The following types of project are listed in Carbon Catalog.
Click to view projects of each type.
Solar Power - Generate energy from the sun's rays.
The sun is an effectively limitless source of energy which can be used for electricity and heating. If harnessed efficiently, the sunshine reaching the Earth would be enough to satisfy all human energy requirements 6,000 times. Due to the cost of installation, solar power is not yet cost effective compared to fossil fuels. By purchasing a solar carbon offset, you are subsidizing this cost, enabling a solar power project to be built. This substitutes the use of fossil fuels and thus reduces carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Wind Power - Use winds in the atmosphere to create electricity.
Naturally-occurring winds can be converted into electricity using wind turbines. Currently, around 1% of the world's electricity comes from wind, and this figure is growing fast. As with solar power, the cost of installing a wind turbine means that wind power is not yet cost effective relative to fossil fuels. By purchasing a wind carbon offset, you help tip the balance and make the wind project economically viable. This replaces electricity generated from fossil fuels and therefore lowers carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Hydroelectric Power - Harness water flows to generate electricity.
Hydroelectric power already provides 19% of the world's electricity requirements. In most cases, a dam is built to hold back a river, from which a rapid flow of water is directed through a turbine. Depending on the local conditions, many hydroelectric projects are not cost effective for electricity generation. By purchasing a hydro carbon offset, you are helping to pay for the plant's initial construction. Hydroelectric power reduces the need for fossil fuel power plants, causing a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Geothermal Power - Create electricity from underground heat.
A vast amount of energy is stored within the Earth in the form of heat. A geothermal power plant is based on a pair of deep holes drilled deep into the Earth. Water is pumped down one hole, moves a short distance underground, and then emerges from the second hole in the form of steam. This steam is used to drive a turbine, from which electricity can be generated. By funding a geothermal project, you are subsidizing the cost of a geothermal plant, and reducing the need for electricity generated by fossil fuels. More...
Fuel Efficiency - Burn a particular fuel more efficiently.
When a fuel such as wood and petrol is burned, some of the energy is lost to the atmosphere. New burners have been developed which reduce this inefficiency, but these can be prohibitively expensive for users in the developing world. By purchasing an efficiency carbon offset, you are providing these burners to such users. As a result, less fuel is burnt, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Fuel Substitution - Switch to a fuel which emits less carbon.
There are some situations in which a particular fuel is used to generate energy, even though a different fuel could produce this energy in a more efficient way. The switch is not performed due to the upfront cost of installing new equipment. By purchasing a fuels carbon offset, you reduce this cost and thus enable the switch to take place. The new fuel emits less carbon dioxide per unit of energy obtained.
Heat-Electricity Cogeneration - Create electricity and heat from the same source.
In any system which generates electricity, heat is created as a byproduct. In most cases this heat is wasted by being released into the atmosphere. A cogeneration system captures this heat and extracts more useful energy from it. The upfront cost of a cogeneration system often prevents it from being cost effective. By purchasing a cogen carbon offset, you are helping to make the project viable. The reduction in energy and fuel requirements leads directly to lower carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Efficient Lighting - Replace traditional light bulbs with fluorescent lamps.
Standard incandescent light bulbs convert electricity into light inefficiently, losing around 90% of the energy as heat. A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) replaces a standard bulb but uses 4 to 5 times less electricity. CFLs currently cost much more than standard bulbs, which often prevents their use. By purchasing a lighting carbon offset, you are distributing CFLs to people who could otherwise not afford them. This reduces the load on fossil fuel power plants, resulting in lower carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Material Substitution - Change the input material for an industrial process.
Many industrial processes can work with a variety of input materials, each of which has a different cost and carbon footprint. By nature, companies will always choose the cheapest option, even if it causes greater carbon emissions. By purchasing a materials carbon offset, you are defraying the cost of switching to an input which leads to lower carbon emissions.
Environmental Buildings - Make buildings more efficient in energy and materials.
Most buildings are inefficient in their use of heating, cooling and electricity. Efficiency can be improved through better insulation, thermostat control and more efficient appliances. By purchasing a buildings carbon offset, you are helping new construction or existing buildings to meet efficiency standards such as LEED. This lowers the load on fossil fuel power plants, leading to lower carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Public Transportation - Subsidize or encourage the use of public transport.
Around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions come directly from transportation. Public transport is far more energy efficient than private cars, since the journeys of dozens of people can be combined in a single vehicle. By purchasing a transport carbon offset, you are helping to subsidize or encourage use of public transport, resulting in less fossil fuel burnt and so lower carbon dioxide emissions. More...
Methane from Industry - Collect and burn methane from industrial waste sites.
Many sewage plants and landfill sites emit methane, which is a very potent greenhouse gas. Every tonne of methane causes 20-70 times as much warming as a tonne of carbon dioxide. Instead of being released into the atmosphere, this methane can be burned to generate electricity. By purchasing a methane carbon offset, you are lowering the cost of such a project, in order to make it financially worthwhile. More...
Burning Agricultural Residue - Burn farming residue to generate electricity.
Agricultural activity generates a large number of waste byproducts. In particular, manure from cows and other livestock emits methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. By purchasing a residue carbon offset, you are subsidizing a project which generates electricity by burning farming waste. This lowers the load on fossil fuel power plants and leads to lower greenhouse gas emissions. More...
Reforestation - Plant trees which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Trees convert carbon dioxide into plant matter and oxygen by performing photosynthesis. By purchasing a forests carbon offset, you are funding the planting of new trees to increase the rate of this natural process. Note that these offsets are controversial, since it is hard to predict how long the trees will remain standing. The absorbed carbon dioxide will be re-released if the trees are felled or burnt. More...