One of the first questions raised when considering buying direct from a renewable generator is how will the energy reach me?
Al generators and suppliers have to pass the electricity for their customers over to the System Operator (Eirgrid & SONI) to deliver it to the customer. Entering into a PPA doesn’t change this and the electricity will still arrive across the same wires it always has.
So how do you know that the electricity you use is renewable? Well electricity doesn’t flow in the true sense of the word so when thinking about how your renewable energy reaches you it is more effective to reframe the question.
We all take electricity out of the grid network everyday to use immediately, so imagine the network as a giant lake that everyone must drink all of their water from. Every time you take a glass of water to drink, you must pay someone to add a little bit more into the lake to make up for what you have taken. You can decide to either pay someone to replace the water you have taken with clean water or dirty water, and this is exactly the same with electricity.
Ensuring that the electricity that you want on the grid system is as clean as possible doesn’t just help you but helps everyone in your community and around the world. Every person who takes direct action to understand where their energy comes from, helps us all to deliver on climate action.
If you want to learn more about how you can take the lead on sustainable energy why not get in touch with our team: info@voltclub.ie