Topic: First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus Electric

[bye]

Please explain how Bullfrog has built a parallel power grid and how you receive 100% renewable energy?

Google it.

http://www.bullfrogpower.com/howitworks/

[rrocket]

Please explain how Bullfrog has built a parallel power grid and how you receive 100% renewable energy?

Google it.

http://www.bullfrogpower.com/howitworks/

You are not personally receiving renewable energy.  PERIOD.  Electricity is electricity once it's in the grid, and there is no special "channel" they switch on for houses that want renewable or nuclear power or coal power.  You get what you get. PERIOD.

What you ARE paying for is essentially a carbon offset, except that your carbon offset goes exclusively to Bullfrog who has invested in certain wind projects.  A "regular" carbon offset goes into a group fund (think of it like a group carbon RRSP) and that fund then invests into dozens of renewable programmes in Canada (even some of the one's Bullfrog is invested in).  These are "VER+ rated" for Canadian projects.  Or you can go Gold rated, which invests into non-Kyoto countries..the idea being that by doing so it will make a more drastic help to the climate in these "eco-dirty" countries than in a more eco-friendly country like Canada.  Like your Bullfrog energy, these carbon offsets are also EcoLogo rated and audited.  These carbon offsets are also endorsed by the David Suzuki Foundation if you care about such things.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but you're delusional if you think you're getting renewable energy to your house.  You are getting mainly nuclear and hydro and paying the carbon offset for your house's carbon footprint to Bullfrog.

I only know this much about the topic because IQ and I have been driving carbon neutral cars for the last few years because of carbon offsets.  Odd that this comes up, since I was just talking about this with a respected forum member about having my doubts about renewing my carbon offsets for our cars this year.  He says "do it", but I'm still on the fence.  I'm cynical if it's actually doing anything.

BTW Smart Electric, doesn't it suck that my Porsche 911 is just as carbon neutral (if not moreso) than your electric car?? 

[mixmanmash]

What rrocket just said.  Now, I wonder if there is any actual measurement of the kwh consumed by Bullfrog customers versus how much they generate cleanly?

Btw, how is your 911 carbon neutral?  I am interested to learn more.

[bye]

doesn't it suck that my Porsche 911 is just as carbon neutral (if not moreso) than your electric car?? 

Are you the big man on campus?  I've driven fast cars and enjoyed them for years before I settled down.  I've made a different choices now.  Deal with it brotha.  I'm setting an example for my kids, and I'm glad you are doing likewise with your offsets.  Cheers.

[bye]

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but you're delusional if you think you're getting renewable energy to your house.  You are getting mainly nuclear and hydro and paying the carbon offset for your house's carbon footprint to Bullfrog.

From : http://www.sustainabilitymanagement.ca/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=947

"Paying Bullfrog Power is akin to buying a carbon offset, with the special feature that Bullfrog Power uses the premium for the purpose of supplying the equivalent amount of renewable electricity into the grid as the business consumed. Most carbon offsets do not have this direct equivalency in electricity supply. "


So yes, I am having the equivalent power put in the grid based on my usage.  Because the transmission system is shared, the power contribution on my behalf may be consumed locally by someone else, but that still means that I have in fact paid for and received 100% renewable electricity for my consumption.

[rrocket]

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but you're delusional if you think you're getting renewable energy to your house.  You are getting mainly nuclear and hydro and paying the carbon offset for your house's carbon footprint to Bullfrog.

From : http://www.sustainabilitymanagement.ca/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=947

"Paying Bullfrog Power is akin to buying a carbon offset, with the special feature that Bullfrog Power uses the premium for the purpose of supplying the equivalent amount of renewable electricity into the grid as the business consumed. Most carbon offsets do not have this direct equivalency in electricity supply. "


So yes, I am having the equivalent power put in the grid based on my usage.  Because the transmission system is shared, the power contribution on my behalf may be consumed locally by someone else, but that still means that I have in fact paid for and received 100% renewable electricity for my consumption.

Not really.  Everything they produce goes into the grid.  Whether they have customers like you or not.  If they have a lack of paying retail customers like you, they don't throw it away.  It still goes into the grid and gets sold.

You have paid for it most definitely, but you have no way of knowing if the electricity that ultimately reaches your house is renewable..or dirty coal.  That's a fact.

Think of the grid like a giant gas tank.  Some "regular" gets pumped in (coal power), some "premium" gets pumped in (hydro or nuclear) and some "ultra" gets pumped in (renewable, wind, solar, etc).  There is no way for you to differentiate what you actually use.

As I said...I'm not against it.  Good for you.  But you have to have a realistic expectation on what's going on, and thinking you're getting exclusively renewable energy out of you plugs is wrong.

Same for me...some of my carbon offsets go towards wind and gas reclamation projects.  I have no illusions that the energy I'm using is coming from those projects I've invested in.

[rrocket]

What rrocket just said.  Now, I wonder if there is any actual measurement of the kwh consumed by Bullfrog customers versus how much they generate cleanly?

Btw, how is your 911 carbon neutral?  I am interested to learn more.

We buy carbon offsets for the amounts of emissions of each of our cars...thereby making them carbon neutral.

You can do the same for your entire house or to offset air travel.

You can be (allegedly) 100% carbon neutral without having to resort to drastic measures.  Just buy some credits.