Carbon Reduction Projects

Objective: To avoid greenhouse gas emissions by recovering, purifying, and reusing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)—potent synthetic refrigerants—rather than producing new ones or releasing used gases into the atmosphere.

Examples: A commercial refrigeration company collects used HFC refrigerants (like HFC-134a or HFC-410A) from old cooling systems, sends them to a certified facility for purification, and reuses them in new or refurbished equipment instead of producing new HFCs.

Offset Mechanism: Recover HFCs from decommissioned or serviced HVAC/refrigeration systems and process the gases to meet purity standards (like AHRI 700 in the U.S.). Then return the purified HFCs to the market for legal reuse.

Objective: To harness wind power to generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases.

Examples: Wind farms, both onshore and offshore, where wind turbines convert kinetic energy into electricity.

Offset Mechanism: They offset carbon by replacing fossil-fuel-derived electricity with clean, wind-generated electricity.

Objective: Utilize solar power to generate clean electricity.

Examples: Solar farms, rooftop solar installations, and community solar projects.

Offset Mechanism: These projects offset carbon emissions by reducing the dependency on non-renewable energy sources for electricity.

Objective: Generate electricity using the energy from flowing water.

Examples: Large-scale hydroelectric dams, run-of-the-river systems, and small-scale hydro projects.

Offset Mechanism: These projects displace the need for electricity generated from fossil fuels, hence reducing carbon emissions.

Objective: Utilize organic materials to produce energy, either through combustion, anaerobic digestion, or other technologies.

Examples: Biogas plants using agricultural waste, and biomass power plants utilizing wood pellets or chips.

Offset Mechanism: The use of biomass for energy can be carbon-neutral or low-carbon, offsetting emissions from conventional energy sources.

Objective: Exploit the natural heat from within the Earth to generate electricity or directly heat buildings.

Examples: Geothermal power plants and district heating systems.

Offset Mechanism: They replace the need for fossil fuels in electricity generation and direct heating applications.

Objective: Harness the energy from ocean waves, tides, and thermal gradients to generate power.

Examples: Tidal stream systems, wave energy converters, and ocean thermal energy conversion plants.

Offset Mechanism: Ocean energy projects offset carbon emissions by providing an alternative to fossil-fuel-based power generation.