Solar, wind and other clean technologies are key to fighting climate change. But what do you do if you can’t put solar collectors on your home or buy an electric car or tap into your own windmill? RE Royalties has an answer: invest in “Green Bonds” that help finance investments in renewable energy generation, energy efficiency management and sustainable infrastructure.

When RE Royalties offered to sponsor a post here so we could all learn more about their unique approach to fighting climate change and protecting the planet, I immediately said “yes!” Here’s what I learned by interviewing electronically their chief operating office and co-founder, Peter Leighton, a veteran renewable energy executive with over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, including wind energy and more. This year Peter was named as an Honouree to Canada’s Clean50 for 2020.

In a nutshell, what is RE Royalties?

RE Royalties Ltd. is a specialty finance company created in 2016 that provides innovative financing for climate change solutions. It does so by using a “royalty financing model” to build and support renewable and clean energy projects and companies globally. In other words, it collects royalties from the companies it finances, and uses those royalties to build more projects.

With climate change a pressing issue globally, RE Royalties has become an important and innovative source of capital for renewable energy projects. Royalties is a publicly traded company on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “RE,” It is the first to pioneer the royalty-financing model for renewable energy projects.

Green Bonds enable you to reduce your personal carbon footprint and directly fund the growing green economy.

Why invest in clean energy at all? It seems like the market for solar, wind and geothermal is taking off nicely on its own.

Renewables are currently the lowest cost source of new electricity generation in two-thirds of the world. But, we have many clients who still have trouble accessing low cost capital to help them deliver their renewable energy projects. Our goal is to help these clients build more renewable energy while delivering our investors with growth, yield and the opportunity to help the planet.

The fundamental vision of RE Royalties is to:
1. Help build a cleaner and more sustainable world; and
2. Generate a strong, economic long-term return for our investors.

Why do you need investment dollars when governments subsidize companies like yours so heavily?

This is an interesting question and I would like to answer it in three parts.

Firstly, RE Royalties does not receive any form of government subsidy, whatsoever. We pay tax, we pay our employees and our suppliers on a competitive market basis, and the capital we raise is priced based on investor choice.

Secondly, there is a broad perception that renewable energy is subsidized. I would agree that historically, government policy was necessary to develop the renewable energy industry and subsidies were required to get the monopolistic public utilities to encourage innovation. The fact is that today, renewable energy is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in two-thirds of the world and will be the cheapest everywhere by 2030.

Thirdly, I note that on your excellent website www.biggreenpurse.com, you state that you believe that “… the fastest, most effective way to stop polluters is by pressuring them in the marketplace.” I could not agree more!! I would turn your question around and ask it a different way. Why as a society, are we OK subsidizing the fossil fuel industry by not asking them to pay for the negative impact to the planet that they create?

Personally as a consumer, I am happy to pay a deposit fee to encourage me to recycle a pop bottle, or to pay an extra charge if I forget to take my knapsack to the grocery store and have to use a plastic bag. I am happy to pay for transit to get to work, if it is snowing and I cannot ride my bike. I am also happy to pay a premium for organic produce because I think that is better for my family and better for the global environment. In other words, I am already paying for the negative externalities associated with bottle production, plastic bag production, transportation, and industrial scale farming.

Our society has the opposite view of the fossil fuel industry. There is a groundswell of anti-carbon tax sentiment even though we know that global carbon emissions are causing climate change. Just ask the citizens of California, Washington and Oregon whether they would like to remove the subsidy that prevents the oil and gas industry from paying for their product’s negative externalities. This would be like me saying that I don’t want to pay the city for garbage pickup – that I would prefer to just throw it in the woods.

How risky are Green Bonds compared to other types of energy investments?

It is difficult to compare risk across investments unless you have a clear view into all of the details of each investment alternative, and a clear view of the investment risk horizon for each individual investor. The assessment of Green Bond risk depends on the following: the individual investor; the financial strength of the issuer; and the details (terms, conditions, covenants, etc.) of the offering.

RE Royalties Green Bond offering is different from others in the marketplace because the Bonds are senior-secured against the assets of RE Royalties Ltd. Think of this being like a car loan where the bank’s loan is fully secured against the asset, or car.

