Helping Renewable Energy Projects Generate Revenue
Carbon Footprinting Services
Carbon Solutions Northwest (CSNW) helps small and mid-sized companies determine their carbon footprint by preparing an inventory of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a cost-competitive basis. Companies create GHG emissions both directly and indirectly. Direct emissions include burning fossil fuels to create space or process heat, or for purposes of transportation. Consumption of electricity is an indirect GHG emission. The emissions are not generated onsite; however, the organization that consumes the electricity is responsible for the emissions associated with producing that electricity. GHG emissions are also embodied in the products which companies use on a regular basis. We take such emission sources into consideration when preparing GHG inventories on behalf of our cost-conscious clients.
Many companies are content to itemize and inventory their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Other organizations want to go farther; they want to neutralize or mitigate their carbon footprint.
At CSNW, we help companies that have compiled their GHG inventory to mitigate that carbon footprint. We can mitigate your emissions by:
VERs are environmental securities that represent one metric ton of reduced greenhouse gas emissions over the course of one year.
VERs may vary in value from as little as $2 for low-quality offsets to as much as $12 for retail offsets that are connected with a compelling story. Typically, however, good-quality VERs that are being developed at the wholesale level will sell for between $4.50 and $6.50 per VER. In order to be viable, a typical project must produce a minimum of 10,000 VERs per year.
Where development of VERs is concerned, we look at projects that:
All of the above-summarized practices either reduce GHG emissions or capture CO2 in trees. Thus, all of the project types, as set forth above, lead to the development of carbon credits, or VERs.
Renewable-energy projects use renewable resources to generate electricity. In this context, such projects develop both electricity and the “green attributes” associated with the production of renewable energy. The electricity is sold to a utility; whereas, the green attributes, which form the REC, may be sold to a utility or to a company that wishes to offset its electricity-related emissions.
Typically, however, RECs are sold to utilities either to help them comply with the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of a particular state or to help them comply with their own customer-driven, green-power program.
RECs range in value from $5.00 – $10.00 in Oregon and Washington, to $20.00 in California, to as much as $60.00 per REC in Massachusetts. When sold together with the electricity, RECs that are generated in one state may be sold into another state.
With this in mind, it is wise to seek professional guidance before deciding where, when, and how to sell a project’s RECs.
Technologies that can lead to the development of RECs include the following:
Transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions. As such, environmental credits have been introduced to create markets that reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector. Such credits include:
These credits add real value to the use of alternative fuels, including RNG, as transportation fuel, and revenue from these credits is typically shared between the RNG producer, the RNG distributor or fueling station, and the fleet that uses RNG as a transportation fuel.
As gas utilities strive to reduce the carbon intensity of their fuel mix, they will look toward increased use of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) and Renewable Hydrogen (RH2). To track utilities’ use of RNG and RH2, the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System has developed another environmental credit, the “Renewable Thermal Certificate” (RTC). Equal to the environmental benefits associated with 1 MMBtu of thermal energy from a renewable resource, RTCs bolster the market for RNG and give utilities a vehicle for tracking their use of renewable resources and quantifying corresponding GHG reductions.
As a firm specializing in the origination, registration, and sale of carbon credits, CSNW is uniquely qualified to assist carbon developers, heavy emitters, and purveyors of emission-reduction technologies to find the best fit for successful project implementation.
Once a project is initiated, CSNW can continue the relationship by managing project coordination, including:
Many companies are content to itemize and inventory their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Other organizations want to go farther; they want to neutralize or mitigate their carbon footprint.
At CSNW, we help companies that have compiled their GHG inventory to mitigate that carbon footprint. We can mitigate your emissions by:
VERs are environmental securities that represent one metric ton of reduced greenhouse gas emissions over the course of one year.
VERs may vary in value from as little as $2 for low-quality offsets to as much as $12 for retail offsets that are connected with a compelling story. Typically, however, good-quality VERs that are being developed at the wholesale level will sell for between $4.50 and $6.50 per VER. In order to be viable, a typical project must produce a minimum of 10,000 VERs per year.
Where development of VERs is concerned, we look at projects that:
All of the above-summarized practices either reduce GHG emissions or capture CO2 in trees. Thus, all of the project types, as set forth above, lead to the development of carbon credits, or VERs.
Renewable-energy projects use renewable resources to generate electricity. In this context, such projects develop both electricity and the “green attributes” associated with the production of renewable energy. The electricity is sold to a utility; whereas, the green attributes, which form the REC, may be sold to a utility or to a company that wishes to offset its electricity-related emissions.
Typically, however, RECs are sold to utilities either to help them comply with the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of a particular state or to help them comply with their own customer-driven, green-power program.
RECs range in value from $5.00 – $10.00 in Oregon and Washington, to $20.00 in California, to as much as $60.00 per REC in Massachusetts. When sold together with the electricity, RECs that are generated in one state may be sold into another state.
With this in mind, it is wise to seek professional guidance before deciding where, when, and how to sell a project’s RECs.
Technologies that can lead to the development of RECs include the following:
Transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions. As such, environmental credits have been introduced to create markets that reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector. Such credits include:
These credits add real value to the use of alternative fuels, including RNG, as transportation fuel, and revenue from these credits is typically shared between the RNG producer, the RNG distributor or fueling station, and the fleet that uses RNG as a transportation fuel.
As gas utilities strive to reduce the carbon intensity of their fuel mix, they will look toward increased use of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) and Renewable Hydrogen (RH2). To track utilities’ use of RNG and RH2, the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System has developed another environmental credit, the “Renewable Thermal Certificate” (RTC). Equal to the environmental benefits associated with 1 MMBtu of thermal energy from a renewable resource, RTCs bolster the market for RNG and give utilities a vehicle for tracking their use of renewable resources and quantifying corresponding GHG reductions.
As a firm specializing in the origination, registration, and sale of carbon credits, CSNW is uniquely qualified to assist carbon developers, heavy emitters, and purveyors of emission-reduction technologies to find the best fit for successful project implementation.
Once a project is initiated, CSNW can continue the relationship by managing project coordination, including: