An energy certificate or energy attribute certificate is a transferable record or guarantee related to the amount of energy or material goods consumed by an energy conversion device in industrial production. A certificate may be in any form, including electronic, and lists attributes such as method, quality, compliance, and tracking.
Terminology An energy attribute certificate (EAC) can include "a variety of instruments with different names, including certificates, tags, credits, or generator declarations." These certificates relate to various tracking systems worldwide.
Examples of energy certificates for renewable energy are: Green tags Guarantee of origin (GO) International REC Standard (I-REC Standard) Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) Renewable Energy Credits Tradable Instruments for Global Renewables (TIGRs) Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs) Tradable Renewable Energy Certificates (TRECs)
Purpose and examples by region Energy certificates issued under national legislation typically provide evidence of compliance. Electricity producers, suppliers, or consumers use these certificates when required to use a specific type of energy or to qualify for financial support. Qualifying plants often produce electricity from renewable sources or high-quality co-generators.
Some examples are:
United Kingdom: Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) issued under the Renewables Obligation United Kingdom: Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) issued under the Climate Change Levy. Italy: Certificati Verdi Sweden and Belgium: Elcertifikat
Most of these support schemes are national. The Climate Change Levy is a notable exception; the regulator issues LECs to electricity producers in the United Kingdom and several European countries that export to the UK.
The European Union create internationally transferable "guarantees of origin:" It provides proof to consumers of the source of their electricity, as required by Directive 2009/72/EC. Electricity suppliers use these guarantees when calculating the proportions of energy sources (fossil fuel, nuclear, etc.) in their supplied energy. Governments use them to calculate the residual mix—the blend of electricity sources produced in a country, adjusted for imports and exports.
Directive 2009/28/EC and Directive 2012/27/EC require a guarantee of origin for renewable energy and highly-efficient co-generation. The European Union uses these certificates, as do countries bound by treaties such as the European Economic Area and the Energy Community. The Association of Issuing Bodies uses the European Energy Certificate System to facilitate issuing, using, and transferring of these certificates.
Other countries that use energy certificates include Australia, Japan, Turkey, and the United States of America.
Overview of energy certificate systems The following table provides an overview of energy certificate systems by countries. This table is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. Country of Consumption EECS AIB I-RECS countries issuing allowed I-RECS production devices listed NECS ex-domain TIGR production device listed National basedAlbaniaNECS ex-domainAlgeriaNECS ex-domainArgentinaI-RECS redemptionNECS ex-domainAustraliaI-RECS redemptionNECS ex-domainRenewable Energy Target certificateAustriaEECS AIB full memberBangladeshTIGR can be issuedBelgiumEECS AIB full memberBosnia-HerzegovinaNECS ex-domainBrazilI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainBulgariaNECS ex-domainCanadaNECS ex-domainChileI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainChinaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainColombiaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesCosta RicaI-RECS issuingCroatiaEECS AIB full memberCyprusEECS AIB full memberCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of the CongoI-RECS issuingDenmarkEECS AIB full memberEgyptI-RECS issuingEstoniaEECS AIB full memberFinlandEECS AIB full memberFranceEECS AIB full memberGermanyEECS AIB full memberGreeceFull member (EECS AIB membership accepted - start 2020)GuatemalaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesTIGR production deviceHondurasI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesHong KongNECS ex-domainHungaryNECS ex-domainIcelandEECS AIB full memberIndiaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainIndonesiaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesTIGR can be issuedIrelandEECS AIB full memberIsraelI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainItalyEECS AIB full memberJapanI-RECS redemptionNECS ex-domainJordanI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesKazakhstanNECS ex-domainLatviaEECS AIB Observer statusNECS ex-domainLithuaniaEECS AIB full memberLuxembourgEECS AIB full memberMalaysiaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesTIGR production deviceMaltaNECS ex-domainMexicoI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainCertificados de Energías Limpias (CEL)MonacoNECS ex-domainMontenegroEECS AIB Observer status - applicant for membershipNECS ex-domainMoroccoI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNetherlandsEECS AIB full memberNigeriaI-RECS issuingNorth KoreaNECS ex-domainNorth MacedoniaNECS ex-domainNorwayEECS AIB full memberOmanI-RECS issuingNECS ex-domainPanamaI-RECS issuingParaguayNECS ex-domainPeruI-RECS issuingNECS ex-domainPhilippinesI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesTIGR production devicenot implemented yet: Renewable Energy Registry mandated by the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 / not connected to TIGRPolandNECS ex-domainPortugalEECS AIB observer status - applicant for membershipNECS ex-domainPuerto RicoNECS ex-domainQatarNECS ex-domainRomaniaNECS ex-domainRussiaI-RECS redemptionNECS ex-domainSaudi ArabiaI-RECS issuingNECS ex-domainSerbiaEECS AIB full memberSingaporeI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainTIGR production deviceSlovakiaEECS AIB full memberSloveniaSouth AfricaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainzaRECs (im Gespräch mit dem IB)South KoreaNECS ex-domainSpainEECS AIB full memberI-RECS production devicesSri LankaI-RECS issuingSwedenEECS AIB full memberSwitzerlandEECS AIB full memberTaiwanI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainThailandI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainTIGR production deviceppt and ewf to implement a blockchain-based and I-REC-connected registryTurkeyI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainYEK-GUgandaI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesUkraineNECS ex-domainUnited Arab EmiratesI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesNECS ex-domainUnited KingdomNECS ex-domainUruguayNECS ex-domainUnited StatesNECS ex-domain / CDP does not recommend the usage of European GOOs for electricity consumption in the USA.VenezuelaNECS ex-domainVietnamI-RECS issuingI-RECS production devicesTIGR production device
Notes
References
External links The Environmental Tracking Network of North America (ETNNA) RECS International (RECS) Energy Attribute Certificates Overview of the different certificate systems worldwide