Renewable Energy Expenditures (OI9206)

This metric is intended to capture the organization’s investments in infrastructure to produce energy that will be consumed by the organization. For example, a large-scale manufacturing facility in the desert might install a solar array or wind farm.

Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, geothermal, hydro energy, and biomass, among other forms. Organizations can refer to the glossary for additional information.

Large-scale hydropower is often excluded from the definition of renewable energy. Although water itself is a renewable resource, the natural ecology of rivers is not, and hydroelectric dams can adversely affect aquatic ecosystems. Organizations can refer to the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (http://lowimpacthydro.org) for further guidance on creating low-impact hydropower operations.

Organizations may have various motivations for making these capital expenditures, including reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, reducing long-term energy expenditures, increasing the stability of energy pricing, or diversifying their sources of energy supply. Organizations are encouraged to footnote changes in the organization's regular, recurring energy costs caused by their investments in renewable energy infrastructure and technology.

Organizations are encouraged to report this metric in conjunction with Green Building Practices (OI6765).