International work on renewables

AIB (Association of Issuing Bodies)

Since summer 2001, E-Control has been an active member of the AIB, the Association of Issuing Bodies. This organisation forms the European interface for trading in guarantees of origin. We have been part of the association in a variety of functions since it was founded. For some time, the AIB president came from our staff; currently, one of our employees is Vice Chair of the AIB Board and we are very active in the different working groups.
AIB’s mission is “guaranteeing the origin of European energy”. The association administers a technical interface that enables all connected countries to trade guarantees of origin with each other. Only guarantees that live up to AIB’s standards can be traded through its interface. This standard is based on the European legal framework (in particular the Renewables Directive). If this is fulfilled, a country’s national GO database can be connected to the European system.
This is the case for Austria; domestic market players can trade guarantees of origin across countries. The AIB system ensures that there can be no double counting and no discrimination and that everything is transparent.

For further information, please consult the AIB annual report, available from the association’s website: www.aib-net.org

RE-DISS (Reliable disclosure for Europe)

Since 2010, we have been a partner in the RE-DISS project that is promoted through the EU’s “Intelligent Energy Europe” programme. The project aims to improve labelling information for consumers in Europe. All suppliers must provide transparent and logical information about how their electricity is generated.
The first project phase ran from 2010 to 2012. As a result, recommendations for the correct implementation of GO systems were released, including the issuing, trade and cancelling of guarantees of origin. These guarantees of origin are the evidence recognised by European legislation for labelling purposes. Several European countries that did not have EU-compliant systems before realised the RE-DISS recommendations. These meant a considerable improvement of their systems.
For more details, please consult the RE-DISS final report.

The second RE-DISS phase builds on the results of the first phase. It started in April 2013 with the aim of eliminating barriers that continue to hamper labelling across the EU, in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The recommendations from the first phase will be revised and expanded. They will be addressed to issuing bodies, ministries, regulators and market players.
RE-DISS is a platform where they can exchange information, in particular during the regular workshops that are organised.
In this overall framework, E-Control works on the criteria for the recognition of GOs issued abroad. The countries’ systems are checked for their compliance with the criteria, and the results presented and published in a handy table. This makes it easy for countries that fulfil all criteria to see which other countries issue guarantees of origin that they can use for labelling at home.

For further details, please consult the project website: www.reliable-disclosure.org
 

CA-RES (Concerted Action on the Renewable Energy Directive)

This project, supported by the “Intelligent Energy Europe” programme, is conducted under the lead of the Austrian Energy Agency. It looks into the implementation of the EU’s Renewables Directive in the member states. E-Control is part of the working group on guarantees of origin. Our staff give presentations and participate in discussions on the topic.

For further details, please consult the project website: www.ca-res.eu