As we focus more and more on green energy and renewable energy sources, it’s certainly interesting to read about wave and tidal technology and the energy source they may be able to provide.  Analyses from Frost & Sullivan have found that ocean technology, including wave and tidal technology, are more reliable and predictable than are other types of renewable energies such as wind and solar.

As Technical Insights Research Association Chin Wai Loon explains, “It is projected that commercialization of wave and tidal energy will take place in the next 5-10 years as the technology evolves and production costs decline. Wave and tidal energy are expected to be deployed on a commercial scale due to its large promising resource and high market potential; it is crucial for technology developers to push through into the commercialization phase.”

This short blog posts offers a great glimpse into the issue of home solar power systems.  The author asserts that,  “Just as many people think of a deck today as almost a standard feature on a home, it is my assertion that in the coming years home solar panel systems will be viewed the same way. There are several reasons why I believe this to be true.”

He then goes on to explain why he believes this to be true.  It offers interesting insights and food for thought for home owners.

Certainly, everyone talks about how important clean energy is and how vital it is for all of us to pay attention to it.  While using clean energy definitely has many advantages, there are a few disadvantages that you should consider when deciding whether or not to switch over.

Many renewable energy sources are free to use, making them a great advantages. These include the sun, wind, tides and geothermal activity.  After the initial cost of many of these items, including solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal energy equipment, the only costs you’ll have are maintenance related.

Similarly, you won’t have to worry about price rises from gas, energy or electricity companies.  You’ll be energy efficient and self sufficient from fossil fuel. You can also find government grants for some of the natural energy projects depending on your location.

There are a few disadvantages to using clean energy as opposed to fossil fuels.  The initial costs of setting up for renewable energy may cost a good deal.  Also, you probably won’t be able to completely replace your current energy or power supply, so you’ll still have some reliance on the methods you are trying to move away from using.

According to analysis of the Renewable Energy Policy Project, 70% of the labor needed to produce both wind and solar energy is from manufacturing of the components of the machines which harness the energy, such as producing wind turbines or solar panels.

Because of this fact there is a large potential for the development of these industries to require a large work force with many new jobs being created.
According to a report published as a joint project of the United Steelworkers and Sierra Club, wind power component manufacturers have the potential of creating about 18,500 new jobs in New York State, and solar power component manufacturers could create 14,600 new jobs.

If geothermal and biomass manufacturing components are added to the equation, the total number of jobs created to supply the renewable energy industry in New York could be as much as almost 50,000 new jobs.

This re-industrialization of New York State could be enough of a reason to invest in green energy, but in addition clean energy development provides increased national security and improved climate and environmental health.

For these reasons IDT Energy offers its customers the option of choosing “Buying Green” and supporting the development of renewable sources of energy in New York State.

“Buying Green” at IDT Energy is a choice all of its customers can easily make if they want to participate in the development of clean and renewable resources for electric production.
The green choice is surprisingly inexpensive, too. According to estimates of monthly electrical use of individuals at 250 kWh and families at about 750 kWh, IDT Energy charges about 1.5 to 2.0 cents more, per kWh above the cost of standard electricity. On average this comes out to only 7 dollars more per person per month, or about $20 for an entire household. Not a lot of money to receive the following benefits.

Buying Green means:

•    There will be increased use of renewable energy resources.
•    Cleaner and healthier air for everybody.
•    Less of a need to build and use nuclear power plants.
•    Reduced dependence on foreign oil supplies
•    Increased opportunities for employment as “green technologies” develop.

Opening up the power supply industry to competition through deregulation not only allows individual consumers to choose their energy providers, but they now can also choose whether to support more environmentally friendly sources for producing electricity.

IDT Energy has a ‘Buy Green’ option for its customers. Choosing this option means that a certain amount of the electricity a consumer receives is produced from sources which use our natural resources in a way that does no harm to the environment. These sources may include wind power, running water, solar power and organic matter, which are all renewable and are relatively clean compared to the more standard sources of electricity which often include the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.

IDT Energy is proud to say that they have joined the State to help create a center for environmentally friendly technologies here in New York. Within 10 years New York hopes to obtain 25% of its power from green sources, and IDT is playing an important role in this development.

In Rockland and Orange Counties, New York, IDT Energy is one of two providers of electricity which is generated by wind and water to consumers who are served by Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.

The good news is that this green solution is actually coming down in price, making this alternative source for electricity production more attractive to consumers.

It is a sign that renewable energy is becoming a viable alternative to traditional forms of electricity production as business in this sector increases, while the costs goe down.

This is the first time that the green power alternative was actually cheaper than power produced by coal, natural gas, nuclear power or hydro plants.

The United States House of Representatives passed legislation in early July, 2009 creating an energy standard requiring utilities to acquire at least 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020.

The Senate will debate in the fall similar legislation which would create demand for up to 100 GW of new wind capacity by the same year, 2020, if it passes, which is not at all certain.

“That would show that the U.S. has a significant dedication to renewables over the next decade,” says Vic Abate, the head of the renewable energy generation unit at General Electric.

It is projected that the development of wind power projects in 2009 will total less than 6,500 MW, which is about 25% than last year, and that’s according to a “best case” scenario. Although wind turbine manufacturing facilities are still being constructed many suppliers have been laying off workers as demand as flattened.

The wind industry is looking to the government for its salvation. The AWEA (American Wind Energy Association) believes that the United States needs to enact a renewable energy standard forcing utilities to create a minimum amount of their electricity from green and renewable sources.

“Tax credits are good for development but not for building the manufacturing chain long term,” says Kathy Belyeu of AWEA.

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Learn more about clean energy here at IDT Energy

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is optimistic that the present U.S. Congress will try harder than in past years to pass legislation which would pursue and endorse a strong national renewable energy standard, (RES) whose goal would be to require utilities to produce at least 25 percent by the year 2025 of their electricity from green, renewable energy sources, including wind, biomass, solar and geothermal energy.

An updated analysis produced by the UCS shows that this high standard would create jobs in the “green” energy sector, lower energy bills for consumers all over the U.S. and would reduce harmful emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants, which is the largest contributor to global warming pollution in the United States.