USES

Certificates can be used to enable many types of support schemes, whether voluntary (green energy and green label schemes); or obligatory (such as supply obligations, portfolio standards and feed-in systems). They do so by enabling the energy source to be guaranteed, and can be traded internationally.

Certificates uniquely identify each unit of energy generated from a specific production facility, and can therefore link each certificate to the appropriate public support scheme, so ensuring that each unit of energy only receives support once (when it is redeemed).

Initially, the AIB supported a single certificate system which was designed for the voluntary market, but did not represent the CO2 reductions. More recently, AIB has extended this concept, developing the EECS system, which also supports Guarantees of Origin for renewable source electricity and high-efficiency CHP, and disclosure certificates for fossil and nuclear power.

In the meantime, there have been policy developments which challenge this model: in particular, the need to reconcile the conflicting demands of disclosing energy source to consumers; proving to government compliance with support schemes; and demonstrating to the European Commission the achievement of targets.

Paul Dirix, a member of the AIB Board, presented his considerations on this subject at the Lisbon RECS Open Seminar on 18 March 2005.