Guarantees of Origin

The introduction of the revised Energy Ordinance meant the introduction of a labelling obligation for electricity in Switzerland, which has been obligatory since 2006. All companies that deliver electricity to end consumers in Switzerland are subject to this obligation.
Swissgrid is establishing an information system to cover all aspects of this new labelling.  This new system should facilitate the preparation and forwarding of information required for the guarantees of origin. 
Guarantees of origin certify that the electricity labelled as green electricity was produced from renewable energy sources. However, before a production plant can be issued with guarantees of origin, it must be registered in the guarantees of origin system (GoO CH). Swissgrid has been an accredited issuer of guarantees of origin since the end of November 2007.
The new Energy Ordinance means that all plants that wish to benefit from funding (cost-covering feed-in remuneration or additional cost financing) must register guarantees of origin¹. The new Energy Ordinance has been obligatory since 1 January 2009.

What are guarantees of Origin?

Guarantees of origin provide information about:

• The volume of electricity produced, in kWh
• The energy sources used for electricity production
• The period and location of production
• The production plant identification data
• The technical data concerning the production plant (capacity, type etc.)

Guarantees of origin processes

Data registration

Registering data

To be included in the Swiss guarantees of origin system, you must first submit an application and sign a usage contract. The necessary documents can be requested from the Swissgrid Customer and Information Centre.

Application form (PDF / 52kB)

You can also access the system directly online (in the same way as online banking). To obtain access, you just need to sign a supplementary agreement to the usage contract.

Registration of plant data

Swissgrid registers verified plant data² in the guarantees of origin system. Verification of plant data must comply with the following requirements:

1. For plants with a connection capacity of less than 30 kVA, it is sufficient for the data to be verified by the operator of the metering point. The operator must be a legally separate entity from the producer.
2. For plants with a connection capacity of 30 kVA or more, the data must be verified by an evaluation office (accredited conformity evaluation body).
3. For plants which are still  involved in additional cost financing, it is sufficient for the data to be verified by the operator of the metering point. The operator must be a legally separate entity from the producer.

Verified plant data for production devices in the free market (PDF / 84kB)

List of auditors (PDF / 42kB)

Registration of guarantees of origin

The registration of guarantees of origin corresponds to the delivery/registration of a plant's production data.

Three basic procedures³ are permitted:

1. Via an automated procedure directly from the metering point
   (this procedure is currently being developed and will be available in the near future)
2. By the operator of the metering point, provided that the operator is a legally separate entity from the producer;
3. By the auditor (accredited conformity evaluation body)

Monitoring the transfer of guarantees of origin

Guarantees of origin may be traded. In the guarantees of origin system this is equivalent to a "transfer" of guarantees of origin. Guarantees of origin are transferred in two steps: first, market player A wanting to sell the guarantees of origin to market player B must "provide" them. Then market player B – assuming it agrees – must take over the guarantees of origin provided by market player A.

Redemption of guarantees of origin

Guarantees of origin can, for example, be used:

• For electricity labelling
• To certify the ecological added value of electricity exports to other countries
• For claiming funding

This requires a so-called «redemption» of the guarantees of origin. Redemption means that the guarantees of origin are deleted from the system.

Guarantee of Origins website

Further information

Price list – Annex 1 to the GoO Agreement (PDF / 40kB)

Guidelines on Guarantees of Origin (PDF / 339kB)

Applicable laws

Energy Ordinance (only in German)

DETEC Ordinance on the Certification of Production Methods and Origin of Electricity (only in German)

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¹ In accordance with Art. 1d (new), Para. 1 of the Energy Ordinance dated 7 December 1998 (as at 1 May 2008)
² In accordance with Art. 3 Para. 2 of the DETEC Ordinance on Guarantees of the Production Method and Origin of Electricity dated 24 November 2006 (as at 1 April 2008)
³ In accordance with Art. 4 Para. 1 of the DETEC Ordinance on Guarantees of the Production Method and Origin of Electricity dated 24 November 2006 (as at 1 April 2008)