Getting to Know Renewables

Terms to Remember

Net-Zero: Reaching net-zero means reducing emissions by the same amount as you produce them. For example, if you use 1 unit of electricity per year that is produced by burning gas, but then install enough solar panels to produce 1 unit of electricity and thereby reduce the amount of gas burned, you have reached “net-zero”.

True-Zero: Even if you reach net-zero (see above), you are still reliant on burning fossil fuels when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. True-zero means you never require the burning of fossil fuels/emissions of greenhouse gases. This can be achieved, for example, by coupling wind, solar and hydro power with battery storage to provide clean electricity 24/7/365.

Solar Canopies: Elevated structures that host panels for collecting energy from the sun. They provide shade and are typically installed over parking lots.

Renewable/Green/Clean Energy: Electricity that comes from renewable, sources that don’t emit greenhouse gases when they produce electricity, such as wind, sunlight, or water. Until the world only runs on these sources, the creation of solar panels and wind mills still result in emissions, but over their lifetime less than 10% of what is emitted by burning fossil fuels to produce the same amount of electricity.

Heat Pumps: Heat pumps use electricity to pump heat from one place rather than create heat by burning something. Heating with heat pumps is much more efficient than burning gas or oil for heat in Rhode Island and becomes ever cleaner as the electricity mix incorporates more emissions-free sources of electricity.

Batteries: Modern large batteries, even bigger than the ones that power electric cars, can be used to store excess energy produced by solar panels on mild sunny days, and can then supply power at night or on cloudy days when the panels aren’t generating enough power.