Frequently Asked Questions about SeeREC and Renewable Energy Credits

What are Renewable Energy Certificates?

Renewable Energy Certificates represent energy created through renewable, environmentally friendly means. One certificate represents 1 megawatt-hour of energy created through such means, including wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and other recognized renewable means. Producers of renewable energy issue REC’s every time green energy is produced at their facilities. Renewable Energy Certificates allow producers of green energy to feed their locally produced electrons into the regional power grid upon production of such energy, while creating a market for consumers to buy the environmental attributes of this energy.

How can I know that I am purchasing REC’s that actually account for real green energy?

All Renewable Energy Certificates that SeeREC sells are so-called “Green-e” certified credits. Green-e, the national governing body of Renewable Energy Credits, certifies that every REC issued by a renewable producer represents actual energy produced at the production site. Furthermore, Green-e confirms that such energy is green, renewable, and environmentally clean energy. Green-e therefore ensures that when consumers buy REC’s, they are buying the true environmental attributes of green energy.

Do I actually consume the actual energy that my REC’s represent?

No, unless you by chance happen to receive power from the same local grid into which such green energy is being fed. This is actually a good thing, however. You see, for example, a renewable energy producer in the Midwest can’t always send you the actual electrons that he produces if you happen to live on the East Coast; to make this possible, either you or he would have to string hundreds, maybe thousands of miles of power lines directly from his site to your home or business. Needless to say, this would be a totally impractical and exorbitantly expensive approach for both parties involved.

REC’s economize this process. When a green energy producer creates energy, he can feed that energy into the nearest branch of the national power grid, allowing that energy to be consumed somewhere in his area in the immediacy. By purchasing a REC’s, you can claim ownership to the positive environmental attributes of that energy, subsequently offsetting your overall carbon footprint, even if your arrangement with your local utility doesn’t change.

So this won’t raise the cost of my home or business energy costs or affect the reliability of my energy?

Absolutely not. The only way that your energy costs will change as a result of your purchase of REC’s will be to eventually lower them as our national power grid depends less on foreign oil and fossil fuels and increasingly becomes fed by renewable, cost-free sources like wind, the sun, or the Earth’s heat. Furthermore, purchasing REC’s will in no way alter your current arrangement with your local utility or endanger your constant supply of electricity. You can only be assured that for the pollution created through your consumption of electricity as provided by a traditional utility, you are offsetting that pollution by inputting the equivalent amount of green, clean energy into the national power grid.

Do I have to install any new equipment at my home or business to offset my carbon footprint?

No, you will not need to deal with the headache of installing expensive or aesthetically unpleasing on-site energy production technologies. Rather, you will be committing to creating equally important green energy at an off-site location for a fraction of the price. Remember, installing on-site production mechanisms for your home or business costs thousands; purchasing REC’s to create green energy for an entire year is often cheaper than a family dinner at a nice restaurant.  In other words, you can avoid the cost and labor involved with installing solar panels on your roof or a windmill in your backyard by purchasing REC’s – while still achieving the overall same result.

Ok, but if I’m not actually producing green energy myself or directly consuming it, then how am I really offsetting my carbon footprint and practicing environmental responsibility?

Remember that pollution and climate change are much more global problems than local problems. Every time your local power plant spews carbon into the atmosphere, not only is your town or city affected, but the next town, the next state, and the next country are affected as well. The environment – our home – is a global responsibility that transcends individual cities, regions, and countries. Whether pollution is created a mile from your home or halfway around the world, it contributes equally to the overall problem of global climate change. So while it may be impossible for you to directly consume anything other than dirty electrons at this point in time, it is possible for you to commit to replacing that same amount of dirty electrons with green electrons somewhere else in the country.

In English, please?

For a second, imagine that our national power grid is one giant bathtub, with multiple spigots feeding water into the tub. At the moment, the water is brown and dirty, and most of the spigots only contribute to this problem by feeding more and more brown, dirty water into the tub. However, imagine that there are some spigots that are feeding clean, clear water into the tub, ever so slightly diluting the dirty water. Imagine that you had the power to turn off the brown, dirty spigots a little bit while turning the clean, clear spigots on a little bit. Ultimately, the water will still be brown and dirty, but not as much as before because of you. And the more people that do this, the cleaner the water gets. This is exactly what you’re doing by purchasing REC’s: making the way in which we get our power just that much cleaner.

Am I doing anything other than offsetting my home’s or businesses’ carbon footprint?

Yes. The simple fact about energy production today is that we are relying on finite resources in the form of fossil fuels to provide us with enough reliable electricity. The problem is that these finite resources are exactly that – finite. We are rapidly consuming resources that simply will not be around forever, and it is highly questioned among experts if these resources will be around within the next 50-100 years, let alone forever. In the meantime, we are spewing harmful pollution into our waters and air and instigating significant climate change. REC’s allow money ultimately to go back to producers of renewable energy. That means that not only are you offsetting your carbon footprint in the short term, but through your purchase of REC’s, you are helping to make renwable energy a bigger part of our nation’s energy makeup in the long term by encouraging investment in renewable energy technology and expansion of renewable energy infrastructure. 

What do I get from SeeREC for purchasing Renewable Energy Credits?

After deciding to offset the carbon footprint of your home or business, you will receive a “SeeGreen Renewable Energy Card”, which confirms your commitment to green energy and is a symbol of your purchase of such energy. You will receive a sticker similarly display your commitment. If you have a business, you can accurately claim to be “100% renewable powered”, “carbon neutral”, and “green” – a powerful, yet completely legitimate marketing tool. SeeREC can help you market yourself as such a business. Additionally, you will receive a newsletter from SeeREC about developments in the renewable energy sector.

I’m ready to purchase REC’s. What should I do?

It’s easy. Different levels of commitment are offered right on our website (www.seerec.com). Also feel free to contact us to speak with a member of the SeeREC team personally. You can choose a plan based on your level of need (home, business, or personal). SeeREC accepts all major credit cards and operates through PayPal, so you know your transaction is secure.