The RE Royalties Green Bond also pays a fixed annual rate of interest of 6%, paid on a quarterly basis for the life of the bond. This means that a potential investor knows exactly how much they will earn on this investment. Finally, the International Capital Markets Association oversee the Green Bond Principles governing the issuance of Green Bonds and this means that investors can be sure that the bond proceeds will be used only for truly green investments.

Would Green Bonds ever invest in nuclear power companies, given that some who are concerned about carbon see nuclear power as a solution?

Our investment mandate at RE Royalties would preclude us from using the proceeds of our Green Bond financing from investing in nuclear power companies.

Can Americans or Europeans or the Chinese invest, given that the company is based in Canada?

Yes, investors from the US, Europe or China can purchase our RE Royalties Green Bonds, but they will need to have a Canadian investment account to buy and hold the securities. Canadian securities regulations require a high degree of disclosure and transparency, so the fact that we are traded on the Canadian exchange may be an advantage for some foreign investors. The fact that we trade in Canadian dollars may also be some advantage to  US and foreign investors who are looking to increase their exposure to the Canadian dollar. Some investors in very low interest rate environments such as Europe or Japan may also find the 6% yield on our green bonds very attractive.

In addition to solar, wind and geothermal, are there other promising renewable technologies that Green Bonds might help boost?

Our vision is to create a cleaner future by investing in renewable and sustainable energy. We are agnostic to technology, meaning that we will support any technology. We like proven technology and we have a bias for operating projects. This is because we really like near term cash flow!

It is important to note that to meet our goal of helping to build a cleaner and more sustainable world, we are focusing on both renewable and sustainable energy. Put simply, the world’s carbon emissions are very broadly speaking, driven approximately one-third by electricity generation, approximately one-third by building heating and cooling, and approximately one-third by transportation. Currently we are focusing on the electricity generation piece, but we do see lots of opportunity to utilize our royalty financing product to advance projects in the energy efficiency and transportation sectors.

Is the 6% per annum interest rate guaranteed, regardless of how the economy (nationally and globally) performs?

Yes, the 6% interest rate is guaranteed for the term of the bond. There is no relationship between the interest rate and the performance of either the national or global economy.

What is the projected growth rate of the renewables economy over the next 5 to 10 years?

Globally, $289 billion was invested in renewable energy projects in 2018, according to the United Nations. This investment is expected to increase to $534 billion by 2030 according to the UN Environment Programme as of June 18, 2019.

You can learn more about investment opportunities with RE Royalties Green Bonds here.

The post RE Royalties Green Bonds Power Clean Energy appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Good job! Our consumer demand for clean energy has significantly reduced demand for power generated by polluting coal. Solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal energy sources combined are making a large impact in providing the energy Americans need.

Burning coal pollutes the air and generates carbon dioxide, a major cause of climate change.

Given how serious climate change is, this increased capacity in clean energy is great news!

Use of Coal-Powered Electricity Plants on the Decline in America

With the clean energy revolution is in full swing and more consumers switch to solar and wind, America’s dependence on coal is waning. According to the US Energy Information Administration, coal use in U.S. is at its lowest point in 39 years. In the year 2000, a total of 1,024 coal-powered electricity plants were in operation in the United States. By 2018, that number had decreased to 359.

In part, the decline in coal use can be attributed to natural gas. But that’s not the long-term solution to either climate change or the pollution associated with fossil fuels.  Burning natural gas still sends a considerable amount of climate-changing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Maybe worse, large amounts of methane gas are released into the air during “fracking,” the destructive process of hydraulic fracturing used to extract natural gas from underground shale formations. In fact, though methane gas accounts for only about 15% of greenhouse gas emissions, it lasts longer in the atmosphere, so can actually be worse for climate change than CO2. Plus, fracking pollutes groundwater and creates terrible air pollution around its facilities, many of which are located near schools and in the heart of communities.

