Guarantees of origin provide transparency on green electricity market
UBA, Germany: The Register of guarantees of origins for electricity from renewable energy sources (German: HKNR) at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has started operations. Germany is thereby implementing a European requirement for more consumer protection in the electricity market. UBA confirms with the guarantees of origin that electricity has been sourced from renewable energies. Consumers who have opted for green electricity will benefit from the new register. The HKNR monitors the trade and distribution of this type of electricity and the guarantees of origin will prove to be reliable in preventing double counting. Producers of electricity from renewable energy sources must register themselves and their production devices within the HKNR if they wish to direct sell their electricity with a guarantee of origin. They will thus forego receipt of the feed-in-tariff or market premiums as per the Renewable Energy Sources Act. (Source: http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/uba-info-presse-e/2013/pe13-002_guarantees_of_origin_provide_transparency_on_green_electricity_market.htm)