100Green Chief Executive Officer Doug Stewart talks openly about the 100 percent green gas challenge
Why would you market gasoline as a green energy business?
I’m often asked about this. I answered that we got into gas because of suggestions from our customers that suggested we do so.
They informed us that electricity is a cost-effective option for heating space, and they were purchasing and using gas regardless of whether we supplied it or otherwise however; they’d like to buy it from us rather than their current supplier.
As a well-established ethical supplier of 100 100% renewable electricity, We knew that we needed to make sure that our admission into the market for gas was in line with our green credentials – and no matter what solution we chose to implement, helped the UK’s efforts to become less dependent of fossil fuels.
We first started (2013) when we first looked into the gas market as trials were underway to integrate biomethane into our nation’s gas grid. We waited until introducing green gas in the grid became feasible before we entered the market, raising the initial (and solely) 100 green gas products.
What made you use 100% renewable gas rather than other options for heating your space?
Gas alternatives are currently being looked into. There’s been plenty of discussion of hydrogen in the wake of the Government’s 10-point plan announcement. Air heat sources (ASHP) are a different viable alternative, even if costly.
The challenge in both cases is finding an all-encompassing group of engineers who can switch from gas to hydrogen, or ASHPs. The industry has faced similar challenges when the smart meters roll out, and one hopes that the lessons learned can help make the following change smoother and faster.
Our decision to provide 100 green gas at 100 percent (rather than the other options) was a result of us recognizing the following aspects:
Green gas is a temporary solution to current climate crises.
As a nation, we must find a substitute for natural gas.
Other green gas options are available; some provide a portion of green gas, and carbon offsets the remaining. Our company’s ethos and experience with carbon offset programs meant that these weren’t suitable for us.
What is the process of producing green gas, and why is it better for the Earth?
It is not a long-term solution is a good idea; this green gas we purchase is produced by a process known as Anaerobic Digestion derived from various certificated sources, including manure and other waste products. The waste products would typically go to landfills and release methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more hazardous than CO2.
Society is faced with the challenges of the 21st century, and, in this context, we consider Anaerobic Digestion as a suitable procedure, and the benefits of recycling from the generated waste are substantial.
As part of the criteria that we use for Our EKO price, it is a requirement that the material used for disposal was already produced. Avoiding energy crops if there are existing feedstocks and pose a disposal problem is a strategy we favor.
Does the green gas industry sustainable?
Green gas is precisely what it claims to be produced from green sources instead of fossil fuels.
However, as a species, we must be aware of the problem of waste in general as we are an ethical supplier. Therefore, we attempt to do our best with garbage. However, as 21st-century people, we all produce vast amounts of waste (perhaps more of an affluent society than a wealthy one). It all needs to be disposed of.
There was a time when people used to talk about throwing things away; however, there isn’t an “away,” as is evident from the plastic islands that litter our oceans. If recycling waste to produce biomethane is a way to draw attention to other areas of concern and motivate our staff and customers to limit their consumption of single-use plastics, then it’s beneficial!
The expansion of alternative gas sources will require some time and science. Therefore, Green Gas has an actual goal.
However, when considering alternatives, including replacing gas with hydrogen, there’s also the stranded asset problem of replacing boilers installed recently to view. There are financial cost consequences and a risk of waste that should be avoided!
While we wait for a breakthrough in fusion, There isn’t a perfect solution to the problem as the UK moves towards more energy needs from renewable and green sources. As with any change, it’s often slower than we would like or require, making green gas an interim option much more attractive.
It’s a green solution with a genuine reason for being there, and it is in stock today.
What would a sustainable and long-term future appear like in the realm of energy?
There are only two methods to cut down on your carbon footprint. Find ways to use less of it and make the change to reduce consumption. You can also avoid using it in the first place! The most environmentally friendly energy will always be the energy we do not consume.
Of course, our lives are interconnected with energy use. Therefore, it is imperative to make a deliberate improvement in sustainable energy efficiency.
Change should be prompted by the center, which is usually the Government. The voluntary sector can move the needle, but if you combine the power and power of the State behind a plan and the outcomes can be faster.
You recently changed your brand’s name to 100Green, which implies you’re 100% sure the 100Green commitment is as relevant as it was when you first began…
Absolutely. When we introduced our 100 green gas product, it was the very first only company to launch it. We’re the same. Small steps matter. We must ensure that our clients understand why we do what we do and how we do it.
All over the world, mainly the UK has made great strides on its journey towards sustainability from the moment we first started in 2001. We are determined to make a tiny impact and offer an opportunity to be a part of decreasing the effects of global warming (as it was known at the time!)
More than two decades later, we’re still dedicated to providing our customers a better future and excellent customer with service.