What’s So Bad About Fracking? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Clean Energy Capacity Matching That of Coal

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) tracks the capacity of different energy sources. The April and May 2018 capacity reports show that renewable energy sources are on par with that of coal, both having around 20-22% of power producing ability. 

For renewables, wind and water lead the way by together providing about 75% of the total renewable energy capacity. Eight of the ten largest wind farms in the world are located in the U.S. Five of those are in Texas. The largest wind farm in the world is located in Kern County, California. It has the capacity of creating 1,020 MW, with expansion plans to raise its capacity to 1,550 MW.

Solar has added 200 new units so far this year. This gives solar an additional 1,964 MW of capacity, allowing it to account for 2.83% of America’s total power generating ability. Con Ed, a large U.S. utility company, is the second largest solar energy provider in North America. In 2018, they acquired wind and solar projects worth 2.1 billion dollars.

Their total clean energy capacity now can reduce carbon emissions by 5.4 million metric tons each year. That is equivalent to removing 1.2 million cars off of the highway.

The present issue with renewable energy power production is that the capacity is not being used. But with the ever-present public and state pressure for green energy, power producers will continue to scale up their use of renewables.

It’s only a matter of time before clean energy production will permanently bypass that of coal. 

The post Hate Coal Pollution? Switch to Solar, Wind. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

If you’re considering solar panel installation but don’t know how to pay for it, you’ve got to read this post. We’ve teamed up with Ecotality.com, which specializes in “everything solar,” to help you figure out how to pay for the clean energy you want, starting with solar panel installation. Read on!

The number of homeowners considering having solar panels installed on their homes is growing. People love the idea of using clean, non-polluting energy that doesn’t cause climate change or air pollution. They’d like to lower their utility bills, too. No wonder 70% of Americans say they “support a version of California’s rooftop solar policy being mandated nationwide.”

Yet, if solar is so popular, why isn’t there more of it?  One big reason is that many homeowners think they can’t afford it.  We wanted to provide some perspective on the costs and suggestions for how to cover them.

What Could Solar Panels Cost?

There are four elemental aspects when installing solar: solar panels, an inverter to convert solar electricity to current you can use in your home, a controller to manage the system, and batteries to store generated power.

Costs for each of these can differ depending on where you live, what finance options you consider and are qualified for, and how much electricity your home both uses and could produce via the installed solar panels.

Generally, total costs could start at $20,000 and more, depending on how many panels you install. However, before you run for the hills, keep in mind that this is just the “sticker price,” not necessarily the final price you’ll pay.

Once you factor in statewide energy tax credits, company discounts, zero-down financing, and federal tax cuts, you might actually pay for only half that cost. And once the system is installed, your lower or zero utility bills additionally offset the initial cost of your system, which might eventually cost you nothing over time.

For example, say your electricity bill averages $200 a month, or $2400 a year.

Your solar panel installation might cost $20,000 at the sticker price, but various incentives and tax credits mean the actual cost outlay is $10,000.

After a year, your utility bills are zero, which means you’re saving $2400 a year.

In less than 5 years, you’ve paid for your solar panel installation through money you’re NOT paying to your utility. Thereafter, you’re “making” $2400 a year on your system by relying on your own solar rather than power from the utility.

Here’s another way to think of it.

You were already spending $2400 a year on electricity. You shifted that money into payments for solar panels. After 5 years, you paid for your solar system. If you live in your home another 10 years, you’ll actually pocket almost $25,000 in money saved on electricity.

By the way, many states allow solarized homes to sell money back to their utility. Not only can your home’s solar system save you money, but it might make you a little, too.

Available Loans for Solar Panel Installations

One solar panel financing option is solar loans.

Solar financing companies include: Urban Solar Group, Florida Solar Design Group, Sun-Tec, Fun In The Sun Solar, and ESD Solar. Know that obtaining multiple quotes can help you better decide which package best suits your budget. (You can choose to finance the complete cost of your solar infrastructure by using a property as collateral, should a financial company require that from you.)

Why Solar Loans Could Work For You

You will need to decide if you should purchase your panels outright or take out a loan to finance their purchase (some companies also install panels for free, but then charge you for the electricity generated, like a standard utility does – see below). Ecotality believes loans make sense if the monthly savings you get from lower electric bills are higher than the amount of the loan you need to repay monthly.

