Introduction
Green-e is a certification program for renewable energy managed by the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a nonprofit organization with a mission to create market and policy solutions for advanced sustainable energy.
The CRS is composed of a committee of experts who conduct verification for renewable energy and have compiled the Green-e Energy National Standard, which is currently available in North America, Chile, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Objective
Green-e serves as a consumer protection program to confirm supply and ensure that renewable energy certificates are not double-sold or counted, protecting the holder's right to make declarations or statements related to renewable energy. Green-e offers three guarantees for purchased renewable energy:
- Generated from facilities less than 15 years old
- Verified
- Not double counted
Green-e certification
The Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification 2017 defines exclusive eligible products, customer and market types, eligible supply sources, and standards related to renewable energy product specifications as a benchmark for developing regional standards. This applies globally, but there will be local standards established by Green-e.
According to the Green-e Framework for Renewable Energy Certification 2017, renewable energy sources must meet the following criteria:
- Types of renewable sources: There are stricter regulations for renewable sources such as fuel cells, ocean energy, hydro energy, and biomass energy. For example, it is required to provide the time frame of the generation site, operating hours, and building permit from the competent authorities or Green-e.
- Generation site: Generation equipment must be located in the same area where electricity is used and connected to the grid. Prior verification is required if local renewable energy equipment is used.
- Renewable energy product specification: Electricity products that apply for certification shall maintain its renewable energy attributes and cannot be used to achieve national renewable energy target or to meet renewable energy obligations, meaning that only electricity consumption that exceeds the regulatory requirements is verified.
- Other requirements: Products applying for certification must be verified by a third party and managed using a tracking system, along with complete disclosure of information to consumers, and receive regulatory approval by local authorities.
Renewable energy certificates certified by Green-e
Organizations that recognize Green-e
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
- TC Renewables (TCR)
- B corporation
- Cradle to Cradle
- Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council