Green The Grid

What is a renewable energy certificate?
If I buy a REC, do I still get an electricity bill?
If I buy a REC, is clean energy delivered directly to my home?
How many RECs do I need to buy in order to offset my monthly electricity usage?
What do I get when I buy a REC?
What kinds of projects do Synergics and its Green the Grid program support?
I live outside of the United States - can I still support Synergics and Green the Grid?
Is Synergics a nonprofit company?
Are RECs purchased from Synergics tax deductible?
How do I submit an FAQ?

What is a renewable energy certificate?

A renewable energy certificate, also known as a renewable energy credit or green tag, represents that 1,000 kWh of electricity has been generated by a renewable-energy facility. Now here's where it gets a little tricky. When electricity is generated from a renewable-energy facility, two separate products - both of which can be bought and sold - are produced. The first is the electricity itself, which the utility company buys and delivers to your home. The second product is the environmental attributes associated with clean electricity, which you can buy in the form of a REC.

If I buy a REC, do I still get an electricity bill?

Yes. As mentioned above, a REC is a tradable commodity representing the environmental benefits of clean energy, and is separate from the actual electricity itself. Most people in the US live on the grid, which means that you don't have control over what kind of energy is delivered to your home. By purchasing RECs in addition to purchasing electricity from your local utility company, you're essentially demanding clean power instead of dirty power and supporting the delivery of a cleaner energy mix to the collective power grid.

If I buy a REC, is clean energy delivered directly to my home?

No. Because electricity is hard to store and transport over very long distances, our renewable-energy facilities generate, sell, and pump electricity into the collective power grid - the network of power lines that transport energy from the plant to your home. Let's imagine the electricity produced by different power plants as several small streams that feed into one big river. If you drink water from the river, there's no way to determine the origins of that particular sip. However, what's most important is that the sip you take from the river is as clean as possible. When you purchase a REC, you're supporting clean streams - or renewable energy sources - and ensuring a cleaner planet.

How many RECs do I need to buy in order to offset my monthly electricity usage?

That depends on a number of factors. But here's an easy way to figure it out: dust off your old electricity bills and check out how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) you use per month. The average American household consumes around 750 kWh per month, so around one REC per month (which represents 1,000 kWh) should be enough to offset your electricity usage. If you consume more electricity, you may want to purchase more than one REC per month.

Q:	What do I get when I buy a REC?
A:	When you buy RECs, we'll email a certificate acknowledging that you have purchased the environmental benefits of renewable energy. You'll also have the benefit of knowing that you've replaced dirty energy with clean energy, which results in reduced emission of greenhouse gases and a cleaner planet.

Q:	What kinds of projects do Synergics and its Green the Grid program support?
A:	Synergics plans, engineers, finances, and constructs wind and small hydroelectric power projects across the United States and the world. Your purchase of RECs will support the construction of new windpower and small hydropower projects.

Q:	I live outside of the United States - can I still support Synergics and Green the Grid?
A:	Absolutely! Reversing climate change is a collective effort, and the most effective way to make this happen is by reducing overall greenhouse emissions. Whether emissions are reduced in your hometown or halfway around the world, the benefits to the atmosphere are equally advantageous.

Q:	Is Synergics a nonprofit company?
A:	No. When you buy RECs from Synergics, you are not making a donation. You are buying the environmentally beneficial attributes of renewable energy. You're also helping to support the creation of new windpower plants and small hydroelectric plants across the United States and the world.

Q:	Are RECs purchased from Synergics tax deductible?
A:	No, our RECs are not tax deductible.

Q:	How do I submit an FAQ?
A:	It's easy! Simply email us at greenthegrid@synergics.com, and we'll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.