PPL Electric encourages their customers to shop around to find the best price on electricity.  Regardless of who you choose to supply your energy, PPL (if you are a PPL Electric customer) will still deliver and service your electricity.  Check out the following link on PPL Electric’s website that answers questions about Electric Choice and tells you how to “shop around”.  http://www.pplelectric.com/choice/information

There are many options for you to choose from, but I will discuss two that I am familiar with, both of which happen to use “green energy”, or energy from renewable sources. 

Viridian Energy (http://www.viridian.com/green-impact) – Viridian offers a competitive variable rate on electricity and does not require customers to sign a contract. 

Clean Currents (http://www.cleancurrents.com) – Clean Currents offers a competitive fixed rate on electricity for a 12 month period, but does require a 1 year contract. 

Of these two, which is better?  It boils down to personal preference, really.  The reason the 3rd party electric suppliers exist is because they can offer you a better rate than the retail rates your current provider, such as PPL Electric, provides you with.  Most of the rates are within a fraction of a penny of one another, so it doesn’t matter much, cost savings wise, which supplier you go with. 

Viridian is a direct selling company and can offer you a kickback on any referrals you may bring their way.  They also offer a unique and effective fundraising opportunity for non-profit organizations.

Clean Currents operates through outreach efforts.  They look to identify neighborhood leaders that will spread the word about their program and spearhead efforts in their area to move toward cheaper and “cleaner” energy sources. 

Electing to use a “green” energy supplier is a sustainable practice that helps companies and homes earn ”green points” towards a green certification.  As with the adoption of many other green practices, electing to use “green energy” will not only help sustain our environment, but will also result in favorable cost savings.  Certified Green Consultants with Green Impact Solutions, Inc. can help you green your organization or home and save some green as well!  Contact Heather at 610-360-8859 or heather@greenimpactsolutions.com for more information about electric choice through Viridian Energy or green certification through the Green Business League.

So, how do you go about putting together a sustainability plan?  You can start by asking yourself some important questions. 

Mission and Vision:  Why do you, in your home or company, want to go green?  Are you looking to save money?  Are you looking to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals in your home or office?  Or, are you faced with mandates or regulations that you are being forced to address?  What do you see as the end result of greening up your home or office?

Resources:  Are you a stay at home mom and have time to plan and manage the greening of your home while the kids are napping or are in school?  Does your office have a green/sustainability team or sustainability officer or is there a need for securing outside expertise? 

Budget:  What is your budget?  Are you looking to spend little to no money and start implementing some of the low or no cost items that are every bit as important and the larger projects?  Or, do you have some funds allocated  to install solar panels or switch over to all energy efficient lighting? 

How did you answer the questions above?  How do you think the next 20 people that read this article will answer those same questions?  You got it!  They’ll all be different…  and that is why you need to have a sustainability plan that is tailored to your home or business. 

At my company, Green Impact Solutions (greenimpactsolutions.com), and on behalf of the Green Business League (greenbusinessleague.com), I work as a Certified Green Consultant to help people develop sustainability plans for their homes and offices.  Putting this plan together is one of the single most important steps I encourage home owners and business owners to take before diving right in to any “greening” projects. 

For more information on developing a sustainability plan for your company or home, visit greenbusinessleague.com, greenhomesleague.com or email me at heather@greenimpactsolutions.com.

Lehigh Valley Green Business League at LANTA

The Lehigh Valley Green Business League “Green Connections” event was presented by Green Impact Solutions and LANTA.  After hearing a presentation from LANTA’s Director of Planning, Owen O’Neil, about LANTA’s Moving Forward Plan and doing business with LANTA, attendees toured one of the new hybrid electric buses.  In this photo are presenters Owen O’Neil (LANTA) and Heather Deschenes (Green Impact Solutions) standing with local business owners interested in sustainability.  Phil Jones (EMS Environmental), Francis (Greenway Pest Control), Nicos Elias (Elias Funeral Home), Everett Warren (Greenman Enviroscaping), Daniel Owusuh (Greenway Pest Control), Lorna Midgelow (Midgelow Consulting) and Jen Mizak (LM Group).

Heather Deschenes, President of Green Impact Solutions, arranged for the 2nd quarter 2010 Green Business League event to be held at LANTA in Allentown.   Heather’s presentation discussed the need for the certification of Green Practices in the workplace to assure compliance of environmental issues under direct control of businesses.

Green Impact Solutions, Inc., located in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, is staffed with Certified Green Consultants that offer Green Business Certification through the Green Business League.  Corporate Sustainability Officer training is among the expert services provided to help clients achieve their Green Business Certification.

http://www.pacast.com/display_media_production_id.asp?production_id=448

Read more information about this program at:
http://www.greenbusinessleague.com/content/gbl-green-points

To get your green product or service approved, you can submit the application to either the Green Business League or to Green Impact Solutions to kickstart the process. The application can be found at:
http://www.greenbusinessleague.com/docs/GBL-Points-Request.pdf

State Farm Insurance Agency on Hamilton Boulevard in Allentown, PA is on their way to earning their Green Business Certification with the Green Business League.  In working with Certified Green Consultant Heather Deschenes of Green Impact Solutions, Inc., State Farm agent Christine Moscaritolo already had a number of green practices in place when she opened her doors on July 1st earlier this year.  In the initial renovation stage of getting the office ready for operation, using no-VOC paints earned State Farm some of their first certification points.  When setting up the office, all the appliances and computer equipment were Energy Star rated.  To help ensure good indoor air quality for employees and customers, voc-eating plants were placed abundantly throughout the office.  Other more aggressive practices include processing roughly half of their insurance policies online and getting customer signatures via an electronic signature pad and sending and receiving faxes through email.   

To hear first-hand from Christine what green business practices State Farm has adopted, be sure to attend the Lehigh Valley Green Business League Kickoff Event on Wed. Sept. 30th at the Allentown Brew Works in the High Gravity Room at 7 PM.  See LVGBL.com for details or to RSVP.

For inspiration, take some time to read the book titled “Revolution in a Bottle – The TerraCycle Story” by Tom Szaky.  In the book, Szaky describes how it is often more cost effective to reuse waste that is otherwise too difficult and costly to recycle.  TerraCycle has established product brigades that pay consumers to collect things like yogurt cups, candy wrappers and wine corks.  They pay a few cents per item to a charity or school of your choice and then they use the collected waste items to make or package their products.  

We live in a densely populated area.  We generate a tremendous amount of waste.  Why not tap into the amazing creativity of our students and community members to create some innovative upcycled products?  With a few forward-thinking investors and continued demand for these new products, the Lehigh Valley could become home to a manufacturing plant supplying some exciting green jobs.

Participating in upcycling programs not only helps raise money for your school or favorite non-profit organization, but it’s also another way to earn points towards your Green Business Certification.