Apr 02, 2020

April Challenge: The Big Green Electricity Lie: We'll explain how to recognize real green electricity

Do you have time to deal with things that would otherwise have been left undone? In this blog we would like to show you what green electricity is and how you can recognize it.

Green electricity is not the same as green electricity

Green electricity is regeneratively generated electricity from renewable resources. This includes hydropower, wind energy and light energy (photovoltaics), but also electricity from biomass and geothermal energy (geothermal energy). And why is that good? Green electricity saves emissions, significantly less CO ₂ is produced and there is no waste, such as radioactive nuclear waste. Unfortunately, green electricity is not a protected term and many suppliers mislead consumers with this term. Large energy supply companies (E.on, EnBW, RWE, Vattenfall) set up subsidiaries that sell "green" electricity, other "eco-electricity" providers are linked to the large corporations. So it can happen that, in the worst case, even nuclear power is hidden behind your "green power".

There's a lot more to it

Green electricity should not only contain energy from renewable resources. It is just as important that the provider is actively committed to the energy transition and thus supports it. There is an urgent need to build new plants for generating renewable electricity. The Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) supports their construction by the state, but this support is not sufficient to displace conventional plants (nuclear power plants, coal-fired power plants). Green electricity providers can also support the energy transition with innovative ideas. Solutions are needed for storing energy and adjusting power consumption to the fluctuating energy supply from wind and sun. Renewable energies must be firmly integrated into the supply system. If the energy transition benefit is fulfilled, then it is real green electricity, which is really ecological and sustainable.

What gives a lot of stomach ache: If the energy supply fluctuates, can it be that I'm sitting there without electricity? No. The power supply is guaranteed by law.

This is how you recognize real green electricity

"ok-power" is Germany's leading seal of quality for green electricity products. With this seal, you can be sure that the provider's electricity comes 100% from renewable resources, that the provider is actively promoting the energy transition and is not financially involved in nuclear or coal-fired power plants. Here you will find a list of green electricity providers that carry the ok-power seal of approval.