In future, consumers are to be provided greater transparency in terms of their electricity mix. Thus, since 2013, the guarantee of the origin and quality of the electricity has been provided for all electricity produced in Switzerland by power plants with an output of 30 kVA or more. We asked Lukas Groebke, Swissgrid specialist for renewable energies and guarantees of origin, four questions.
What are guarantees of origin and what purpose do they serve?
The certificates issued by Swissgrid guarantee the origin of the generated electricity. They indicate the power plant and energy source used to generate the electricity. Thus, since 1 January 2013, the guarantee of the origin and quality of the electricity has to be provided for all electricity produced in Switzerland by power plants with an output of 30 kVA or more. Electricity labelling must make use of all available evidence. This means that the electricity mix supplied must be specified to the end consumer on each bill. In future, this will have to be ensured on the basis of guarantees of origin. This ensures a high level of transparency not only for producers, but also for electricity consumers.
What is Swissgrid’s role in this process?
Since 2007, Swissgrid has been the accredited “certification body for the registration, monitoring of transfer, issuing and cancellation of guarantees of origin” as defined by the DETEC ordinance on the Certification of the Production Method and Origin of Electricity. The “Guarantee of origin” department therefore operates as an entirely independent unit within Swissgrid. The annual license issued by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) guarantees that neither the Executive Board nor the owners of Swissgrid can influence this business unit. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is the responsible supervisory authority.
Are guarantees of origin only issued for renewable energy resources?
Guarantees of origin are also issued for conventional and nuclear power plants. However, on principle guarantees of origin do not provide any information on the environmental impact of the power plants concerned. Criteria like residual water amounts, fish accessibility or integration into the landscape are not evaluation criteria for the certification of the guarantee of origin. In the case of power plants using renewable sources of energy, the guarantee of origin can also include electricity product labels issued by other organisations for the purpose of guaranteeing further qualities (such as, for example, ecological sustainability).
How sure can the end consumer be about the reliability of the electricity labelling?
The guarantee of origin involves seamless checks from the production to the end consumer. Only independently certified Swissgrid production and plant details are recorded. Certification of this data guarantees that the electricity produced by a certain plant is actually fed into the grid. In addition, contracts and extensive controls ensure that no further certificates are issued for the electricity generation stated on the guarantee. Multiple marketing of the ecological added value can therefore be ruled out.
