Green Power

Arcadia Power

Since the Sentient Bean joined Arcadia Power, they have used 247940 kWh of clean and renewable energy. The underlying mechanism for that energy was retiring 247.9 Renewable Energy Certificates or REC’s (Arcadia 2021). REC’s are defined by the U.S. EPA as “a tradeable, market-based instrument that represents the legal property rights to the “renewable-ness”—or all non-power attributes—of renewable electricity generation”. (U.S. EPA 2021). Arcadia Power sources, validates, purchases, and retires RECs on behalf of the client. The renewable energy comes from US wind and solar farms that were built within the last 15 years. While the U.S. does not have a carbon tax, RECs are a reciprocal advantage for carbon-free energy (Arcadia 2021).
Over 70 months, the Sentient Bean kept 222,875 lbs of carbon dioxide (CO2) from heating up our atmosphere. Plus 713,401 cubic feet of gas, 113 gallons of oil, 63,778 pounds of coal, and 1,069 grams of uranium averted (Arcadia 2021). The participation of this program provides the Sentient Bean with the qualification of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership in recognition of efforts to reduce the risk of climate change through the use of green power.

EPA Green Power Partner

Switching to green power is one of the U.S. EPA’s big suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (U.S. EPA 2021). The Sentient Bean qualified for a partnership with EPA’s Green Power in 2016, and is reported to use around 130,000 kWh of renewable wind energy each year. Other energy efficient ways to reduce emissions suggested by the EPA includes looking for the ENERGY STAR certification label on energy-efficient products, insuring proper insulation of windows and doors, greening through rooftop gardens and cool roofs, sustainable landscaping, and renewable energy technologies such as solar panels (EPA 2021).

Back to Sustainability

U.S. EPA. 2021. “Renewable Energy Certificate Monetization”. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/repowertoolbox/renewable-energy-certificate-monetization [accessed 21 November 2021].