SELLING POWER BACK TO THE GRID

Carl Baldino, a plant manager for a textile finishing company in Philadelphia, is moonlighting as a small-time energy tycoon. In his second job, he's got the kind of overhead most business people can only dream of. The roof over his head is paying for the roof over his head. The solar power generation system on his rooftop pays him an extra $3,000 per year, on top of producing all the energy he needs to power his New Jersey home, for free.

The money comes from an emerging market in renewable energy credits (RECs), part of a program in many states by which electricity suppliers, that are required by law to invest in renewable energy, buy tradable certificates from sources like Baldino. It's just one way individuals and small businesses are making good, clean money by using good, clean energy.

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