Typically, solar loans have very similar terms and conditions as other home improvement loans. A few States even extend below-market interest rates that are paired with subsidized solar loans. Additionally, many secured solar loans have a tax-deductible interest, so this also already lets you save more on income taxes.

Solar Leases and Power Purchase Agreements

Solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPAs) allow you to rent a solar panel system without having to purchase it.

With a PPA or lease, it is the third-party owner’s (TPO) responsibility to set up the solar panels on your home. You will pay a below-market rate as payment for the solar electricity for the entire duration of the term. So, instead of paying your utility for electricity it generates from polluting coal and oil, you’ll pay a solar provider for solar power. You still turn the lights on, but the power source is cleaner!

Under this arrangement, you won’t need to worry about having to pay a hefty upfront figure.

However, you will not be eligible for all the tax credits, rebates, and other government incentives available to solar panel owners. These perks go to your TPO. Furthermore, at the end of the lease, TPOs may either remove them from your property or sell them to you. They will also be responsible for taking care of all the solar panel maintenance fees, should there be any.

Compare Your Solar Financing Options

Before you decide to take on a financial product, examine every solar financing option you’re qualified for, including PPAs and solar leases.  Discuss your choices with a financial advisor to tax consultant. Be cautious as you weigh the pros and cons of your options. Look for sites online that discuss solar panel installation costs and present side-by-side computations and comparisons of packages provided by solar providers.

Benefits of Installing Solar Panels

Environment-Friendly – Compared to other available energy sources, solar energy is among the cleanest. It doesn’t pollute the water, nor does it produce greenhouse gases or nuclear waste. It also doesn’t produce noise, ensuring households aren’t bothered by unwarranted buzzing sounds.

Lower Utility Bills – Using your own electricity translates to not needing as much from your usual electricity utility. This automatically means you get to cut back on the amount of money you would have spent on your electricity bills. It also helps that it’s possible to sell unused electricity back to the grid.

Solar Energy Can Be Used In More Places Than You Think –  Really shady roofs? No. But as long as sunshine is penetrative, solar energy can be put to use. For example, you can install solar panels on sunny property near your home, like in your backyard. Panels don’t need to go on your roof to provide electricity to your home.

Ecotality offers many more in-depth explanations of how solar works. They also provide excellent product review buying guides and list solar companies to check out state-by-state.

NOTE: Partners and sponsors enable us to bring you the expert content you need to lead the greener life you want. All editorial opinions remain our own.

The post Solar Panel Installation: Costs, Financing, Loans appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Be the hero of your house with these smart ways to save energy room-by-room.
Get the link to the live interactive guide pictured here below.

Trump doesn’t need to speak for you when it comes to fighting climate change. Even though he wants to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Accord, you can show him you disagree by practicing smart ways to save energy at home. How?

1) Continue to acknowledge that climate change is a real threat.

2) Do your own part to save energy.

We’ve teamed up with StarTexPower to bring you 18 smart ways to save energy at home. Just go to this live graphic and click on any room in the house. You’ll get three tips per room to help you save energy at home.

Smart Ways to Save Energy At Home

Keep in mind these important room-by-room tips:

In The Living Room

⇒Seal air leaks around windows and doors.

⇒Change your furnace filter every 3 months.

⇒Adjust your thermostat by 10-15 degrees, especially when you’re away at work or when you go to bed.

Of the $2,000 you probably spend on energy annually, $200 to $400 could be going to waste from drafts, air leaks around openings, and outdated heating and cooling systems, reports Energy.gov.

Save as much as 30% on your energy bill by sealing the leaks.

Remember that dirty filters can slow down air flow and force your furnace to work harder.

Adjusting your thermostat by 10-15 degrees for at least 8 hours a day can cut your heating bill by 5-20% annually.

In Your Bedroom

⇒Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioning. Fans topically cost only 1 cen per day, says StarTex, while making the room feel 3-8 degrees cooler.

