I am working on a few projects for a public agency that purchases REC's for all of their buildings electricity, and they would like to add natural gas. Can they just purchase the equivalent carbon emission for a therm converted to a Kwh, or what is the best way to quantify that purchase if they would like to add this to their existing contract with the green-e vendor?
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Heather Schrock
Director, Environmental PartnershipsBonneville Environmental Foundation
4 thumbs up
July 13, 2020 - 3:23 pm
Hi! I am happy to help. According to the greenhouse gas protocols (and LEED requirements), your client should purchase carbon offsets not RECs for natural gas. RECs are only used to match electricity from the grid. They are not used to match natural gas. You can calculate how many carbon offsets you need by converting therms to metric tonnes of CO2e. Carbon offsets are not measured in KWH's. One offset = 1 metric tonne of CO2e. Carbon offsets are not measured in KWH's. You can use the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator to do the conversion just select therms.
https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
You can also purchase carbon offsets here if your provider does not offer offsets:
http://www.b-e-f.org/
Or feel free to email me for more information about offsets: hschrock@b-e-f.org
Cheers!
Heather