (for RECs/Green Power)
• ✔️ Green-e Climate certified (for offsets)

📊 Point Structure

🔁 Three Paths Explained

🔹 1. RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates)

👉 Represent renewable electricity produced elsewhere

• No physical electricity delivered
• Only environmental attributes

🔹 2. Carbon Offsets

👉 Fund projects that reduce emissions:

• Reforestation
• Methane capture
• Energy efficiency

👉 Measured in:

• Metric tons of CO₂e

🔹 3. Green Power Purchase

👉 Direct purchase of renewable electricity from:

• Wind
• Solar
• Hydro

👉 Think of this as:

• “Real electricity” vs RECs = “attributes”

⚖️ Key Calculations (VERY TESTABLE)

👉 Electricity → convert to MWh (for RECs/Green Power)

👉 All energy → convert to CO₂e (for carbon offsets)

👉 Must include:

• Electricity
• Non-electric fuels (gas, oil, etc.)