More and more people are deciding to sign contracts for the supply of electricity from renewable sources. But how can you verify that the energy consumed really comes from green sources? With Guarantees of Origin, electronic certificates issued by the GSE to certify the introduction of renewable energy into the grid. A tool that not only facilitates the exchange and sale of green energy, but which has the final objective of reducing CO2.
That of the Guarantees of Origin It is a fundamental tool for consumers, especially for those who have decided to sign a contract electricity supply from completely renewable sources. Thanks to these electronic certifications, the end user can be sure that the energy consumed really comes from low environmental impact sources. But how do the Guarantees of Origin work and what are the new GSE rules regarding renewable supplies?
The energy market from renewables is growing rapidly: more and more families are choosing to sign “green” contracts, that is, electricity supplies that do not involve the use of fossil fuels. The process of supplying this energy, however, is not as immediate as one might think: below, some useful information.
Distribution of energy from renewable sources
As already mentioned, there are more and more families who decide to rely on completely renewable sources – such as photovoltaic and thewind power – for the supply of electricity to their homes. But how is this energy distributed?
When you sign a new electricity supply contract, there is normally no technical intervention at your home. In other words, there is no new connection to a renewable energy power plant nor, in most cases, are the meters changed. How, consequently, is green energy supplied? As you can easily imagine, it is worth a compensation principle. The electricity that is used is always the same, that is, generated through technologies – classic or renewable – that constitute the distribution network in your area. What happens, however, is the introduction into the national network of a quantity of renewable energy equal to that consumed. In order for the user to be certain that this energy is actually produced, and therefore compensated, the instrument of Guarantees of Origin was born.
What are Guarantees of Origin?
The term Guarantee of Origin refers to a electronic certification aimed at certifying the renewable origin of the energy produced by IGO qualified plants. Accepted by ARERA since 2011, these certifications comply with the Directive 2009/28/EC and are issued by the Energy Services Manager, the GSE, for each MWh of renewable energy fed into the grid.
In simpler terms, Guarantees of Origin offer consumers the certainty that the energy consumed is actually produced – or, more properly, compensated – by renewable sources. As already explained, when you sign a “green” supply contract, technically the supply of energy to your home does not undergo any changes: what you get is the introduction into the national grid, even in places geographically distant from your residence, of an amount of renewable energy equal to the amount consumed. Guarantees of Origin confirm this transition.
How Guarantees of Origin Work
Ma How Guarantees of Origin Worksince these are electronic securities? The process is complex, but by simplifying it, the following steps can be identified:
- the user consumes energy, regardless of the technology used to produce it and available in his area;
- the supplier feeds into the national grid a quantity of renewable energy equal to the amount consumed by the user;
- Il GSE – that is, the Energy Services Manager, participated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance – issues the supplier a Guarantee of Origin certification for each MWh of energy fed into the grid by renewable plants. These certifications are valid for one year;
But what is the objective of this complex system, which also allows operators to exchange Guarantees of Origin through an auction system? The certification tool encourages energy producers to invest more and more in green sources, with the result of reduce CO2 emissions and other climate-altering gases.
The new GSE rules on Guarantees of Origin
The Guarantees of Origin is a discipline that has its roots in the early 2000s, and was then implemented in Italy in 2001. With the approval of the European Directive Red IInew rules have been introduced for the issuance, transfer and verification of Guarantees of Origin, rules that at Italian level with the GO Decree of 14 July 2023. But what are the new features introduced?
- A simplified process for suppliers to obtain the qualifies IGOwhich certifies the presence of completely renewable systems;
- An expansion of the discipline with new rules to certify the renewable origin of the energy produced;
- The introduction of theRenewable hydrogen among the types of production that can obtain certification.
In detail, the Guarantee of Origin will now also have to indicate:
- the energy source used – for example photovoltaic or wind – and the production period;
- the type of energy produced from the plant, such as electricity, natural gas, biomethane and hydrogen;
- l’location and the system power of energy production;
- the date of issue of the Guarantee of Origin and its period of validity.
By doing so, the consumer receives further reassurance on the actual production of energy from renewable sources, of an amount equal to or greater than that actually consumed.
Source: www.greenstyle.it
