VOLUNTARY GREEN ENERGY SCHEMES

In many countries in Europe, energy companies are supplying "green" energy.  In doing so, the supplier promises its customers that the amount of electricity they have consumed has been geenrated in the same period by a generator of renewable electricity (although note that consumption and generation need not be simultaneous).

This enables "green suppliers" to:

• Redeem certificates, in order to prove that the energy supplied to consumers has come from a renewable source; and
• Demonstrate that the total amount of green energy sold is the same as that purchased - this can be independently verified.