EACs_World_map_02_2020_Bischoff_&_Ditze_Energy

An energy certificate or energy attribute certificate is a transferable record or guarantee related to the amount of

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of ...

or material goods consumed by an energy conversion device in industrial

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

. 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 Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

are: * Green tags *

Guarantee of origin A Guarantee of Origin (GO or GoO) is an energy certificate defined in article 15 of the European Directive 2009/28/EC. A GO labels electricity from renewable sources to provide information to electricity customers on the source of their energy. Gu ...

(GO) * International REC Standard (I-REC Standard) *

Renewable Energy Certificates Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as Green tags, Renewable Energy Credits, Renewable Electricity Certificates, or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), are tradable, non-tangible energy certificates in the United States that repres ...

(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 The Renewables Obligation (RO) is designed to encourage generation of electricity from eligible renewable sources in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in England and Wales and in a different form (the Renewables Obligation (Scotland)) in Scot ...

* United Kingdom: Levy Exemption Certificates (LECs) issued under the

Climate Change Levy The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a tax on energy delivered to non-domestic users in the United Kingdom. Scope and purpose Introduced on 1 April 2001 under the Finance Act 2000, it was forecast to cut annual emissions by 2.5 million tonnes b ...

. * 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

and highly-efficient co-generation. The European Union uses these certificates, as do countries bound by treaties such as the

European Economic Area The European Economic Area (EEA) was established via the ''Agreement on the European Economic Area'', an international agreement which enables the extension of the European Union's single market to member states of the European Free Trade As ...

and the Energy Community. The

Association of Issuing Bodies The Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) promotes the use of a standardised system European Energy Certificate System (EECS) , based on structures and procedures to ensure the reliable operation of international energy certificate systems. European ...

uses the

European Energy Certificate System The European Energy Certificate System (EECS) is an integrated European framework for issuing, transferring and cancelling EU energy certificates. It was developed by the Association of Issuing Bodies to provide a properly regulated platform for ...

to facilitate the 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.

Notes

References

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External links

The Environmental Tracking Network of North America (ETNNA)

RECS International (RECS)

Energy Attribute Certificates

Overview of the different certificate systems worldwide
Energy policy