Renewable Energy Sourcing — PPAs & VPPAs
Sustainability goals are real. So is the complexity of actually meeting them.
Alden Energy Consulting helps commercial businesses navigate renewable energy options — from straightforward 100% green supply contracts to Power Purchase Agreements and Virtual PPAs — without the jargon and without the greenwashing.
What This Service Is
Renewable energy sourcing covers a range of structures that allow commercial businesses to match their electricity consumption with clean energy generation. The options vary widely in complexity, cost, commitment, and what they actually deliver:
Green Supply / Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs): The simplest option. Your supplier sources electricity from renewable generators and provides RECs as documentation. Low commitment, straightforward, can easily be added to a standard commercial agreement and in % increments of your choice.
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): A long-term contract to purchase electricity directly from a specific renewable energy project — often a wind or solar facility. Typically longer commitments (10–20 years) but can offer price stability and direct additionality.
Virtual PPAs (VPPAs): A financial contract — not a physical energy delivery — that allows a business to support renewable development and hedge against energy price volatility without taking physical delivery of the power. Common among larger commercial and industrial buyers.
What Alden Energy Consulting Brings to the Table
Renewable energy procurement is an area where the gap between what sounds good and what actually makes sense for your business is significant. We help you cut through that gap.
We're not advocates for any particular structure or supplier. Our job is to understand your sustainability goals, your risk tolerance, your budget, and your timeline — and then identify the structure that actually fits. If a simple green supply contract accomplishes what you need, we'll tell you that. If a PPA makes sense, we'll explain exactly what you're committing to and why.
We also understand the ERCOT market specifically — where renewable generation capacity has grown dramatically and where the relationship between renewable supply, grid conditions, and pricing is more nuanced than most advisors acknowledge. The significant growth in solar and battery storage in recent years has materially changed how wholesale pricing behaves throughout the day, and that context matters when evaluating renewable structures.
How Compensation Works
Same as our procurement work: we are compensated through a split of the sales commission with the winning supplier. You don't pay us directly and there's no separate fee agreement.
How It Works
The process mirrors our procurement approach: conversation, LOA and usage analysis, market assessment, supplier solicitation, and recommendation. For PPAs and VPPAs specifically, we'll walk you through the contract terms in plain language before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a PPA and just buying green power from my supplier?
A standard green supply contract or REC purchase is simple and flexible but doesn't necessarily support new renewable development. A PPA is a direct, long-term commitment to a specific project — it's additionality, meaning you're actually funding new renewable capacity. VPPAs are similar in intent but are financial instruments rather than physical supply contracts.
Are PPAs right for most commercial businesses?
Honestly, not always. PPAs involve long commitments and complexity that don't make sense for every organization. We'll give you an unbiased assessment — including when a simpler structure is the better answer.
How do renewable contracts interact with our existing electricity contract?
It depends on the structure. We'll map that out as part of the analysis — there are combinations that work well and combinations that create unnecessary overlap or cost.
What if our sustainability goals are still being defined?
That's fine and actually a good time to start the conversation. Understanding what options exist helps inform what goals are realistic to commit to.