The document discusses disclosure of electricity sources and guarantees of origin (GOs) in Europe. It provides background on GOs and the European Energy Certificate System (EECS) for standardizing GOs across countries. The Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) oversees the EECS and quality assurance of national GO systems. The AIB conducts audits of members to evaluate proper implementation of disclosure and GO rules. There is discussion around clarifying responsibilities for disclosure and GOs, minimum requirements for reliable disclosure systems, and guidelines for AIB reviewers to evaluate national practices.
3. GOs in figures
In 2018
• Issued GOs: 652 TWh
• Cancelled GOs: 540 TWh
• Internationally traded GOs: 535 TWh
Issuing of GOs in the EECS area
In 2018
• Renewable electricity generation: 38% of total EECS area
generation
• Of which EECS GOs issued: 25,07%
Source: energyorigins.net
Trade of GOs: Power of the Voluntary Market Why have standards?
4. Why isn’t the law enough?
• Differences between national markets
• Impact of related legislation
• Infrastructure / technology differences
• Lack of precision
• Interpretation
A GO must specify at least:
(a) the source of the energy, and period of production
(b) whether it relates to electricity or heating or cooling
(c) the identity, location, type and capacity of the installation
where the energy was produced
(e) the date when the installation became operational
(f) the date and country of issue and a unique identification
number
RES Directive: data on a GO
Topics for standardisation
Accredit
plant
- Really renewable?
- Can you prove it?
- Can you measure it?
- inspection procedure
- acceptance criteria
Issue
GO
- What is being burned?
- What energy content?
- What to record?
- GO format
- data definitions & validation criteria
- issuing procedure & calculations
Audit
plant
- Did they prove it?
- Has it changed?
- audit practices & criteria
- auditing periods
- correction procedures
Transfer
GO
- Who got the certificate?
- Did they want it?
- message definitions
- inter-registry GO transfer protocols
- correction procedures
Cancel
GO
- Did it get withdrawn from the market?
- What happened to it?
- cancellation procedures
- disclosure best practice
Topic Issue Standard
Components of the standard
• Certificate Administration
• Core principles – objectives & aspirations
• Plant registration
• Certificate issue, transfer and cancellation
• EECS participation rules
• Membership, admission, compliance, disputes & change
• Scheme specific rules
• e.g. electricity, gas ...
EECS Rules
• Decision-making – disputes, voting etc
• Registry system & networking standards
• Approval of agents
• Change management
• Assignment of codes
• Audit & periodic reviews
Detail
(“subsidiary
documents”)
• Addresses, membership details, codes, guidelines ...
Dynamic information
(“fact sheets”)
• Description of regulations in a specific countryDomain protocols
8. Role of CBD in AIB audit
• Competent body for disclosure will be involved in
AIB audit
• Exchange of knowledge
• Dialogue
• Identify issues and start seeking solutions
-> AIB quality assurance system is in place and can
assist competent bodies for disclosure in evaluating
and improving their own national system
AIB’s question
AIB seeks guidance from competent bodies for
disclosure:
1. Clarify minimum prerequisites for a reliable
disclosure system in the EECS Rules
2. Develop guidelines for AIB reviewers
1) Min.prerequisites: EECS CR1805
Disclosure a claim related to the origin of consumed energy, including the process whereby
a supplier provides to its customers information about energy that has been supplied
to them, as well as the process where a consumer independent from its supplier or through
a third party makes a claim on the origin of its consumption;
N9 Disclosure
N9.1 In order to comply with EECS Rules sections C3.3.1 and E3.3.14, at least the following
requirements are fulfilled in the Domain, for the energy medium of the related Output:
a) Disclosure of the origin of energy must be mandatory for all supply of energy in the
concerned energy medium;
b) A competent national authority for Disclosure, independent of suppliers, exists, supervising
the following elements:
i. Disclosure figures as determined by energy suppliers, and the methodology used for
determining them;
ii. Content of bills and billing material issued by suppliers, with focus on the
Disclosure information mentioned on them;
iii. Amount of Guarantees of Origin cancelled, compared to Disclosure statements and
supplied volumes by suppliers;
iv. If there is a practice to use a residual mix in that Domain, residual mix calculation
and figures;
c) Where a GO system is in place, there is an obligation to cancel Guarantees of Origin when
claiming the related attributes for Disclosure.
C3.3 EECS GOs
C3.3.1
An EECS GO shall only be Issued in respect of Output which has not been and is not being
otherwise Disclosed, including by the IssuanceIssue of any other Certificate of any variety (save
to the extent permitted under Section C8) except, in the case of an EECS GO derived from and
incorporating the relevant electronic data from one or more National Scheme Certificates, where
such National Scheme Certificate(s) has/have been withdrawn or cancelled in order for it/them
to be replaced by that EECS GO and the Certificate according to the national certification scheme
has not been and is not being used for disclosure prior to or at the time of withdrawal or
cancellation.
E.3.3 Consequences of Scheme Membership
E3.3.14
Where the Product Rules for an EECS Product contain a Legislative Disclosure Scheme, Scheme
Members shall, to the extent reasonably practicable, put in place appropriate mechanisms to
ensure that EECS GOs in respect of the relevant Output are used as the sole proof of the qualities
of the associated Output according to the relevant Product Rules and that no form of Disclosure
is used in relation to Output to which such an EECS GO relates other than in connection with the
cancellation of that EECS GO.
9. 2) Draft guidelines for reviewers
a) Does the data sheet on GOs and Disclosure need to be
extended (in order to clarify min.prereq.)?
b) While reviewing the veracity of the Qualitative Datasheet,
as annually provided to AIB for the residual mix calculation,
do the reviewers need to make an evaluation of each of
the answers? (Many of them are already covered in the
review of the Domain protocol – setting out national ways
of implementing the EECS Rules - should they all be?)
c) Does this evaluation need to be made on a further
development of the Best Practice Recommendations as
elaborated by the RE-DISS project?