Renewable and Alternative Energy

Discover ways to improve energy efficiency, cut electricity costs, and reduce your carbon footprint. Access Penn State Extension’s education resources on generating and utilizing alternative and renewable energy sources. Information on Pennsylvania’s alternative energy credits is available.

Benefits of Alternative and Renewable Energy

From generating energy that helps reduce air pollution to creating new job opportunities, the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy are difficult to ignore. Using electricity from renewable and alternative resources can also significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

Renewable energy is generated from continuously replenishing natural resources, such as sunlight, wind, and rain. Utilizing alternative resources refers to generating sustainable energy from non-traditional sources (alternatives to coal and fossil fuels) with low environmental impact.

Common Sustainable Energy Sources

Solar energy is one of the most abundant and freely available energy sources. A major benefit of solar energy systems is their ability to operate independently or in conjunction with traditional energy. There are currently many opportunities for the growth of solar power in Pennsylvania, including leasing land for solar use. Landowners are invited to join the Solar Leasing webinar to discover the important factors that should be considered when making a lease deal.

Biomass is another energy source that involves the conversion of natural resources such as biological materials into electricity. Biodiesel fuel, for instance, is a biomass-based fuel created by chemically processing vegetable oil. Learn more about biodiesel and other biofuels with Penn State Extension resources. Information is also available on developing cropping systems that meet food and fuel needs and converting manure to biogas. An online course on converting organic waste to energy can be found, as well.

Energy Use: Improve Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is an important factor for cleaning our air, saving energy, and, essentially, saving money. Farms are big energy consumers. They use a variety of energy sources, including electricity, gasoline, and natural gas. Penn State Extension’s Farm Energy Efficiency is a program that strives to grow the viability of PA's agricultural sector. It further seeks to improve energy use in agriculture in cost-effective, practical, and sustainable ways.

Renewable and alternative energy resources can be successfully produced as well as used on the farm. Finding ways to improve a farm's energy efficiency is key to increasing profitability.

At home, renewable fuels can be effectively used as a heating source. Efficient heating alternatives include home pellet boilers, pellet stove or wood stove, and biodiesel heating oil.

Penn State Extension provides comprehensive information on renewable energy use and efficiency. Topics include improving greenhouse energy efficiency, as well as understanding bioenergy and green buildings. Additionally, an Annual Heating Energy Cost Analyzer tool is provided to help understand heating fuel costs.

Alternative Energy Credits

Alternative Energy Credit (AEC) is a provision of PA’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (AEPS). Generally speaking, AECs serve as proof that a certain amount of energy has been saved or that a certain amount of alternative energy has been generated.

Alternative energy credits are tradable credits that can be purchased by energy distribution companies and electric generation suppliers to meet their alternative portfolio standards goals. Pennsylvania’s AEPS standard is 18% alternative energy compliance by 2020. Major utility companies are generally expected to meet these standards. Rural electric cooperatives are required to offer retail customers a voluntary program of energy efficiency.

Additional resources on renewable and alternative energy can be accessed through Penn State Extension. Information is available on the regulatory obstacles impeding AEPS, as well as on the solar and credit trends in PA.