Green certificate
Green certificates (also: green electricity certificates , English Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), Green tags , Renewable Energy Credits or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs)) are official certificates that a certain amount of electrical energy (e.g. kilowatt hours) comes from renewable energy sources was produced.
Green certificates represent the environmental attributes of this produced energy. The green certificates can be traded independently of the energy produced.
With the introduction of the RECS ( Renewable Energy Certificate System ), the certificate system for renewable energies, in 15 European countries in 2002, a market for trading green electricity certificates was created.
Green certificates can be used both in a "voluntary" market for green electricity or serve as a certificate within the framework of a legal volume obligation (quota regulation for the production or purchase of electricity from renewable energies).