Guarantee of origin

Guarantee of origin

Since electricity is a commodity, it used to be impossible to claim any specific quality for a particular quantity of electricity. However the use of guarantees of origin (GO) is changing this. The European Union is currently implementing a scheme which allows specific attributes to be assigned to particular quantities of electricity.

A guarantee of origin is similar to a label on a bottle: it carries information telling the consumer facts about the product. Controlling the information and the accuracy of the guarantee of origin is therefore of critical importance. A unique body (e.g. an electricity regulator or a transmission system operator) is usually granted this authority for a given domain.

In their most accomplished form, guarantees of origin are issued electronically for a controlled quantity of electricity generation (usually 1 GO per MWh), traded and redeemed (i.e. used) by suppliers as evidence to their customers of the quality of the delivered electricity. Generation from renewable energy sources is the most sought-after attribute. A new development concerns guarantees of origin for cogeneration heat plants (or CHP). Some countries already have guarantees of origin issued for all types of electricity generation (nuclear, coal, ...). Possible extensions also include fair-trade, CO2 statistics, ...

Guarantees of origin should not be confused with the Eugene Green Energy Standard. Both provide consumers with more information about their power ("transparency"). However, Eugene goes further by requiring "additionnality". Besides, Eugene is a private initiative whereas guarantees of origin arise from European regulations [see Directives 2001/77/EC, 2004/8/EC and logically 2003/54/EC, all applicable in the European Economic Area (EEA). ] .

ee also

*Green certificate (Europe)

External links

* [http://www.e-track-project.org e-track: a European Tracking System for Electricity ]
* [http://www.aib-net.org Association of Issuing Bodies]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • guarantee — ► NOUN 1) a formal assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled, especially that a product will be of a specified quality. 2) something that makes an outcome certain. 3) variant spelling of GUARANTY(Cf. ↑guaranty). 4) less common term for… …   English terms dictionary

  • guarantee — guar|an|tee1 W3S2 [ˌgærənˈti:] v [T] ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1 2¦(legally responsible)¦ 3¦(certain)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1.) a) to promise to do something or to promise that something will happen guarantee (that) ▪ I guarantee you ll love this film. guarantee sb sth …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • guarantee — [17] Guarantee is essentially the same word as warrant, which is of Germanic origin (Germanic initial w became g(u) in the Romance languages). It was probably borrowed into English from the Spanish form garante (this is suggested by early… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • guarantee — noun 1》 a formal assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled, especially that restitution will be made if a product is not of a specified quality. 2》 something that ensures a particular outcome. 3》 variant spelling of guaranty. 4》 less… …   English new terms dictionary

  • guarantee — [17] Guarantee is essentially the same word as warrant, which is of Germanic origin (Germanic initial w became g(u) in the Romance languages). It was probably borrowed into English from the Spanish form garante (this is suggested by early… …   Word origins

  • Certificate of origin — A Certificate of Origin (often abbreviated to CO or COO) is a document used in international trade. It traditionally states from what country the shipped goods originate, but originate in a CO does not mean the country the goods are shipped from …   Wikipedia

  • Country of origin principle — For a discussion of labelling and marketing products according to their place of manufacture, see Country of origin. The country of origin principle is a principle in the law of the European Union for resolving conflict of laws between Member… …   Wikipedia

  • Chianina — A Chianina cow and calf in Tuscany The Chianina (Italian pronunciation: [kjaˈniːna]) is an Italian breed of cattle, formerly principally a draught breed, now raised mainly for beef. It is the largest and one of the oldest cattle breeds in… …   Wikipedia

  • Green energy — is a term used to describe sources of energy that are considered to be environmentally friendly and non polluting. These sources of energy may provide a remedy to the systemic effects of global warming and certain forms of pollution. Green energy …   Wikipedia

  • Sustainable energy — Renewable energy …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”