Environment Renewables vs Low Impact Question Clarity

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I’m still a bit confused about these two questions in the BIA and want to be sure I’m accurately answering on behalf on clients. What is the correct interpretation between renewable and low-impact renewable as both specify solar, wind, biomass. The first question references ocean and hydropower. The second reference geothermal and hydroenergy.

Can someone interpret for me please? Thanks in advance!

What percentage of energy use is produced from renewable sources?

This calculation can include renewable energy generated on-site, purchased from your utility provider, or purchased through Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). In the denominator, be sure to include electricity and all other energy consumption from heating, hot water, etc.

IRIS Glossary Term: Renewable Energy: Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. This includes electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and hydrogen derived from renewable resources.

What percentage of energy use is produced from low-impact renewable sources?
Include electricity and other energy consumption from heating, hot water, etc. Please include both purchased and onsite-generated renewable energy.

Definitions: Low Impact Renewable Energy: Energy sources that are from natural processes that are replenished constantly that do not have a material environmental impact. For the purposes of the B Impact Assessment, Green E definitions qualify: Documents | Green-e To qualify, please note than hydropower has to meet the following criteria: a) the hydropower facility is certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI); b) for Canadian hydropower facilities only, the facility is EcoLogo certified; or c) the hydropower facility consists of a turbine in a pipeline or a turbine in an irrigation canal. For facilities falling under a) or b) above, only output generated during the period of LIHI certification or EcoLogo certification is eligible for Green-e Energy certified sale. Please note that Renewables from new impoundments of water are not eligible.

This may help companies report to the following IRIS metrics: Energy Purchased: Renewable. IRIS ID: OI3324. Definition: Amount of purchased energy consumed by the organization from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydro energy, and biomass during the reporting period. IRIS Metric referenced in the denominator: Energy Purchased: Total. IRIS ID: OI8825. Definition: Amount of purchased energy consumed by the organization during the reporting period. IRIS Glossary Term: Renewable Energy: Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly. This includes electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and hydrogen derived from renewable resources. Source: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

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Thanks for asking the question Ali. I have no answer, just commenting to follow along :blush:

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Great question Ally! Maybe @Shalini_B_Lab or @Lauren can assist?

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Hi @alisonmichalk - think of low impact renewable energy as a subset of renewable energy. Renewable energy is a large category of different energy sources that are considered renewable in contrast to non-renewable energy (petroleum/ fossil fuels). Some types of renewable energy come at a high social/ environmental impact/cost in generating that energy. For example, during the building of large-scale dams for harnessing hydropower, communities may be displaced (a high social impact/ cost). Low impact renewable energy has been examined to ensure that its generation does not come at a high social/environmental cost. B Lab draws from the Green-e definitions and criteria to determine if a particular source of renewable energy is considered low impact.

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Ahh ok that makes sense. So is it fair to say that dams/hydropower are not low-impact.

Do we assume solar and wind farms for example are not impactful? It seems hard to know because we often don’t know where they are or what sort of stakeholder engagement took place… if any.

I don’t know much about geothermal or biomass energy production but I don’t have anyone who is using those yet…

Would love to hear how other consultants have approached this question, or have any insights from their own clients!

Thanks @Shalini_B_Lab for your seemingly never-ending BIA knowledge!!

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Hi Alison, this was a tricky one for me to get my head around too!
When I was working through certification, B Lab verifiers used the Green-e Framework for the technical definition of ‘Low impact’.

On page 8 it has the definitions, and broadly these 3 qualify as ‘Low impact’:

  1. Solar, including photovoltaic and solar thermal electric
  2. Wind
  3. Geothermal

Hydro is a bit trickier, because as Shalini highlighted, it can have significant other environmental and social costs. Hydro must meet specific requirements in order to be considered ‘Low impact’:

  1. either not on an impoundment or is generation capacity that was added to an impoundment that existed before the applicable New Date (see Section III.C)

  2. a turbine in a pipeline, irrigation canal, or other conduit as long as any energy used to create the flow of water/hydrostatic pressure is primarily for non-energy purposes such as transporting potable water, irrigation, or waste transport, and not for creating energy storage

In order to get the answers to these, I took the Green-e Framework to our energy suppliers and asked them what % of their hydro dams met these requirements.

Hope this helps!

Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification.pdf (279.9 KB)

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Thanks for your time writing up this post and sharing your findings @Romain! The question now makes a lot more sense to me.

I’m sure it will be very useful to others as well, thanks again! :smiley: :earth_asia:

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