⇒Hang insulating drapes to keep rooms cooler during the summer and warmer in winter.

In The Kitchen And Laundry 

⇒Wash full loads.

⇒Replace older appliances, including refrigerators
and washing machines, with Energy Star products

⇒Air dry dishes. Use clothes lines and drying racks to dry clothes

In the Bathroom

⇒Lower the thermostat on your water heater. For every 10 degrees you reduce the temperature, you can save 3 to 5% on your bill.

⇒Take shorter showers.

⇒Switch to water-efficient faucets and shower heads to enjoy the same quality but save energy.

Outside

⇒Plant deciduous trees – the kind that drop their leaves in the fall.

Planting on the west side of the house to create shade and help keep your house cool can reduce your air conditioning costs by up to 30%.

You can find more smart ways to save energy at StarTexPower.com. Look for their hashtag, #energylifehacks.

NOTE: Partners and sponsors enable us to bring you the expert content you want at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post 18 Smart Ways to Save Energy at Home appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Solar power is good. But getting access to solar power? That can be hard, especially in tree-lined neighborhoods or crowded cities where you can’t put solar panels on your own roof.

Community solar power projects are coming to the rescue in states across the country, including New York.

They’re building solar gardens on old industrial sites, on top of churches, synagogues and grocery stores, even on local farms so people like you who want their energy to come from the clean sun instead of dirty fossil fuels can get it.

We’re partnering with OurPower.solar to make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to sign up for solar when it becomes available in your community.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s So Great About Solar Energy?

√ Solar energy improves air quality, puts the brakes on climate change, protects our kids’ health, reduces air pollution, and is helping us achieve sustainability.

√ There is no limit to how much solar energy is available. We’re never going to run out of sunlight.

√ Plus, we don’t have to dig a big coal mine, or drill a polluting oil well, or send ships (and troops) to the Middle East. We just have to aim some solar panels at the sun and voilá. We’ve got power!

If Solar’s THAT Great, Why Don’t We Use More Of It?

Until recently, our utility companies and energy policies favored dirty fossil fuels over clean “renewable” energy sources like solar.

As a result, there weren’t enough solar panels being made and installed, which is why solar cost more.

In fact, all renewable energy has been something of a luxury item. You could get it, but you had to pay a premium for it. Sort of like buying a Gucci purse, or a Ferrari.

Community solar power has changed all that. Now you can get the solar version of Gucci or Ferrari without it costing you any more.

In fact, it’s going to cost you less. You’ll end up saving money on energy and getting rewarded for doing the right thing when you start using solar power generated in your own community.

How Does Community Solar Power Actually Work?

If you were to put solar panels on your own home’s roof, the panels would capture sunlight and convert it into electrical current. The more electricity you used from solar, the less you’d use that was generated by fossil fuels.

Community solar power works the same way, but instead of the panels being on your own roof, a lot of them – called an array – are installed in a convenient, shared solar garden.

As soon as the panels are installed, they start generating electricity.

That’s where you come in.

If you’ve signed up, you can replace part (or all!) of the electricity you get from polluting energy sources with energy from the sun. That’s all there is to it.

So…What’s the Catch?

The catch is that right now, more people want community solar power than can actually get it.

In New York State, for example, OurPower estimates that, based on the number of projects planned and how many people want to opt in, only 2% of households will actually be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Yikes! I Don’t Want to Miss Out. What Should I Do?

The easiest and smartest thing to do is to sign up ASAP on OurPower’s “Insiders List.”

Signing up doesn’t obligate you to start using solar (though, if you’re like me, you probably want to power up with solar as soon as you can).

It just makes sure you’re on the inside track, so that as soon as community solar is available, you’ll be among the first to find out about it.

What’s It Going to Cost Me to Sign Up?

Nothing. Nada. A big fat zero.

All signing up does is make sure you’re on the inside track so you can be among the first to opt in when community solar starts working in your neighborhood.

Once you do opt in, you’ll get credited on your regular utility bill for the amount of solar you use, just as if you had put solar panels on your own roof.

How Will Community Solar Power Save Me Money?

