Green-e Certified renewable energy sales in volume increased 43 percent in 2009, according to a report from the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). More than 18 million MWh of renewable energy generation was purchased by more than 545,000 residential and 37,000 commercial customers in 2009.
The report also finds that Green-e Energy Certified retail products avoided more than 9.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions that would have been produced by an equivalent amount of average system power.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Green-e Energy certified 62 percent of all voluntary market retail sales in the U.S. Green-e is an independent certification program for renewable energy and carbon offset products sold to consumers and businesses.
The 2009 Green-e Verification report also indicates that more than 402,000 MWh were purchased or generated by companies participating in Green-e Marketplace, which indicates that renewable energy continues to be an important part of many organizations' environmental responsibility goals, says CRS.
The report also shows data on carbon offset sales certified by Green-e Climate, a certification and consumer-protection program for retail carbon offsets. CRS says it is the only program of its kind in the international voluntary carbon market.
In its second year, the program's 10 participants offered a total of 16 certified products from a variety of project types including renewable energy and methane destruction. Sales of Green-e Climate Certified carbon offsets in 2009 resulted in more than 176,000 metric tons CO2-equivalent reduced, a nearly 30 percent increase from 2008. It also exceeded the overall retail carbon-offset market, which saw a significant decline, says CRS.
Another key finding shows that utility participation in Green-e Energy grew 18 percent in 2009, with certified utility green-pricing sales reaching more than 2.5 million MWh. More than 487,000 customers participated in green pricing programs, with commercial purchases from more than 18,000 customers, increasing 33 percent compared to 2008, says CRS. Residential purchases were up 10 percent over the same period.