# Energy certificate

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 based |
| Albania | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Algeria | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Argentina | | I-RECS redemption | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Australia | | I-RECS redemption | | NECS ex-domain | | Renewable Energy Target certificate |
| Austria | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Bangladesh | | | | | TIGR can be issued | |
| Belgium | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Brazil | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Bulgaria | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Canada | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Chile | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| China | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Colombia | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | | |
| Costa Rica | | I-RECS issuing | | | | |
| Croatia | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Cyprus | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Czech Republic | | | | | | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | | I-RECS issuing | | | | |
| Denmark | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Egypt | | I-RECS issuing | | | | |
| Estonia | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Finland | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| France | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Germany | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Greece | Full member (EECS AIB membership accepted - start 2020) | | | | | |
| Guatemala | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | TIGR production device | |
| Honduras | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | | |
| Hong Kong | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Hungary | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Iceland | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| India | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Indonesia | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | TIGR can be issued | |
| Ireland | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Israel | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Italy | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Japan | | I-RECS redemption | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Jordan | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | | |
| Kazakhstan | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Latvia | EECS AIB Observer status | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Lithuania | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Luxembourg | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Malaysia | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | TIGR production device | |
| Malta | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Mexico | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | Certificados de Energías Limpias (CEL) |
| Monaco | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Montenegro | EECS AIB Observer status - applicant for membership | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Morocco | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | | |
| Netherlands | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Nigeria | | I-RECS issuing | | | | |
| North Korea | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| North Macedonia | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Norway | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Oman | | I-RECS issuing | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Panama | | I-RECS issuing | | | | |
| Paraguay | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Peru | | I-RECS issuing | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Philippines | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | TIGR production device | not implemented yet: Renewable Energy Registry mandated by the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 / not connected to TIGR |
| Poland | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Portugal | EECS AIB observer status - applicant for membership | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Puerto Rico | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Qatar | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Romania | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Russia | | I-RECS redemption | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Saudi Arabia | | I-RECS issuing | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Serbia | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Singapore | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | TIGR production device | |
| Slovakia | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Slovenia | | | | | | |
| South Africa | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | zaRECs (im Gespräch mit dem IB) |
| South Korea | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Spain | EECS AIB full member | | I-RECS production devices | | | |
| Sri Lanka | | I-RECS issuing | | | | |
| Sweden | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Switzerland | EECS AIB full member | | | | | |
| Taiwan | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Thailand | | | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | TIGR production device | ppt and ewf to implement a blockchain-based and I-REC-connected registry |
| Turkey | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | YEK-G |
| Uganda | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | | |
| Ukraine | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| United Arab Emirates | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | NECS ex-domain | | |
| United Kingdom | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Uruguay | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| United States | | | | NECS ex-domain / CDP does not recommend the usage of European GOOs for electricity consumption in the USA. | | |
| Venezuela | | | | NECS ex-domain | | |
| Vietnam | | I-RECS issuing | I-RECS production devices | | TIGR production device | |