Right now, you pay your utility company a certain price for every kilowatt-hour of energy you use. The same kilowatt-hour, when it comes from a community solar project, costs you about 10-20% less. So, the more of your energy use you cover with community solar, the more money you’ll save.

With most projects, you’ll get two bills, one from your solar provider and a second from your utility.

You only pay your utility for electricity you use that’s over and above what’s covered by solar.

How Do I Know I Qualify?

If you live in New York, count yourself lucky. Not every state has the right laws in place that make community solar possible. But if you are a New Yorker and you pay a utility bill, you can subscribe.

It’s that simple.

Why Should I Sign Up If the Projects Aren’t Actually Available Yet?

It’s like signing up for a new iPhone before you can actually buy it (though community solar is even better, because you don’t have to camp out overnight in front of an Apple store or wait in longlines).  Like those iPhone folks, you don’t want to miss out! Only 2% of people can participate in the next go round.

Signing up for OurPower’s Insider’s List guarantees that
you’ll be among the first to know when solar energy is available to buy
from your community solar power project.

(By the way, if you don’t live in New York but love the idea of community solar power, please still sign up so when community solar does come to your area, you’ll be the first to know.)

What Can I Do Right Now?

The most important thing you can do right now is save your spot by signing up. It’ll only take you five seconds. Seriously!

Partner Note: Partnering with great projects like OurPower enables us to bring you valuable information and opportunities to live a greener life that you might otherwise not know about. It also helps Big Green Purse fulfill our mission to help people shift to the greenest products and services available. Thanks!

The post Sign Up For Community Solar Power ASAP! Space Limited. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Not only did Mr. Obama push for “building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country,” but he endorsed “opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development” and “continued investment in...clean coal technologies.”

Does the President actually believe offshore oil drilling makes sense and that coal and nuclear can be safe, healthy and non-polluting? Or, as the country’s uber politician, is he trying to maintain a balancing act in order to avoid alienating members of Congress who are beholden to the fossil fuel and nuclear industries for their campaign contributions?

If it’s the latter, we should all remind the President of his campaign promise to rid the nation of “politics as usual.” If it’s the former, President Obama’s science, environmental and health advisors need to make a beeline to the Oval Office so they can brief their boss on the industries he’s touting. Why?

*  Clean coal and nuclear are myths, the products of aggressive industry public relations far more than reality.  Says analyst Richard Coniff, “Clean” is not a word that normally leaps to mind for a commodity some spoilsports associate with … acid rain, black lung, lung cancer, asthma, mercury contamination, and, of course, global warming. Even if the carbon is captured and sequestered or impurities are “scrubbed” away, the pollutants that result from burning coal never truly disappear.”

* The very act of mining coal destroys the environment.  Mountaintop removal mining is decimating both the natural and human landscape of Appalachia, for example.

* Offshore oil drilling pollutes the oceans, threatens marine animals and plants, and trashes beaches and coastlines.

As for nuclear energy, I have a hard time imagining any scenario that can lump “radioactive waste” and “clean” in the same sentence. There’s a reason no state wants to become a repository for the waste from nuclear power plants: they can’t guarantee it won’t eventually make its way into our air, water, and soil — or be stolen by terrorists and converted into a bomb.

Now, to be fair, the president did strongly endorse renewable energy:

“We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century,” he said, noting that “Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation’s supply of renewable energy in the next three years.”

I applaud the Administration’s commitment to “put Americans to work making our homes and buildings more efficient so that we can save billions of dollars on our energy bill.” Likewise, I support his decision to “invest fifteen billion dollars a year to develop technologies like wind power and solar power… and more fuel-efficient cars and trucks built right here in America.”

But rather than link these winning strategies to losers like coal, oil and nuclear, why not expand his vision for our future to include cost-effective and non-polluting options like mass transit, telecommuting, and stricter building standards to reduce energy demand from space heating and lighting?

If we want an energy future we can believe in, that future cannot continue to depend on fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

President Obama said it best: “If we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.”

The post “Clean” Coal and Nukes Should Not be Part of Obama’s Energy Future – or Ours. appeared first on Big Green Purse.